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The shoe last is the most important part of the shoe making process. The last is the mold over which the shoe is made. The last will determine the fit and feel of the shoe. The word comes from an Anglo-Saxon word "laest" which means footprint. For centuries a last was made from wood, today most shoe lasts are made of plastic. Large Size Shoes for Women will explain the making of the shoe last.
The Making of the Shoe Last
The making of a last is very complex in design and engineering. They are made by very skilled lastmakers, not shoe manufacturers. The last starts out as a rough plastic block and goes through a series of steps until it is a finished last. The most important individual in the process is the modelmaker, it can take ten years or more to reach what is known as "master modelmaker". The modelmaker will build the original mold from which all sizes and widths will come.
The last is built to the specifactions of the manufacturer to insure design and fit qualities. Lasts are made two pairs at a time on special lathes that are able to duplicate every minute contour of the original mold. There can be thirty or more different measurements taken, some with a tolerance of 1/64th of an inch. There are no straight lines in a shoe last.
Back Curve: The curve at the back of the last that forms the counter. It must be the proper height so that the back of the shoe does not bite into the heel and yet stay on the foot without causing the shoe to slip on the heel.
Shank Curve: A curved bridge between the heel and ball of the foot. The heighth of the curve is determined by the height of the heel, the higher the heel the sharper the curve.
Wedge Angle: This is the slant of the heel seat. This angle will increase as the heel gets higher, it must be precise as to allow the heel of the foot to rest comfortably on the heel seat, without causing the foot to slide forward.
Toe Spring: The purpose of the toe spring is to give the shoe room in the toe box area (wiggle room). A faulty toe spring can cause excessive creasing over the vamp. As a rule the lower the heel the the more toe spring needed.
Vamp Length: This measurement varies in accord with the shoe's style and design. If this measurement is wrong a host of problems will follow, mainly in how the shoe fits. The shoe will wrinkle soon and show excessive wear very early.
Cuboid: This measurement is quite simply the width of the last from toe to heel. It is a critical measurement at the ball of the foot and will determine if the top line fits snug or gapes.