What ultimately decides the fit of a shoe; the foot, the material? No, the fit of a shoe is down to the last, the shape of this last and the use of this last during manufacturing processes. Sadly, many shoe manufacturers will purchase their lasts from abroad, which could potentially reduce the guarantee that the shoe will fit. However, Gabor have a specialised in-house team who develop each and every Gabor last for the company.

How to Get the Fit of a Last

When it comes to establishing the best fitting last, all of the dimensions need to be precise, as a low toe height or an insole that is short, will cause the shoe to pinch the wearers foot. Therefore, Gabor have firmly adhered to the fact that the design of their shoes needs to be fashionable whilst never compromising the fit of the shoe. By doing so, they are quite sure that for 8/10 women their shoes will fit - a very confident figure. Equally, each type of shoe, from the moccasin to the court shoe, has a specific last, providing a basis for the fashion range as a whole.

Changing Fashions & Lasts

Obviously, an individual last will be created for each style of shoe within the Gabor range, but what happens with each season and change of fashion? Gabor don't simply use the same lasts for each style of shoe through the seasons; the designer team will create the new styles and last modellers will create a series of lasts and shapes to fit these designs. This isn't as simple as it sounds. Each last is modelled to the drawing, also providing the shape for the heel, insole, outsole and stiffener. The wood of the last is then filed, milled and measured to ensure that they're entirely correspondent with the drawings. Once digitalised, the last prototype will be made from plastic before one final check to ensure the last is exactly how the designer intended.