Shoe Lasts Australia

After much deliberation I finally made the trip out to Thomastown to visit Bruce Miller of Shoe Lasts Australia. I found out about the company though Leflers and called Bruce way back in April. He said that one-off lasts were available either new or second hand in a range of different sizes, toe shapes and heel heights, all I needed to do was bring my upper pattern and get to Thomastown. So on thursday, a train, a bus, a walk and quite a time later I arrived to see Bruce. After panicking that I'd mistaken my directions I found the factory and upon entering could hardly contain my excitement- there were shoe lasts everywhere! Including heels for Emma The Shoemaker (a young shoemaker I discovered via Craft Victoria's Shoe Show in 2009).

Bruce was so friendly and helpful, and he had a great deal to tell me about shoe lasts, and shoemaking in Australia and in modern times.

Firstly, Shoe Lasts Australia is the only last manufacturer in Australia, so I felt very lucky to live in Melbourne. Bruce is the only last designer that he knows of. This is particularly sad because there is no one to succeed him, there is little interest in Australia and the only way to prevent the business from collapsing is to bring in someone from overseas. His factory is well equipped to produce commercial numbers, up to 200 lasts a day with twin last-turning machinery and a CAD last pattern making system being set up, but there isn't the demand. Most of Bruce's orders are for smaller quantities such as Emma the Shoe Maker's, but because numbers are limited Bruce is unable to charge the valued amount. Recently orders have been up because as Bruce asserted, the Asian manufacturing companies have been unable to keep up and brands such as RM Williams have been turning to him for help. The trend for clogs has also generated work for the factory with many designs for different shoemakers being made up in wood. This has meant business has been stable since last year.

I also learnt a lot about the lasts themselves. I knew most modern lasts were plastic, not wood. But Bruce explained that he still made wood lasts as the master pattern for the plastic ones to be copied and graded from. Bruce and two others make the lasts entirely themselves at the factory, starting with extruding the plastic for turning. There were so many different shapes and sizes that I really did realise the importance of a good last. I was after a very specific toe shape, similar to a peak toe as I discovered and it took a long time to find. While I'm very happy with my last, even after all that searching though boxes for the best one, there are minor details of my last that I would change.

Now I just need to work out how to use them- I think a practice shoe is in store. I'm a bit stressed because although I know that one of my uppers fits well, I'm not so sure about the other and I don't have enough leather to cut another set, nor enough time for that matter...