Shoe shanks

[P. M. Cunningham, Tinner]

While I am pondering...

For the beginners, a shank is between the insole and outersole from under the heel to roughly just in front of the ball of the foot. The purpose is to keep the sole from breaking down after the heel breast and letting the shoe bend were the foot naturally bends.

That said, every repro shoe I have broken down in the last two years, from multiple makers, has a standard modern metal shank. I have no research to dismiss this practice, but I know leather shanks were still being used in late 19th/early 20th C. The use of metal shanks tends to create a repair issue that I have never seen on original period footwear. The sole prematurely wears out at the end of the shank or the sole literally breaks in half, since metal has no flex like leather does.

Has anyone seen original or written practice of steel shanks being used in mid 19th C. footwear?

Pat Cunningham

[J.H.Berger]

Re: Shoe shanks

Hey Pat,
I have seen that you are now trying the cobblers trade as well. Well metal shanks are most probably not CW period as far as I would assume. Why? Well if you look at CW period footwear you clearly see that the instep area or shank area of the sole is pretty rounded ( in cross section) which makes it necessary to use 1-2 rands for the heel lifts. This is due to a thick shank being either made of sole leather or wood. Metal shanks leave the sole pretty straight in this area as they are only 1.5-2mm thick. I use wooden shanks which are still available here in Germany and the result is very good. The sole gets the typical rounded shape just in front of the heel.
Metal shanks may cause a problem when attaching a clumb sole as the pegging awls will strike the steel of the shank.

[P. M. Cunningham, Tinner]

Re: Shoe shanks

Figured I get an answer out of you Jan. Thanks for getting the rest of the description up about the rounding aspect.

I left out wooden shanks, me bad. They show up but seem to be limited in use on what I have seen of period footwear of the time. Most originals, if not to dry overall, seem to still flex in the instep shank area, which implies a leather shank.

Four of the last six pair of shoes in my shop never had the issue of the pegging awl hitting the shank on a clumb sole. The shank ended where the clumb sole started, thereby breaking the sole in half. Why I am throwing the question out there.

Pat Cunningham

[Cpt Boone]

Re: Shoe shanks

Pat,

Also, if you look in I believe Foxfire 6 which covers shoe making, he uses a wooden shank.

[KentG]

Re: Shoe shanks - wood is what I use

Not being able to get a reliable supply of rawhide, I make my own shanks from white oak. The shoe factory where I used to work made a modern brogan for the Arkansas State Prison that used wooden shanks. I used those shanks as a pattern in my own shoemaking.

A good wooden shank does have some flex. I think the breaksdown you are seeing is from the rusting of the steel shank. Iron rust, and its byproducts, eats up leather. See how rusted steel nails make loose holes in leather. Use brass screws or clench nails if possible.

I have been making brogans for about 15 years now, and if they are made in the period manner (pegging or sewn) they last through many soles and heels.