Last comes first. The foundation of our footwear

A short dispatch about the creation of the Harry Last

Signor Alcide marking the wooden prototype last

Pistoia, Italy

All August Special shoes and boots are built around our own custom made lasts. The last is the sculptural form that the leather upper is molded around, and defines not only the shape, but also the fit and comfort of the shoe. For August Special, this fit and comfort are paramount, which is why we traveled to Tuscany to create our own lasts directly with the craftsman himself.

Signor Alcide has been making lasts for more than 40 years, and is considered a master of the craft. A quiet, kindly man, he studied my sketches, listened carefully to me describe my dream shoe, and began to work on carving what is now known as the Harry last.

Beginning as a block of hornbeam wood held firmly in a foot-operated clamp, the last is revealed slowly but steadily. Rasps, sandpaper, and the eye that can only come with decades of experience are the only tools used at first. As Sr Alcide’s work progresses, a precision tape is used to gauge several points of measure. More rasping, continuous assessment, a little more sanding, and the last is approaching its final form. We check the toe-spring, it’s a little high. The hornbeam is passed almost entirely through the bandsaw, sliced accurately through the ball of the foot. Small wooden wedges are inserted to lower the toe, minute adjustments are made. Nods of approval, the wedges are secured in place. More sanding, measurements checked over and over.

Finally, the last is passed around, studied from every possible angle. The shape is elegant, balanced. Carved at the waist, rounded just so at the toe. Tapered at the Achilles to hold the foot comfortably in place. Refined, but not dainty. Timeless, familiar somehow, yet also fresh and intriguing, a new aspect revealed each time the last is reviewed. Smiles all round.

The hornbeam last with wedges to lower the toe spring

Hornbeam is a relative of beech and is chosen for last making because it is hard, finely grained, carves well and resists the changes in humidity that can cause dimensional variation in the finished lasts. The finished primary-last is laser-scanned and graded duplicates made of recycled ABS polymer are turned on a state of the art 4-axis CNC machine. This very first pair of wooden Harry Lasts are the foundation of what all August Special boot prototypes are built upon.