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Uppers, Leather and Findings: A Guide to Shoe Factory Engineering and Efficiency



Even still, we provide a variety of options depending on what you need. Our Ashland boots utilize a waterproof leather upper, a strong, highly durable lug outsole, and a comfortable OrthoLite insole to create a stylish, functional work boot. Our Tetons feature a suede upper and a crepe-wrapped midsole for a more flexible, comfortable option for everyday use.




Uppers, Leather and Findings




Having formed creative partnerships with the finest leather footwear and luggage craftsmen, Yuketen\u2019s designer, Yuki Matsuda, is able to combine the most refined shoe making traditions and techniques with progressive, adventurous designs. The result is something truly unique- shoes that reflect our global perspective, relentless pursuit of quality, and fearless attitude towards bold, forward-looking design.


Each season Yuketen strives to improve upon our tradition of progressive design and functional advancement. For the 2015SS collection, we\u2019ve refined the fit on our popular moccasin-style silhouettes for improved comfort alongside our 100% natural rubber boat soles. The hand-made outsoles are stitched directly to the vamp, reducing the need for additional chemical adhesives. Other embellishments such as Native American conchos invoke the Native American spirit that inspires much of our work. Additional design features include Yuketen mainstays such as vegi-tan leather tucks, steel shank arch reinforcement, and hand-sewn stitching. We utilize only the finest components and construction techniques in order to provide the discerning customer with unique, durable, and fulfilling footwear.


From the first design to robust product testing, we go the extra mile with you in mind. Whether it's custom leather tannages, world class rubber sole compounds, or little things like more durable eyelet rivets, every aspect of our footwear has been carefully considered. While this process isn't easy and is almost never noticed, making products we're proud of has always been our first priority.


Our proprietary combination veg- chrome tannage developed in coordination with the award winning Le Farc tannery. The double-tanned leather, hot-stuffed with natural oils and waxes, provides the durability of a veg tan with the rich shine and vibrant color of a chrome tannage, creating a unique finish that grows more beautiful year after year.


Our Rugged & Resilient collection was custom-created to look great after years of hard wear with minimal care. These matte leather uppers are sourced exclusively from Tier 1 USA cattle hides that promises to get more unique and better looking with every wear, scuff, and scratch.


Traditionally, shoes have been made from leather, wood or canvas, but are increasingly being made from rubber, plastics, and other petrochemical-derived materials.[1] Globally, the shoe industry is a $200 billion a year industry.[1] 90% of shoes end up in land-fills, because the materials are hard to separate, recycle or otherwise reuse.[1]


The earliest known shoes are sagebrush bark sandals dating from approximately 7000 or 8000 BC, found in the Fort Rock Cave in the US state of Oregon in 1938.[5] The world's oldest leather shoe, made from a single piece of cowhide laced with a leather cord along seams at the front and back, was found in the Areni-1 cave complex in Armenia in 2008 and is believed to date to 3500 BC.[6][7] Ötzi the Iceman's shoes, dating to 3300 BC, featured brown bearskin bases, deerskin side panels, and a bark-string net, which pulled tight around the foot.[6] The Jotunheimen shoe was discovered in August 2006: archaeologists estimate that this leather shoe was made between 1800 and 1100 BC,[8] making it the oldest article of clothing discovered in Scandinavia.


It is thought that shoes may have been used long before this, but because the materials used were highly perishable, it is difficult to find evidence of the earliest footwear.[9] By studying the bones of the smaller toes (as opposed to the big toe), it was observed that their thickness decreased approximately 40,000 to 26,000 years ago. This led archaeologists to deduce that wearing shoes resulted in less bone growth, resulting in shorter, thinner toes.[10] These earliest designs were very simple, often mere "foot bags" of leather to protect the feet from rocks, debris, and cold.


