These shoes show what can be done if all the stars align: you have nice leathers, soling is available, you have no doubt been a leatherworker a long time to perfect the brown lacing stitch, you’ve got a great machine that stitches with the thick white thread around the edge of the shoe – and you are extremely gifted in working with color and design!

A friend recently wore these shoes, telling me that she had purchased them ten years ago in Spain at a country market.

This is a perfect example of stitch-down shoemaking – the white stitching shows where the upper was turned out upon the soling, then the layers were stitched together.

Interestingly, my friend says that she seldom wears them because her heel slips up and down with every step she takes. My guess is that the sole is very stiff, and that if the sole were more flexible, made out of natural rubber for instance, the problem would dissipate. And, it looks like the heel seam doesn’t follow the shape of the heel very well..always something more to learn..

Yes! Thank you to Susan for suggesting that the stitch that I saw on a unique shoe from Spain is the back-side of Stairstep Applique stitch.  Here’s the “back” side that apparently would usually be the “front” side.

The youtube video that showed me how to make this stitch is: