- Best Foot Forward
- 01.04.2007
Erick Geer Wilcox makes custom handcrafted leather footwear using high-quality materials and a made-to-measure manufacturing process. One of his current preferred shoe styles is called "The Elf," built using a "last," a form made of wood or plastic. Since he doesn't mass produce, the big key to his rollout stategy will be to target local boutiques.
Wilcox, a 1999 graduate of The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, hand-cuts and individually assembles each pair of shoes. He uses a "last," which is the form made out of plastic or wood that the leather is stretched over to make a shoe. “Last” is an Old English word meaning “footprint” and it is the most important tool for most modern footwear, Wilcox says, as it defines what shape the toe will have, how high the heel will be and certainly important- how well the shoe or boot will fit in a given style.
Wilcox creates his own prototype lasts with unique toe shapes and lower heel heights.
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