1. Making the Sole
Each Kuwaii shoe features a detailed sole, which requires an individual hand-made process all of its own! The soles can be made of resin, leather or EVA (a hardwearing platform material). A single sole can contain up to seven components: rand, sole, heel, top piece, layers of platform, and gum. This process is time-consuming and extremely detailed. We are very lucky to have a team of specialist sole makers who make sure every Kuwaii sole is well-balanced, comfortable and hardwearing for our customers. The many components of the sole means that they are easily replaceable, so we recommend regular maintenance to make sure your Kuwaii shoes enjoy a long life.
2. Cutting the Pattern
Pattern cutting involves creating the shape of each component of the shoe, to ensure the perfect fit and comfort for the wearer. Every Kuwaii shoe has a unique pattern, which can include up to 16 individual pieces of pattern to make one pair! The pieces of pattern eventually become metal knives, which are used to cut the leather pieces ready to be sewn up into the upper of the shoe.
3. Making the Knives and Cutting the Leather
Once the pattern pieces have been rigorously checked for correct fit, we send them away to be made into metal knives. All the components of the shoe (upper, lining, sock, insole and all the sole components) have their own special knives: one for each size, and one for the left and right of the foot. These knives are used to cut the leather out with a special die press called a clicking press. All the knives are laid out on a hide of leather, and cut piece by piece, size by size, and shoe by shoe.