Belts & Shoe Trees: The Perfect Partners for Bespoke Shoes

Learn why asking a shoemaker to craft a belt and shoe trees is a good call: https://gentl.mn/bespoke-belts-shoe-t...

#belts #shoetrees #notsponsored

SHOP THE VIDEO:
→ Tan Cognac Brown Calf Leather Belt: https://gentl.mn/tan-cognac-brown-cal...

SEE THE FULL BESPOKE SHOE SERIES PLAYLIST HERE:
→    • Bespoke Shoes, Start to Finish | Gent...  

GUIDES YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS:
→ Belts + Shoes + Metals: https://gentl.mn/belts-shoes-metal-pa...
→ Cutting Apart Belts: https://gentl.mn/cutting-apart-mens-l...
→ How To Deodorize Shoes: https://gentl.mn/stinky-shoe-deodorizer

VIDEO CREDITS:
→ Scriptwriter: E.J. Daniels
Sven Raphael Schneider
→ Camera & Editing: Chris Dummer
→ Visual Supervision: Preston Schlueter

Bespoke Shoes & Belt Created by Amara Hark Weber
Visit Amara at http://harkweberstudio.com

IMAGE CREDITS:
→ Saint Crispins

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00:00 Belts & Shoe Trees Introduction

When you invest all that time and money into a bespoke product, you also want it to last as long as possible and wear it in a way that makes it look most favorable. That means getting a matching belt made of the same leather as the shoes and having shoe trees made that are not just generic off-the-rack, but actually based on the last of the shoe, so you will enjoy your shoes for years to come without any unnecessary creasing.

03:01 Making a Bespoke Belt

Amara selected and prepared a length of leather that was left from shoemaking. She then skived the leather, layered it, and stitched it together. Obviously, that’s how a belt is made in a factory setting, but Amara is very flexible and capable. Everything that went into this belt is leather, and thread, unlike many others.

03:30 Punching the Holes

We realized that buckling and unbuckling your belt is a lot easier with diamond-shaped openings, rather than round holes. And because of that, going forward, all Fort Belvedere belts will have that same diamond-shaped hole.

Punching holes for the diamond is riskier than with a round hole punch because, with a round hole punch, no matter what angle your whole it, it’s always round. Amara first marks locations where she wants to punch the belt, then she uses a press to indent the area, and then she hits its heart with a hammer to actually make the hole.

05:56 Fitting the Buckle

Since I already had belts from this belt system that fits me, I brought it with me. She could measure; make the belt slightly longer at first and then we could cut it down to size so it fit me perfectly. Because it’s always easy to cut it shorter, but you can’t just add it back on.

06:55 Making a Bespoke Shoe Tree

A shoe tree really helps to maximize the life of your shoe because it helps it to dry in its original shape and, in general, ideally, you only wear one pair of shoes in one day, give it a break for a day or two, and then wear it again at the earliest.

As the name shoe tree implies, this is made out of wood and there are plenty of different woods you can choose from. Oak is one option, but it’s typically rather heavy. Most factory, ready-to-wear shoe trees are unfinished and just sanded. A lot of people say that allows for the moisture of the lining leather to be absorbed into the shoe tree. Now, I’ve found that a lot of bespoke shoe trees are finished. They’re either waxed on the surface or lacquered, or painted, and there are lots of other options.