Improvements in or Connected with Boots and Shoes.
Year: 1889

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or Connected with Boots and Shoes.
I WILLIAM WILLS of 32 St. Edmunds Street Northampton in the County of
Northampton Boot Maker, do hereby declars the nature of this Invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The object of this Invention is to provide boots or shoes with an improved insole
which is very flexible and is attached to the upper leather in such a manner that
ridges of sewing stitches and the sharp feather edge of the insole liable to cut the
upper leather of the boot or shoe or hurt the feet of the wearer are dispensed with and
the ordinary bottom filling between the inner and outer soles is not needed and
moreover the boots and shoes are more flexible and more durable than are those made
in the ordinary way.
I will describe my Invention with reference to the accompanying, drawings.
Figure 1 of which shows in plan of underside a boot or shoe before the outer sole and
heel are attached thereto. Figure 2 is a cross section thereof. Figure 3 is a plan
and Figure 4 is a cross section of an inner sole made according to my Invention.
According to my Invention I cut away a portion of the leather at the waist part A
and at the sole part B as shewn at a and b so as to reduce the thickness of the leather
at those parts and give a recess in which the upper leather is received so as to be flush
or approximately flush with the outer surface of the inner sole. The upper leather C
is first braced to the insole A. B as shewn in Figure 1 and then the welt D is sewn
to the upper leather only instead of both to the upper leather and the insole. The
outer sole is sewn to the boot or shoe which may be done in the ordinary way except
that at the waist the outer sole is sewn to the upper only. I prefer to make the
reduced part a in the waist as well as the reduced part in the sole part proper (B) but
the reduced part b at the sole part proper may be used alone if desired. The
insole A. B. should be made of dressed or curried leather as it leaves no sharp edges
to cut the upper or hurt the foot and is more pliable than the ordinary rough leather
insole. The making of the insole and the attaching of it to the upper as hereinbefore
described leaves no ridges of sewing to hurt the feet and owing to the welt being
sewn to the upper only instead of to both the upper and insole the boot or shoe is

page_text: much more flexible than boots or shoes made in the ordinary way. The upper being
secured to the inner sole independently of the welt cannot break away should the welt
give way.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
First. In or for boots and shoes an inner sole of dressed or curried leather with
parts reduced in thickness at the fore part or sole proper or at both the waist and
forepart or sole proper substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described.
Second. In boots and shoes an insole of dressed or curried leather made substantially
as described with an upper secured in recesses or cut away parts at the forepart or
sole proper or at both the waist and forepart and sole proper and with the welt and
inner sole independently secured to the upper substantially as and for the purposes
hereinbefore described.