Many early natives in North America wore a similar type of footwear, known as the moccasin. These are tight-fitting, soft-soled shoes typically made out of leather or bison hides. Many moccasins were also decorated with various beads and other adornments. Moccasins were not designed to be waterproof, and in wet weather and warm summer months, most Native Americans went barefoot.[11] The leaves of the sisal plant were used to make twine for sandals in South America while the natives of Mexico used the Yucca plant.[12][13]


The Romans, who eventually conquered the Greeks and adopted many aspects of their culture, did not adopt the Greek perception of footwear and clothing. Roman clothing was seen as a sign of power, and footwear was seen as a necessity of living in a civilized world, although the slaves and paupers usually went barefoot.[16] Roman soldiers were issued with chiral (left and right shoe different) footwear.[19] Shoes for soldiers had riveted insoles to extend the life of the leather, increase comfortability, and provide better traction. The design of these shoes also designated the rank of the officers. The more intricate the insignia and the higher up the boot went on the leg, the higher the rank of the soldier.[20] There are references to shoes being worn in the Bible.[21] In China and Japan, rice straws were used.[citation needed]


Starting around 4 BC, the Greeks began wearing symbolic footwear. These were heavily decorated to clearly indicate the status of the wearer. Courtesans wore leather shoes colored with white, green, lemon or yellow dyes, and young woman betrothed or newly married wore pure white shoes. Because of the cost to lighten leather, shoes of a paler shade were a symbol of wealth in the upper class. Often, the soles would be carved with a message so it would imprint on the ground. Cobblers became a notable profession around this time, with Greek shoemakers becoming famed in the Roman empire.[22]


In medieval times shoes could be up to two feet long, with their toes sometimes filled with hair, wool, moss, or grass.[24] Many medieval shoes were made using the turnshoe method of construction, in which the upper was turned flesh side out, and was lasted onto the sole and joined to the edge by a seam.[25] The shoe was then turned inside-out so that the grain was outside. Some shoes were developed with toggled flaps or drawstrings to tighten the leather around the foot for a better fit. Surviving medieval turnshoes often fit the foot closely, with the right and left shoe being mirror images.[26] Around 1500, the turnshoe method was largely replaced by the welted rand method (where the uppers are sewn to a much stiffer sole and the shoe cannot be turned inside-out).[27] The turn shoe method is still used for some dance and specialty shoes.


Eventually the modern shoe, with a sewn-on sole, was devised. Since the 17th century, most leather shoes have used a sewn-on sole. This remains the standard for finer-quality dress shoes today. Until around 1800, welted rand shoes were commonly made without differentiation for the left or right foot. Such shoes are now referred to as "straights".[31] Only gradually did the modern foot-specific shoe become standard.


Similar exigencies at the time of the Crimean War stimulated a renewed interest in methods of mechanization and mass-production, which proved longer lasting.[32] A shoemaker in Leicester, Tomas Crick, patented the design for a riveting machine in 1853. His machine used an iron plate to push iron rivets into the sole. The process greatly increased the speed and efficiency of production. He also introduced the use of steam-powered rolling-machines for hardening leather and cutting-machines, in the mid-1850s.[34]


The outsole is the layer in direct contact with the ground. Dress shoes often have leather or resin rubber outsoles; casual or work-oriented shoes have outsoles made of natural rubber or a synthetic material like polyurethane. The outsole may comprise a single piece or may be an assembly of separate pieces, often of different materials. On some shoes, the heel of the sole has a rubber plate for durability and traction, while the front is leather for style. Specialized shoes will often have modifications on this design: athletic or so-called cleated shoes like soccer, rugby, baseball and golf shoes have spikes embedded in the outsole to improve traction.[54]


The upper helps hold the shoe onto the foot. In the simplest cases, such as sandals or flip-flops, this may be nothing more than a few straps for holding the sole in place. Closed footwear, such as boots, trainers and most men's shoes, will have a more complex upper. This part is often decorated or is made in a certain style to look attractive. The upper is connected to the sole by a strip of leather, rubber, or plastic that is stitched between it and the sole, known as a welt.[54] 2ff7e9595c


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