Men's shoe-making workshop, Portugal (Porto)
Located in the small village of Barcelos, near Porto, in the heart of Portugal's traditional shoemaking region, the workshop employs around fifteen people. In what might seem a chaotic atmosphere, shoes stream onto the racks and come to life at a brisk pace. Specializing in the manufacture of men's dress shoes, this family-run workshop is said to have the President of Portugal as a client.
The workshop and JULES & JENN
Without having to play president, a few successive requests finally led to our first collaboration for the launch of the JULES & JENN men's shoe range. Braving the misunderstandings of French and Portuguese languages, we discovered their way of working and the experienced craftsmen who, at every stage, contribute to the creation of the shoe models.
We regularly go to the workshop to discuss models, materials, colors, production progress, and also to talk about the weather.
Shoe making
Based on the design, the pattern maker creates the pattern for the various parts that will make up the shoe. Using punches, the cutter cuts out, manually or with a press, the different parts of the model from the chosen material. The pieces must be carefully cut to avoid natural defects in the leather. The parts making up the upper—the top of the shoe—are then sewn together. The internal reinforcements and counters are sewn or glued. The upper is then placed on a mold, varying according to the size, to be attached to the inner sole. Depending on the model, the sewing, gluing, sanding, and drying operations follow one another. Finally, the leather outsole is attached, first by gluing, sometimes by stitching. After a drying time, the shoe is assembled. The mold is then removed from the shoe. The final touch is the attachment of the insole, which is the visible insole, on which the foot rests. Finally, the shoe is polished to ensure an impeccable finish. Wrapped in tissue paper, the shoe is delicately placed in its JULES & JENN box. All that's left is to slip your feet inside.
At a collection point from €25
Available in 3X, 4X
100 days to try
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