abbymc2011 Posted March 14, 2011 Posted March 14, 2011 Hi everyone! Im buying materials to start making my own shoes. At the moment im having trouble sourcing insole boards. Preferablly i would like to make them myself rather than buy them from abroad. Does anyone have any ideas on how to go about making an insole board? I know that i can use fibreglass to strengthen the board as opposed to shanks as i couldnt find shanks anywhere. Any help would be massively appreciated! Abby
pussyinboots Posted March 15, 2011 Posted March 15, 2011 It sounds like you're halfway there already Abby...but here's a tip or two I have gained from my husband who has 'mended' a couple of my pairs of stripper heels that have come unglued in the past. He used a pair of these soft inner soles you can buy at most Shoe Repair shops like 'Timpsons'.....the ones that have all the sizes marked in outline, that you then trim them to fit. He used these as a 'template' for size...using a craft knife to cut them with a clean line. He then drew around them onto two kinds of materials - i) Heavy duty printers card - and ii) Modellers plastic card. The cardboard ones he then covered in a thin coat of bonding resin used for bonding fibre-glass....and the plastic ones he simply covered in the material he wanted to finish them off with. The plastic ones turned out the best as they were more rigid..and also didn't go soft in the shoe when my feet perspired a little. However, if you want expert tips, then there's a wonderful lady in the United States who has her own website devoted to making your own shoes - she gives excellent advice on materials and methods. Have a look here: http://www.marywalesloomis.com/ "Good Girls keep diaries....Bad Girls just don't have the time...!:icon_twisted:"
abbymc2011 Posted March 15, 2011 Author Posted March 15, 2011 Hi, thanks for your reply! I already have her book and there is nothing in there about making insole boards or shanks :/
pussyinboots Posted March 16, 2011 Posted March 16, 2011 Hi, thanks for your reply! I already have her book and there is nothing in there about making insole boards or shanks :/ Oh Dear...I really can't say a lot to that can I..?? However, she does mention using fabric stiffeners to make the toe-boxes hard.....maybe that's what she uses for inner soles too..?? "Good Girls keep diaries....Bad Girls just don't have the time...!:icon_twisted:"
jo Posted March 16, 2011 Posted March 16, 2011 Sounds like now is the right time to suggest the author adds a new chapter on that very topic. The site mentions the book has been revised and rewritten several times. At least some of that must have derived from previous customer feedback.
shoerepairer Posted March 16, 2011 Posted March 16, 2011 http://www.algeos.com/ Repair Reuse Recycle. Cobbler it.
Dr. Shoe Posted March 16, 2011 Posted March 16, 2011 The main construction of an insole board is a stiff portion under the heel and a flexible portion under the big joint and the toes. I'm thinking that a flexible material which is then stiffened into the appropriate shape with fibreglass resin. Graduate footwear designer able to advise and assist on modification and shoe making projects.
Sixsmith Posted October 23, 2011 Posted October 23, 2011 Hi, I teach shoe making at Sixsmith & Co. in Lincoln, MA. For our shoe making class, I use leather for the insole board. Get a piece of cow leather that is around 6oz or 8oz. Cut it to the shape of the insole. Soak it in water, and then wrap a piece of cloth around it so the leather is pressed tight against the shoe last all the way around. Leave it to dry for a day and then unwrap the cloth. You'll find that the leather has taken the shape of the last and is stiff like a board. This will work fine for an insole board. Shanks are difficult to find so I make my own. Shanks can be made from hardwood, fiberglass or metal. I make fiberglass ones for my classes. I've been told that fiberglass shanks have now surpassed metal ones in popularity. You basically need to make the shape of an arch out of a piece of fiberglass cloth and resin about 1 inch wide and taper the ends so they land in the right place. Take an old pair of shoes apart to see the shape and placement. I also make custom heels for my classes. It's difficult to buy them in small quantities and the students ask for custom work anyway. For toe boxes/toe puffs, the standard material is celastic, but I've heard too many stories of people with health issues who claim they were caused by celastic, so I won't give it to my students. Instead, you can use Fosshape or Wonderflex materials which you can by online from hat supply shops. They melt into shape with an iron. You can also do a lay-up of buckram and fabric stiffener, but you need to use it like paper mache and it takes a day to dry completely which is too long for my classes. These small parts are hard to find, but if you need a short run of something, give me a holler at Meredith@6smith.com and I can make small custom batches for you. I hope that helps and good luck with your shoe making! Meredith
MrsW Posted February 7, 2012 Posted February 7, 2012 Hi, I know exactly the problems you are having! I too am starting to make shoes again, the first ones since college. There is a good company called T Colledge and Sons based in Bristol, they're a shoe repair wholesalers but they stock a good supply of shoe making materials and equipment including insole board, shanks, tacks and glue and they don't have a minimum order. You'll have to apply for an account to see the prices but that should be a problem, they're very nice. Hope this helps!
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