Evening star., 1928-03-04
Making Wooden Heels.

THE word shoes" naturally brings
to mind leather. but there ere
made nowadays great numbers Of Eon-
ems slippers and shoes, for, house and
street md dress wear. that are pade
With wooden heels. These wooden heels
cost less TO make than leather heels.
but they are put on the finest rs veil
as the less expensive shoes becaltee
they are lighter than leather heels of
the same size. and for the reason that
in the tall. slender shapes, and tspe-
cially in the narrow-necked heels, they
stand up better under weight. Then.
too being rigid. the covering ON them
remains smooth and perfect.
These wooden heels are made Of haro
maple. First. block is grooved, put
in machine that cuts in that part Of
it that faces the sole of the shoe under
the instep, the little incurving sweeG
that gives the heel grace there, ard
then the block goes into molding ma
chine that cuts it into heel shape.
The knives in this machine work
rapidly and smoothly and as the hecl
comes out it may seem perfectly smooth
and finished and ready to be covered,
as it is IL the material to be used ir.
the covering is comparatively thick.
but if the heel has an extension III
securing machine TO be finished on that
extending part. and If it is TO be covered
With six or satin, very thin material.
the entire heel is polished on a buffe'
to a perfect silky smoothness. The
heel is bored and plugged TO reinforce
and strengthen it. and then. finished in
the wood. is ready 10 be covered.
Many materials are used in covering
wooden heels. and they may be use:i
in almost endless variety OF colors or
shades. Some shoe manufacturers buy
the wooden heels and cover them IN
their own factories; some have wooden
heel manufacturers cover and finish the
heels completely. sending the covering
materials cut or not cut. as the cas-.
may be. and receiving from them heels
that are ready TO go on the shoe
And wooden heels are commonly made
TO order for they are required OF man.
sizes and OF many shapes, with the
fashions always changing
The coverings are cut oat by hanG.
though they are knife-cut, many at Z
time. but each cover must be stretched
or glued to each heel BY hand. Thei'
there is glued into the groove Of the
heel. completely covering that surface
; piece Of split leather OF precisely the
color and also of the same style OF
finish as that of the bottom OF tho
shoe, which the groove faces. and nov
there is nailed to the bottom Of the
heel thickness of leather Like layer
on any heel The leather protects tn
wood from wear. kills the sound thai
the wood would otherwise make in
walking and also protects the lower
ecgc.
The trim little semi-circles OF t!nv
brass nails that are seen in the heels
are really pieces Of brass wire. sections
from q coil Of wire carried on a ma
! chine which thrusts the end OF tn
wire through the leather. and into tn,
wood. 1t then cuts on the wire and
drives the next nail In the same man
ner and so around.
From this the heel goes to trim
ming machine. The leather may pro-
iect srifie beyond the heels covering
Il must be made so that its edge sur
face is absolutely smooth and flush with
the covering. This Is done IN the trim
ming machine, and then the edge OF the
leather Is colored rs leather edges COM
monty are. s,railys.sither red. leather
colored or black.
The heel next proceeds 10 buffer or
which the bottom Of the leather IS
smoothed and polished Then It ma:
be colored artifcfally. or II II IS Ilcs 70
be coiored. the bottom Of the leather
may be finished with velvet finish.
The finish, whatever IL may be. Is maze
TO be In accordance With the r1i<l ~
the sole Of the shoe fon which It Is to
go. and with the final finishing Of the
leather the heel is completed
Through the latter process the heel
has been handled with its covering on.
and this may be Of some delicate ma
terial or color. So now they are m
speeted and finally packed IN cartons.
a dcyer pairs OF heels 10 the box. and
are ready for the shoe manufacturer
II is stated that IS perscent OF tce
wcmen's shoes worn III this country are
now made with wooden heels, OF which
are produced millions OF pairs annually.