It takes years to develop the skill to cut out the distinctive patterns of each pair of Tricker’s hand-made shoes and boots. Our clickers have to judge which direction to cut the leather in, and how the piece of hide they are working with will stretch to fit a foot perfectly. Only when they are perfectly satisfied will a clicker sharpen their blade and set to work, cutting against the brass-bound edge of their pattern, and making the distinctive ‘clicking’ sound that gives their craft its name.
Sewing together the different pattern pieces to create a single upper for a shoe or boot is a craft that takes years to learn. This is where our shoemakers add eyelet holes, rivets and the brogue patterns that make every pair of Tricker’s stand out from the crowd. It’s also the only part of our factory where ‘skiving’ is permitted – indeed encouraged – because that’s the name of the painstaking process of hand-thinning leather. Once the uppers are closed, they are hung for a number of days to moisturise, so that the leather will always be supple and flexible. Every pair is then hand-labelled and numbered, giving it a unique identity.
我們的鞋匠用專爲各個鞋款單獨製作的鞋楦來拉伸縫合好鞋面。這是一道精細的工序，需要擁有多年技藝沉澱的工匠來完成，以及特定溫度、濕度的環境來配合。然後，用小鐵釘和釘子將鞋面固定在鞋內底的編織肋條上，將鞋子固定在一起，直到貼好鉛條。每一雙Tricker’s鞋靴都用鉛條將鞋內底與鞋面接合在一起，然後再將鞋底縫合到鉛條上。因爲我們的鉛條鞋是縫合的，而非用膠粘合的，所以當需要拆解時，只有技藝純熟的工匠才能拆開縫線，並進行修複。
如今，我們的鞋匠會在鞋底添加一層木柄，讓鞋子更加結實，支撐力更強。然後，鋪一層軟木填充鉛條與鞋內底之間的空腔，這種軟木可以根據穿著者的腳型來塑形，既隔熱又舒適。隨後，用皮革中底覆蓋這層軟木，加以保護。在添加鞋底的這一階段，無論鞋底選用皮革還是橡膠，多餘的部分都會被磨掉，並鎖縫到鉛條上。經過數日的乾燥，鞋跟逐漸成形，並加裝到每只鞋子或靴子上。此時，鞋子已經可以進入精修階段了。
No Tricker’s shoe or boot could ever be accused of being rough around the edges. Each pair is hand finished by one of our shoemakers, who trim the soles and heels and buff the edges until they are smooth. It can take years of experience and a very good eye to master this traditional freehand skill. Our craftsmen and women then stain, polish and wax the leather uppers to create a waterproof finish, before ‘bunking’ the soles by adding decorative patterns with tools heated over a naked flame.
In the shoe room, a sock liner is fitted to the shoes or boots for comfort. The finished pair is then cleaned, and the uppers are dressed to create a patina using our unique blend of creams and polishes. After hanging overnight one last time to moisturise the shoes or boots are polished and burnished by hand to give them their final distinctive lustre. Then they must pass a final inspection before they are laced, wrapped in cotton cloth and packed into their box together with their Tricker’s shoe bags. After 260 different processes, all carried out by hand, another pair of Tricker’s hand made shoes or boots are finally ready for dispatch.
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