Our factory

All of the men’s and women’s shoes in our proprietary collection are made in Spain, a country with a long history of shoemaking. This is where beautiful shoes are made—with a great deal of dedication, a love of detail, and following the dictates of traditional craftsmanship. Come join us on a brief tour of our factory.

Pirmasens was once considered the mecca of German shoe production, but it’s now been effectively dethroned due to globalization. Many brands producing shoes there found themselves unable to withstand the competition from the Far East. Ultimately, they either had to entirely withdraw, or they outsourced their manufacturing to developing countries notorious for their low wages. While we handle all downstream processes internally, we made a conscious choice to locate our production in Spain. Traditional shoe manufacturing has deep roots in that country, and there are many experts in the field working there, supported by an excellent infrastructure. Our insistence upon manufacturing our shoes in Spain, along with our policy of sourcing all the leather we use in Europe, means that we’re able to provide classic »Made in the EU« products, created with respect for man and nature alike.

A Visit to the SHOEPASSION.com Factory

Design Department & Punching Shop:

Designs are stencilled in the design department; these stencils are used as guides for cutting pieces of leather in the punching shop. The leather pieces are cut by hand with a trimming knife, and are later used to form the shaft of the shoe.

Stitching Department:

In the stitching department, the various parts of the shaft are stitched together. The seams on the shaft are sewn with threads of varying thicknesses and stitches of varying sizes, creating a decorative effect. There are about 60 qualified employees working in the departments responsible for nest production; each one contributes to the challenging production process behind our high-quality shoes.

Assembly:

The key tool used during the assembly stage is the last, a mould that the shoe is constructed around. First, the outsole is provisionally fastened beneath the last with a few nails. A small rubber ridge is then affixed to the insole. This will later aid in stitching the shaft to the shoe edge. The laced shoe shaft is then stretched over the last and secured to the insole.

The shoe’s eponymous welt is a firm leather strip that’s pressed as closely as possible onto the shaft and rubber ridge. In a single step, the welt is stitched together with the upper, lining, and rubber ridge, using a Goodyear-stitching machine.

Since the surface of the insole lies lower than the edge running around the shoe (composed of the rubber ridge and the welt), a joint piece is incorporated between the heel and the front of the shoe to strengthen the overall structure. At this stage, the shoe is still uneven and dented; this is corrected with the introduction of a cork layer. Said cork layer forms the foundation for the footbed, which moulds over time to the shape of the wearer’s foot, ensuring a comfortable, personalized fit.

The outsole is now mounted onto the consistent, even surface. First, it’s glued onto the welt (adhesive is applied to a narrow surface), then affixed to the heel with brass pins, and finally stitched tight to the welt with a Goodyear-double-stitching machine.

The sole and heel edges now lie flush with one another. The shoes are then cleaned a final time, treated with a final finish, and packed into boxes.