HOTELMOTEL : a Workshop
photo : Josée Lecompte
Our workshop is the heart of our operations. Without it, we wouldn’t be crafters. It’s our special place, no matter how small it is, where we can create, develop, test, experiment, make, produce and laugh. It's more than a workspace, it's a studio where we have set up our cutting tables, our machines and our tools, where we have a view of Montreal and its changing seasons, where we share our daily life with other artists and craftsmen/women, where we forget our daily life and the passing of time.
The making of sneakers and leather accessories is a unique skill with many technical challenges that require precision and thoroughness. Since the exodus of the shoe industry to Asia, we have lost this closeness between the shoemaker and the customer. Shoemaking has become a mystery and we imagine that the different components roll on a carpet and pass through different machines before ending up in a box on the shelves of a store. In fact, each pair of shoes walks through several skillful hands before getting there.
There are more than 100 operations in the process of making sneakers. We do all of this in our small Mile End workshop using our 4 hands, tools and a few basic machines. Corinne often describes leatherwork as the junction between wood and fabrics; sewing is used as much as the sander and hammers.
We believe that sharing the knowledge is the best way to preserve the know-how. Here we reveal the secrets of our art :)
“Leatherwork is at the junction between wood and fabrics; sewing is used as much as the sander and hammers.”
Photo : Josée Lecompte
Design
The look of a sneaker is as important as comfort. The design and the choice of materials are essential in the development of a shoe. We have to draw, make patterns and test prototypes. When we approve the model, we can make the gradation of the sizes.
Skiving machine
Photo : Josée Lecompte
The making
Without listing more than a hundred specific steps, here are the highlights of handcrafted shoe production.
-The clicking of the different components (outer leathers, reinforcement leathers, sole leathers, lining leathers, pads, laces ...)
-Assembly of the upper (the leather part of the shoe that sits on top of the foot). Many assembly operations: trimming, gluing, sewing, hot stamping, hand stitching, punching etc ...
-The lasting of the upper on the last and insole is physical work since we do it by hand for maximum strength and durability. Using pliers, nails, hammers and glue, we mold the sneakers into shape by inserting reinforcements between the lining and the outer leather.
Shoe lasting
Photo : Josée Lecompte
-The soling, we sand the extra thicknesses under the shoe and fill the center with cork for superior comfort. We glue the rubber cupsole and sew it for maximum durability.
-Quality control, we examine each pair of sneakers from all angles, check if there are any stains of glue or dye, any threads to burn, before inserting the comfort soles and laces.
Messy studio, prototypes
Photo : Josée Lecompte
Our studio can quickly become messy, odorous, noisy and chaotic, but that makes all its charm. Come to our open studio to discover the art of sneaker making. Follow us on social media to know the dates.