My pirate shoes were made on a pair of wooden lasts that were a bit narrow for my foot and without the square toe that I was after. Pictured is an extreme extant example of a late 17th century men’s shoe that inspired me.
Next I used my power drum sander to roughly shape the Bondo as I wanted it. It required a second batch to build up the toe area.
After Sanding Bondo Down
The Masking Tape as a Pattern
I then traced the pattern onto a piece of veg tan leather.
Leather Stretched Over Last
The next day I removed the tacks and slipped off the leather piece.
Finished Lasts with New Fittings
I began by taking my existing lasts and taping on a cardboard “dam” to contain the auto body putty (Bondo™) that would carve into the shape I wanted for the toes.
Lasts with hardened Bondo added to the toes
After power sanding I used 120 grit sandpaper to shape the Bondo by hand.
Masking Tape on Front of Last
I applied masking tape to the front of the last where I wanted to build up the shape and to smooth it out.
I wetted the veg tan leather to make it supple, than formed it over the lasts. I used small shoemaker’s tacks to hold the leather in place while it dried.
The Dried Leather Fitting
When leather is applied to a last to change its shape it is called a “fitting”. In this photo you can see there is a leather fitting on the sole of the last as well. I have begun my next shoes by shaping the counters around the heels of the lasts.