Beautiful Shoes, Terrible Photo

Emma Lakin of shoemakers W. S. Foster & Son is visiting the City this week, bringing with her for fitting the first iteration of some slip-on shoes commissioned last summer.

Lacking the support of laced shoes around the top of the foot, bespoke slip-ons are usually made on a separate last. Most makers want to check the first pair from any last on the client's feet before attaching the upper to the sole, and that is what brought these unfinished beauties to San Francisco.

Bridge problems around the Bay meant it was evening before shoes and feet were brought together, which was part of the reason for the lack of photographic documentation of the fitting itself. Suffice it to say that the toe box on the right foot will be ever so slightly larger, and the heel area of the left shoe tightened to prevent slippage before they are delivered after the new year. The soles will be thin, and finished with squared edges.

Throughout the fitting, Emma and the shoes did their parts and the camera did not. Why it chose to focus on the sofa instead of the shoes is mystery. Beautiful shoes, terrible photo. Fortunately, I do have a picture of the sample.