Wood-nailed shoes

[Gruto]

According to Helge Sternke, writer of the massive "Alles über Herrenschue", wood-nailed (holzgenagelte) shoes are fading away. There are few decent makers left, all of them in Central Europe, among them a company called Kober. I have a pair myself of blister producing wood-nailed Derbys. I guess that is the main problem, since they can look very elegant: they are not that comfortable compared to traditionally welted shoes. What are your thoughts: anything in favor of them?

[Richard3]

I have never owned a pair but am thinking of having one made. There are some very decent makers in Vienna left; Maftei, Elfie Riedel and even Materna (I think) for example make very nice shoes. I heard that woodnailed shoes are even more durable then welted shoes.

[Gruto]

I have never owned a pair but am thinking of having one made. There are some very decent makers in Vienna left; Maftei, Elfie Riedel and even Materna (I think) for example make very nice shoes. I heard that woodnailed shoes are even more durable then welted shoes.

Okay, Vienna must be the place then. Sterke writes that the production peaked 1870-1920. Furthermore, he indicates that you need a very good craftsman to make an elegant pair wood-nailed shoes. Generally, the technique is better suited for mountain boots, working boots and military boots.

[Richard3]

Generally, the technique is better suited for mountain boots, working boots and military boots.

No, that`s not true. Look at Maftei`s and Riedel`s shoes:


www.maftei.at

www.elfie-riedl.at

[Gruto]

Generally, the technique is better suited for mountain boots, working boots and military boots.

No, that`s not true. Look at Maftei`s and Riedel`s shoes:


www.maftei.at

www.elfie-riedl.at

I agree, they look pretty good. On the other hand, how comfortable are they? From what I have picked up wood-nailed are hard. My own pair of holzgenagelte support that.

[bengal-stripe]

No, that`s not true. Look at Maftei`s and Riedel`s shoes:

Maftei's shoes are usually welted (see picture from their site) although, I believe they will do wooden-nailed on request.

Maftei and a number of eastern European workshops will use welted for the main part of the sole and wooden-nailed for the waist. I believe timber-nailed is of peasant origin and needs less skill input from the shoemaker. I do believe a wooden-nailed waist is a short-cut compared to a proper fiddled waist (English bespoke).

Our most common sole type is welted sewn to the heel. In order to ensure firmness in the area of the ankle the sole is reinforced there with wooden nails and it is strongly cambered. Our heel is not, therefore, reinforced with steel springs and that makes the shoe lighter. The sole edge, also known as the cut, is rounded in the ankle area in order to achieve the most elegant, small ankle. In the area of the forefoot the cut closely follows the contour of the shoe. One characteristic of a heel built up by hand of more layers of leather is the visible difference in height of the inside and outside of the heel. This last-dependent difference in height is compensated by using a leather wedge on the inside of the heel and effects the correct, level positioning of the foot. The visible double stitch is, seen from the sole, sunk into it and thus invisible. This seam channel is known as the steep channel and is cut into the sole by hand to a depth of about 2,5 mm. After the moist sole has been sewn with the welt the steep channel is closed again and sealed with shoemaker's glue. The total thickness of the sole is about 8 mm.

http://www.saint-crispins.com/index.html

Talk to Rudolf Scheer und Söhne (the grandest Viennese shoemaking firm) about wooden nails and they’ll recoil in horror.
http://www.scheer.at/

Rolf