The classic styles that apply to both men’s and women’s shoes are: Oxford, Derby, sandal, court shoe, boot, and mule. In contemporary shoe design, styles are reinterpreted and boundaries pushed daily. Following are some style deÄ nitions that are part of daily design terminology.
Derby: The quarters are stitched on top of the vamp.
Monk: Derby with a strap crossing the top of the foot. Slip-on: A laceless shoe that is designed to be put on and taken off easily.
Oxford: The fore part of the shoe (vamp) is stitched on top of the side panels (quarters) of the shoe.
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Moccasin: Refers to the ancient type of shoe construction where the bottom of the shoe is stretched around the sides of the foot and stitched to the “apron”
on top.
Desert boot: Traditionally unlined suede ankle boots that are side-stitched to a crêpe rubber sole.
Jodhpur boot: A short riding boot with an ankle strap.
Chelsea boot: An ankle boot with side elastic gussets.
SHOE STYLES 47
Sneaker (or trainer): A sport-inspired shoe that is generally designed for performance, but can also be used as a lifestyle fashion shoe.
Boat shoe: Originally a moccasin-style shoe made with a water-repellent hide, antislip outsoles, and side lacing.
Nowadays any low-proÄ le shoe with side lacing is referred to as a boat shoe.
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Platform: The front part of the shoe is elevated as well as the heel.
Mary Jane: A court shoe with a single strap across the instep.
Mule: An open-back shoe with no toes exposed.
D’Orsay: A variation of the court shoe (see opposite page), having front and back uppers that do not meet. (There is also a semi-d’Orsay, where either the inside or the outside top edge dips down toward the sole to expose the side of the foot.)
Peep-toe: A shoe that exposes a single toe.
Sandal: Any shoe (high or low) that has the toes exposed.
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Clog: A shoe where the upper is generally stapled or nailed to a wooden sole.
Boot: Any shoe with a higher ankle- or leg-covering section. Boots can be pull-on (i.e., with no openings) or Ä tted (e.g., with a zippered opening).
Sling back: An open-back shoe that has only a single back strap.
SHOE STYLES 49
Court shoe: A closed top line (top edge) shoe.
T-bar shoe: A variation of the court shoe, having a single strap going up the vamp, attaching to another (somewhat perpendicular) strap, thereby forming a “T.”
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Australian-born Sebastian Tarek is a freelance bespoke shoemaker based in London, UK, and also teaches shoemaking courses. His work philosophy is to apply a contemporary aesthetic to the classic techniques used in the traditional British bespoke trade. Sebastian was born in 1977, making him relatively young in the bespoke shoe world where the average age is over sixty.
He currently works with two of the oldest surviving shoemakers in London—George Cleverley & Co. and James Taylor & Son—as well as his own eponymous bespoke service.
Q Why did you choose this career?
A My career has evolved out of an initial interest in fashion and a fascination with how an object as functional as a shoe fi ts within a fi eld that can be so decorative. Handmade and bespoke shoes take the idea even further, and the foot itself becomes the template for something genuinely sculptural. The need to solve the problems of how to integrate the foot with the way a shoe can and should look is a fantastic challenge.
Q Where/how did you train?
A I started off in vocational study, in both the UK and
Australia, and then found opportunities for on-the-job training as well as private projects in which to develop a greater understanding of practices and my own techniques.
Q What is the best part of your job?
A Facing challenges, and working out how to address problems such as how to create beautiful shapes for the feet I am fi tting.
Working on developing specifi c skills and honing techniques that have been learned recently, so are fresh; as well as constantly refi ning the age-old techniques that go with classic handmade shoemaking. Interacting with people to create something both beautiful and functional. And being my own boss, so working in an unrestrictive environment that I have created myself. I get to be responsible for how I develop my career, which is a fantastic challenge in itself.
Q What is the worst?
A The physical aspect of working with techniques completely devoid of machinery is taxing on the body sometimes—though it gives a great sense of achievement to fi nish a hard day at the offi ce with sore limbs knowing that you have done a good day’s work.
Q What is important in shoemaking?
A Application to the task at hand and making sure it is done properly, no matter how long it takes. Patience is probably the greatest virtue in this fi eld. Realizing details, and understanding how it is often the sum total of these details that makes the difference between a pair of shoes and a beautiful pair of shoes.
Q What materials do you prefer working with?
A I love the malleability and diversity of vegetable-tanned leathers—the character that these ancient tanning techniques