Our Process

Gemming is used as an attachment point between the insole and welt of most Goodyear welted footwear using a cotton rib. This method will minimize the lifespan of the boot or shoe. After 2-3 resoles, the gemming will break (either the rib or the cement will come loose) and then make the boot un-resolable. Today more than 95% of all goodyear welted boots are made using this technique to cut cost and speed up the manufacturing process.

Our version of a Goodyear welt takes it a step further. Our leather insoles are channeled with a machine to allow for a flap of leather to be created around the perimeter. This creates a stronger bond between the internal components of the boot. We feel our method of channeling our leather insole is a huge step in maintaining a boot that is constructed using as much leather as possible. Although this process is difficult and very labor intensive, we feel this technique further separates our products from other bootmakers and is the highest quality method available.

The last is a polyethylene form and is shaped like your foot. This determines the size and shape of the toe and how high of a heel your boot will take. Making a boot to fit comfortably depends on the lasting techniques Mandujano prides its self from. The upper is wet with water, pulled over the last and tacked securely with temporary tacks. This is a very physical process and takes a great amount of experience to perfectly complete this task.

A Goodyear Welt shoe or Goodyear Welt boot is made using a strip of leather that runs along the perimeter of the outsole. A skilled boot maker is required to successfully perform this critical task. At Mandujano, we break a sweat to ensure that while your custom boots may take a few weeks to be completed they will however last a lifetime. Our ultimate goal is for you to be wearing your good pair of Mandujano leather insole goodyear welted boots, in ten to fifteen years from the day you receive them.

Lemonwood pegs are securely hammered into holes made in the leather outsole to keep the steel shank, insole and outsole in place. They are more durable then brass nails as brass nails are forced out of the outsole as it swells when exposed to water. Lemon wood pegs expand and contract when exposed to moisture almost at an identical rate as leather. Lemonwood pegs date back to the old world of boot making and are the gold standard when making custom made boots.

Using a free hand motion against a very sharp set of spinning blades, we trim the edge of the outsole and the edge of the welt to its final shape.

The heel attachment process is performed with great precision. Manual heel attachment through the outside portion of the heel may leave nails exposed in the insole. Our machine pneumatically pushes the threaded nails from the inside of your boot through the leather insole, leather outsole and heel base. This method eliminates nail exposure and prohibits any squeaking and allows that heel to be seated properly.

The edge of the heel and bottom of the outsole are stained. Using friction with waxed spinning brushes brings the bottom of the outsole and the edge of the sole and heel to a high-gloss shine.

We clean the boot of any dust of foreign material that by have adhered to the boot as it was being crafted. We touch up any small flaws in the boot in the leather and we apply a base coat which will act as a binder for the final polish.