At Nicks Handmade Boots, every pair of boots is a testament to quality craftsmanship and meticulous attention to detail. Our process, honed since 1964, begins with selecting the finest materials and culminates in the creation of durable, comfortable footwear. Join me as we delve into the intricate steps involved in making Nicks boots, ensuring they stand the test of time and provide unmatched comfort.

Table of Contents

• 🛠️ The Starting Point: Selecting the Leather
• ✂️ Skiving: Enhancing Comfort and Ease
• 🧵 Sewing the Boot Together
• 🔩 Adding the Eyelets
• 💧 Lasting: The Critical Shaping Process
• 🔧 Shanking for Structure and Stability
• 🔨 Bottoming: Securing the Layers
• 🧶 Sewing the Sole: Traditional Craftsmanship
• 👞 Sole Stitching: Precision Matters
• 🦶 Healing: Adding the Final Touches
• 🧽 Sanding: A Delicate Balance
• 🔍 Finishing Touches: Quality Control
• 🏆 The Nicks Difference

🛠️ The Starting Point: Selecting the Leather

The journey of every Nicks boot begins with a high-grade piece of leather, tanned right here in the United States. The first step is rolling out the hide and inspecting it closely for any imperfections such as stretch marks or bite marks.

The cutter plays a crucial role in this phase, ensuring that only the prime material is chosen for the parts of the boot that will endure the most wear and tear. The vamp, which encircles your foot, and the upper, which can last the entire life of the boot, are carefully selected.

✂️ Skiving: Enhancing Comfort and Ease

Once the parts are cut, we move to skiving the edges. This process involves thinning the edges of the leather, making it easier for our sewers to hold the material together. Excess material can cause discomfort, so skiving not only increases comfort but also simplifies the assembly process.

🧵 Sewing the Boot Together

The sewing phase consists of several steps. First, we sew the uppers together, creating a back seam that runs from the top to the bottom of the boot. A back stay and pull loop are then added, reinforced with four stitches. Each stitch requires significant hand strength and precision to keep the lines parallel.

Next, we sew the tongue of the boot, which is designed to be fully gusseted, extending from the top of the boot down to the instep. The heel counter and vamp are then attached, demanding a high level of concentration to ensure all lines remain aligned.

🔩 Adding the Eyelets

Our boots feature a unique hook and eye process for the eyelets. We utilize a vintage machine that punches the holes and sets the eyelets in one go. This machine is complemented by a simple pedal-operated press for the hooks, ensuring durability and functionality.

💧 Lasting: The Critical Shaping Process

The lasting process is one of the most crucial stages in boot making. For heavier leathers, we soak the material to soften it, allowing for easier stretching and manipulation. The boot maker sets the insole onto the boot with three nails and trims it, akin to peeling potatoes.

After attaching the insole to the last, the upper is placed onto the shoe last, and the wet lasting process begins. The leather is pulled and tacked onto the insole, ensuring that everything aligns perfectly.

🔧 Shanking for Structure and Stability

Once the leather has cured around the last, we move to the shanking process. The boot maker sands the bottom flat to ensure that the shank lays properly against the insole. A vegetan arch piece and a veg tan shank are nailed into place, and a rubber squeak pad is added to prevent noise between the midsole and insole.

🔨 Bottoming: Securing the Layers

Before applying the midsole, our boot makers ink it to match the final color of the boot's edge. Glue is applied to both the boot and midsole, followed by hammering to eliminate air bubbles and activate the adhesive. Boot tacks are then used to secure the midsole through the insole.

These tacks function like rivets, clinching over a metal plate at the bottom of the last, ensuring all layers are tightly bound together.

🧶 Sewing the Sole: Traditional Craftsmanship

The boot is then taken to a McKay lock stitch machine, which ensures the integrity of the sole. This stitch is crucial in the forefoot area and is selected over nails because of the difficulty in smoothing out nail heads in this region.

Next, the bottom of the midsole and outsole are glued together before the rubber outsole is applied. The process involves hammering to remove air gaps and activate the glue, followed by trimming to create a rough perimeter in preparation for sole stitching.

👞 Sole Stitching: Precision Matters

Our sole stitchers use rapid e machines to stitch two rows through the vamp, midsole, and outsole, creating a traditional stitch-down construction. This meticulous process requires precision, as even a small error can lead to significant issues.

Some of our models have thicker sole stacks, which may not have stitching through the entire outsole due to machine limitations. However, the adhesive used is of the highest quality, ensuring durability even under the toughest conditions.

🦶 Healing: Adding the Final Touches

In the healing department, we use several veg tan heel bases glued together in layers. Using a gauge, we set the heel base's position and drive healing nails through it, ensuring it is securely attached to the midsole. This step is vital for the balance and stability of the boot.

🧽 Sanding: A Delicate Balance

Sanding is one of the riskiest parts of the boot-making process. The sander must be incredibly careful to avoid damaging the boot. Precision is key, ensuring that the heel shape is correct and that the edge of the sole remains perpendicular to the ground.

🔍 Finishing Touches: Quality Control

Once sanding is complete, the boot moves to the finishing department. Here, we inspect the inside for any protruding nail heads and hammer them down. A sock liner is glued in for added comfort, followed by inking the midsole and heel stack.

The boots are then buffed to achieve a clean, smooth finish before undergoing a preliminary quality control check for any defects. If they pass this stage, they proceed to final QC, where they are inspected once more before being boxed and shipped out.

🏆 The Nicks Difference

Every pair of Nicks Handmade Boots embodies our commitment to quality and craftsmanship. From the careful selection of materials to the dedicated hands that create them, our boots are built to last. They are not only a purchase but an investment in comfort, durability, and style.

Thank you for taking this journey with us through the boot-making process. We invite you to experience the difference that comes with handmade craftsmanship. Explore our range and find the perfect pair that fits your lifestyle.