Make Women's High Heels

The history of high heels goes back to 4,000 B.C. where depictions of them have been found on the walls of Egyptian temples and tombs. High heels are an easy way for a woman to lengthen her body and make her legs look slimmer. Most women enjoy a closet full of different colors and styles of high heel shoes but often overlook the lengthy process that goes into manufacturing a high heeled shoe.

Instructions
Things You'll Need:

* Shoe molds (Lasts)
* Leather upper
* Sole
* Heel
* Nails
* Heel covering
* Inside lining


Step 1

Measure the length and width of the foot for which the shoe is being made.

Step 2

Shape the shoe pieces on lasts, otherwise known as shoe molds. Lasts must be made specifically for the design of the shoe and are created based on 35 different measurements of the foot.

Step 3

Cut the pieces for the shoe based on the design of the shoe style. Pieces required are vamps, which cover the toes and top of the foot and counters, which are sections covering the back and sides of the shoe.

Step 4

Sew the counters and vamps together which creates an upper. Stretch the upper over the last with stretching pliers to pull the parts of the shoe into place. Tack it down to the last.

Step 5

Let the upper soak on the last for two weeks.

Step 6

Soak the leather for the soles in water to make it pliable. Once the sole is cut, place it on a lapstone and pound it with a mallet until there is a smooth shape.

Step 7

Cut a groove into the edge of the sole to mark holes to be punched through for stitching.
Step 8

Glue the sole to the bottom of the upper and stitch together using a double-stitch method. A double stitch method is when two needles are woven through the same hole but the thread is going in opposite directions.

Step 9

Attach the heel to the sole with nails. If the heel is covered with leather or cloth, use glue or stitching to attach the covering before you nail it to the sole.

Step 10

Finish up the shoe by staining or polishing the outside of it and attaching linings to the inside.