Last development
Grading a client's fit intent into a full size run, cut back and re-cut until the sample fits three test wearers rather than one.
Capabilities
What the factory can do
Six services, all of them under one roof except heel injection and tanning. Where something is done outside, we name the partner rather than implying it is ours.
Heel tooling
Six heel families in the house library, plus new tooling cut in-house when a client needs a profile that does not exist yet.
Pattern and sampling
Two prototype rounds included in every development, with a written change log between them.
Small-run production
Runs from 60 pairs. Below that number the tooling cost per pair stops making sense and we will say so.
Finishing and branding
Sock printing, embossing, edge dressing, dust bags and boxes, all produced to the client's artwork.
Export and documents
EUR.1 movement certificates, packing lists and the customs paperwork for shipments leaving the EU.
Constructions we run
| Construction | Used for | Minimum run |
|---|---|---|
| Cemented | Courts, sandals, mules and most heeled styles | 60 pairs |
| Stitched sole | Loafers and heavier heeled styles with a leather sole | 80 pairs |
| Strobel | Soft unlined constructions and lightweight uppers | 60 pairs |
| Injection-attached unit | Platform and block styles using a TR or TPU unit | 120 pairs |
Sizes and grading
Standard run is EU 34 to 42 with half sizes between 35 and 41. Grading is done here from the master last; we do not accept a graded set from a third party without re-checking it, because a bad grade only shows up at the size extremes and by then the production run is cut.
What we will not take on
- Runs below 60 pairs per style. The tooling and set-up cost per pair stops being defensible.
- Men's footwear. Different lasts, different machinery, and we would be learning on your order.
- Copies of another maker's shoe. Bring a reference for the feeling of it, not a pair to trace.
- Deadlines that require merging the two prototype rounds. That is where fit problems get shipped.
Costing
A cost per pair is issued after the first prototype round, not before, because material yield is not knowable from a drawing. It holds for the season, and the material and labour components are shown separately so a change of leather does not require a new negotiation.