Vegan Wares

Tour our Workshop
 
Most of the merchandise sold at Vegan Wares is made on the premises.  This isn't the way we started.  In our early years we had other factories make for us, but there were always problems with quality control, timeliness of delivery, availability of styles, minimum order quantities, and so forth.  On a few occasions we even discovered that leather componentry was being used as heel stiffeners, and in soling (in contravention of our express specifications).  This was the last straw.  So we started setting up a small factory in the basement beneath our shop, and later extended it upstairs, & behind the shop ....... so that now all aspects of shoe construction are carried out at Vegan Wares.
 

1. The tour starts here ... at our shop.  Our factory is located on these premises: up-stairs, out the back, and in the dungeon 
2. The shop is not just the place for showing our wares and entertaining customers. It's also where patterns are created, & some shoe uppers are cut out.
3. Cutting out the pattern pieces is called 'clicking'.  Special orders are cut out by hand.  Stock lines & wholesale orders are usually cut out using press knives - on the clicking press.
4. Once the upper pieces are cut out they're taken to the machining room where they're stitched together.

5.  The completed uppers are pulled over shoe lasts by machine.  The lasts define the shape of the shoe.

6. Soling
The edges of the uppers, turned under the last, are roughed on a scouring machine in preparation for gluing on the sole.
Glue is applied both to the underside of the shoe and the sole. Subsequenty the decorative rand (edging) is laid, & then the sole glued & then presssed on.

7. Detailing - the final stage. 
This involves removing glue marks from the upper, applying a gloss spray, sticking in the Vegan Wares label, & putting the shoes in boxes. 
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