Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 22 hours ago

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Look at this shoe last before and after customization.

On one side, you see the standard shoe last. On the other, you can see what happens after I customize it.

This is one of the things I want beginners in shoemaking to understand from the beginning: when you customize a shoe last according to the actual shape and measurements of the foot, you create a much better foundation for everything that comes after.

And there is another advantage that I really like.

You don't need to start with a different shoe last for every type of footwear.

If you choose the right basic shoe last, customize it properly, and learn how to work with it, you can use that same foundation to create many different footwear types and designs.

I see this very clearly with my students. When they first spend time getting one shoe last to fit them properly, the work that follows becomes much easier. They already have the correct foundation, and from there they can concentrate on pattern making, upper construction and creating different footwear styles.

This is why I always think about the shoe last as a long-term investment in your shoemaking skills.

Don't look only at the first pair you want to make. Build yourself a good foundation that you can continue using again and again.

I explain more about shoe last customization and how we use this technique in shoemaking in my full article:

👉 shoemakingcoursesonline.com/shoemaking-techniques-shoe-last

And if you want to learn shoemaking from the basic techniques through more advanced footwear construction, you can find everything in my 2-Year Pro Shoemaking Program.

👉 shoemakingcoursesonline.com/on-line-courses/1-year-pro

Start with the foundation, and you can build much more from it.