When building a boot, the core, the very beginning, is the last.

If you’re not familiar, the last is what gives the boot its shape. This piece of plastic and metal is the very first step in the shoemaking process, and the rest of the design flows from it.

Getting the last right is one of the most challenging aspects. Last makers in the United States are few and far between, and they are incredibly expensive.

Today, I’d like to take you on the journey of how Caswell Boot Co developed the last for their upcoming Made-in-America line – and why the readers of 100wears should keep an eye out for what’s coming next.

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post, but 100wears did have a hand in helping with this last design. If it sounds like I’m favoring something here, it’s because I am! Additionally, as I was sharing internal business information from Caswell, they did get the opportunity to fact check this article before it went live and make sure nothing confidential was shared.

Why Does the Last Matter?

If you have a conversation with Kevin Wilson, the man behind Caswell Boot Co, he’ll candidly share that one of his initial missteps with the brand revolved around the last. Aesthetically, they were exactly the style he envisioned. However, the final fit was a different story.

Ultimately, boots are more than just leather and rubber; they are a functional tool that supports us. They cradle our feet for the recommended 10,000 steps a day (more or less…), and while a looking good is important, ensuring a comfortable fit is just as crucial.

That original boot run – some of which are still available on sale if you’re interested – just didn’t fit people the way Kevin wanted. This (very expensive) realization was also one of the most important lessons he’s learned. When you’re building a brand, you need to design for your customers. This last didn’t fit enough people, and the feedback he got was clear: Caswell needed different lasts.

Since those early days, the Washington D.C.-based Caswell Boot Co has experimented with various lasts to find the perfect one for their brand. In their made-to-order line, customers have the luxury of choice, selecting between a sleeker last and a more generous one to suit their style and comfort.

For their upcoming Made-in-America line, however, Caswell Boot Co aimed to strike a balance. They sought to design a last that not only embodies the brand’s essence but also offers a standard fit accommodating both D and E widths.

Why This Shape?

Taking inspiration from classically styled service boots, the Caswell 0458 last was designed to offer the best of both worlds.

Historic military lasts needed to look the part. While I’m not sure General Patton and Deon Sanders have too much overlap in their sayings, both of them knew that dressing well was key to performance. Military boots were no exception to that rule.

At the same time, if you’re fighting a war, you probably don’t have time to have a dozen different boot shapes for every soldier. You needed to find something that fit everyone.

These two core principles are behind many of the lasts that are so loved today.

The 0458 last does just that.

Why are Lasts so Expensive?

I’ve mentioned on this site a number of times (including in this article) that lasts are expensive. I think it’s worth taking a moment to step back and examine why.

Let’s start off with the basics. While there are a few off-the-shelf lasts you can buy (you can even find them used on sites like eBay), most self-respecting brands will want a last that they’ve designed. That means going full custom.

A new, custom designed last will typically cost around $200-300 dollars for a pair. At least, if you plan on ordering in bulk. And, you will need to be ordering in bulk if you plan on offering more than just one size.

Discussing the cost of lasts reveals a significant challenge in shoemaking. Each size requires its own specific last, including half sizes. This, by necessity, quickly adds up. Just the core sizes alone – 7D to 12D – costing around $1,200. But that’s just the beginning.

Factories often need multiple sets of lasts to optimize production. Without them, they’re forced to produce each size sequentially, which can drastically extend lead times.

The bleeding doesn’t stop there. When telling me what went into the design of the 0458 last, he told me that his original last order was around $4,000. Or, to put it more bluntly, a 4k investment to make 200 pairs of boots.

All on lasts that have since went out the door to offer something better.

How Do You Buy a Shoe Last?

Alright, you have your idea in mind, you have your several thousand dollars, now what?

It might seem blindingly simple. You go on Google and you find a last maker. Though, the simplicity stops there.

As you can probably imagine, boot last making businesses are not available on every street corner. There are just not that many in the United States. While this is a bit sad, there is the consolation prize that the press gets to have a field day every time they can say “this plant is the ‘last’ of its kind.”

It also created a problem for the development of the Caswell 0458.

Kevin is pretty passionate about American manufacturing. If you speak with him, sourcing local (or, as local as you can get in a town like Washington, D.C.) is a driving focus. If you go back to their original kickstarter campaign, it was obvious that they wanted to use as much American sourced material as possible.

Picking a company

Unfortunately, there is exactly one last maker left in the United States, Jones and Vining. While undoubtedly American, they are also slammed with requests. You can cut to the front of the line, but not while offering something a price point bigger than the last they made for Shaq.

OK, what’s next on the search list? Spring Line! The best-known last maker in the United Kingdom. Again, this brand wouldn’t do either. I could bore you with the ins and outs of tariff classification paperwork from U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, including how the tariffs depend on if it is made of wood or plastic, and if the last uses a metallic hinge or removable panel, but the short version is that Uncle Sam doesn’t like shoe lasts coming from Europe.

Frustrated at the lack of options, Caswell Boot Co decided to go back to their drive. Finding the closest company with a storied history of building quality lasts. This led them to Hormas el Arbol, the Leon, Mexico-based company producing the 0458 last. With a history of making quality lasts for small bootmaking brands and a geographical location that was as close as possible, this brand offered the solution.

Sampling

The process doesn’t stop once you get the first last. The standard sample for lasts is a U.S. 9 and a U.S. 9.5, this allows the factories to build a test run and make sure it works for their system. It’s also why this is the size you always find in sample sales.

Or, at least you would if you were a size 9.

Making sure the factory can build it is only half the battle. You also need to make sure it actually works. In the case of Caswell, that meant a size 11.5 and 12 needed to be ordered as well so Kevin could try them out.

No custom last comes out perfect the first time. Sampling allows for fine tuning the last. A bit more toe space, a lower volume instep, etc. Sampling can go back and forth several times in order to get a final product that works.

Production

Company? Check. Last that is exactly what you’re looking for? Check. Now is time for production. Last production typically takes anywhere from 1 to 6 months to arrive. Each pair is custom made at the factory, and must be carefully checked for any faults before they get shipped out. 

Lasts

There you have it. The reason, cost, and production of a boot last. The unsung hero in boot design.

I know it feels like I’m beating a dead horse, but it’s almost impossible to describe just how important finding the right last can be for a newer footwear brand. It’s one of the first major investments the company needs to make, and an area where a mistake is nearly impossible to fix without a total rework.

I’d also really like to thank Kevin from Caswell Boot Co. for being so helpful with his information. He is right up there with the most passionate people you’ll ever speak to about bootmaking, and is as excited to tell you about the process as any hobbyist is to learn.

Anything you feel I didn’t answer? Leave a comment below. Otherwise watch this space – big things are coming.