The Journal® / The Proper Label®

Craft

On the Workshop Floor

The Proper Moccasin, from the last to the finished pair.

The Proper Moccasin, from the last to the finished pair.

The moccasins in the workshop photograph still contain their blue lasts. Their uppers sit in a line on the metal surface, with a pair of pliers close by. The view holds together the shoe's finished outline and the equipment needed to arrive at it.

Elsewhere in the sequence, completed pairs are arranged across a table. Repetition makes comparison possible: the curve of the apron, the width of the strap and the relation between upper and sole can be seen from one shoe to the next. A single profile held in the hand makes that outline easier to read.

Finished moccasins arranged for comparison.
Finished moccasins arranged for comparison.
The side profile, held against a plain wall.
The side profile, held against a plain wall.
A close view of the sole and its stitched outline.
A close view of the sole and its stitched outline.
Another sole photographed inside the workshop.
Another sole photographed inside the workshop.

The underside introduces another view of the work. A stitched line follows the perimeter; the heel gives the sole its change in level. These photographs document what is visible at different stages, without compressing the whole process into a single polished product image.

The Proper Moccasin is made in Portugal, within the House's continuing footwear work there. Keeping the workshop photographs alongside the finished pair preserves something useful: the object can be appreciated for its appearance, while the time and attention around its making remain in view.

From the House archive · The Proper Label®