The pages of very detailed technical requirements and specifications, the heels having to be specially reinforced with steel to withstand all the physical punishment he'd put them through, seeing the material and designs for his stage outfits.............

So at the time, he was preparing to put on a show for us? His Fans?

Having to go through the time and trouble to make custom shoes and clothes and having a stage to match.

Don't you find this ironic, that today he could care less about us!?

Prince would never wear those. The red clashes with the bronze!

Thx 4 Sharing this!

I'm curious, what the process of making a "last"?

Serena said:

Dang, those boots sitting next to Prince's lasts are KARAZY!!! Did your dad make those too? Tell me they're just for display or my ankles will shatter just thinking about standing in them.

He made those shoes as well, took him four solid days. Shockingly true but it is actually possible to walk in them.

jcurley said:

Was this on Old Street EC1. I was in halls on Brunswick Rd and I read that P's shoes were made on Old St, I walked up and down a few times to find it but never could.

You got the right street though Prince never actually visited my dad's shop.

So let me ask you this...most people's feet are different sizes. What about Prince? Is one foot larger/smaller than the other? Which foot - and by how much?

For example, my left foot is about a quarter of a size bigger than my right...

Wow

Genesia said:

So let me ask you this...most people's feet are different sizes. What about Prince? Is one foot larger/smaller than the other? Which foot - and by how much?

For example, my left foot is about a quarter of a size bigger than my right...

I think certain matters should remain private between a gentleman and his shoemaker.

SquirrelMeat said:

Prince would never wear those. The red clashes with the bronze!

You are very right about that. He was one of those clients who was very clear in his own mind about exactly what he wanted.

nice!

Hi Belenalhama !

Thank you for sharing this wonderful story.

I wonder:

Does your father kept any pict of the final product ?

Does he remember how many shoes he crafted ?

From when to when he made these shoes ?

Also, can you take a picture of the last standing with a heel ? ( will look more naturale)

Once again, thank you, that a cool story !

belenalhama said:

robinhood said:

your father sounds like a very humble man

it's not surprising he is brushing off having his photo taken with those lasts,

but i sure hope he gets around to it soon lol

Sadly not able to get a picture of my dad with them but here is a picture of the lasts

http://www.flickr.com/photos/53582708@N04/4950849457/sizes/l/in/photostream/

Not the most spectacular picture but the best I could do at short notice. I'll try and get a picture of my dad with them when he has a moment. He's not exactly humble as rightly he is very proud of his skills as a shoemaker, as a craftsman he is very unfazed by anything to do with celebrity

thats what i meant

thank you for the picture

Feet that small, Prince must have put his feets in Miss Rudolphs bucket of blue piss.

[Edited 9/2/10 18:10pm]

luv4u said:

Wow

Ditto. LOL at your Friday sig. Bev.

Elle85n09 said:

luv4u said:

Wow

Ditto. LOL at your Friday sig. Bev.

Thanks

rbrpm said:

Thanks 4 sharing and u know what they say ya'll small feet big d**k?

My thoughts exactly!!! Prince is big in all the spots where it counts!!

Nice insight. Thanks for sharing.

CHRISLUV92 said:

like these...

[img:$uid]http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn235/chriseagle08/Paper-boot-1.jpg[/img:$uid]

[img:$uid]http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn235/chriseagle08/raveinto1.jpg[/img:$uid]

Just asked my dad, he definitely made shoes exactly like that but as he recalls they were thinner heels so may not have been the exact ones pictured here

wow thank you for sharing Belenalhama!!

mwu said:

Hi Belenalhama !

Thank you for sharing this wonderful story.

I wonder:

Does your father kept any pict of the final product ?

Does he remember how many shoes he crafted ?

From when to when he made these shoes ?

Also, can you take a picture of the last standing with a heel ? ( will look more naturale)

Once again, thank you, that a cool story !

Thanks mwu, seeing the last brought back so many memories that is a pleasure to share them. It is lovely that so many of you have been so enthusiastic about hearing them. As he's very hard at work dad is not so keen on being constantly peppered with questions but I love finding out more about this part of his career.

We have kept some of the pics of the finished shoes and of the drawings and technical instructions as well. We shall see if we if it is possible for us to scan them in and share them more with you. We are planning a website devoted to Cos as a shoemaker and designer and this part of his history will be covered. He started making the shoes in 1990 and finished in 1999 (rather appropriately). He can't remember the exact number of shoes without checking the records but a lot of work went into crafting each individual pair.

As for the picture I'm delighted to oblige http://www.flickr.com/pho...954206308/

CHRISLUV92 said:

like these...

[img:$uid]http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn235/chriseagle08/Paper-boot-1.jpg[/img:$uid]

[img:$uid]http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn235/chriseagle08/raveinto1.jpg[/img:$uid]

OK that second pic I must get.....good googa mooga!

belenalhama said:

Genesia said:

So let me ask you this...most people's feet are different sizes. What about Prince? Is one foot larger/smaller than the other? Which foot - and by how much?

For example, my left foot is about a quarter of a size bigger than my right...

I think certain matters should remain private between a gentleman and his shoemaker.

Okay, well...I'm not sure how you decide what should be private and what shouldn't. I mean...you already posted pictures of the lasts and told us what size he wears.

But whatever.

Thanks for this wonderful insight belenalhama

I can't believe how slim those heels are. The only ones I can recall seeing up close were the 'Batman' ones from Sky Magazine back in the day. As I remember they were less high, but I could be wrong.

I've read here numerous times that Prince was in the habit of not paying craftsmen for work they'd completed, which I don't believe. Perhaps you set the record straight with your father's experience?

belenalhama said:

mwu said:

Hi Belenalhama !

Thank you for sharing this wonderful story.

I wonder:

Does your father kept any pict of the final product ?

Does he remember how many shoes he crafted ?

From when to when he made these shoes ?

Also, can you take a picture of the last standing with a heel ? ( will look more naturale)

Once again, thank you, that a cool story !

Thanks mwu, seeing the last brought back so many memories that is a pleasure to share them. It is lovely that so many of you have been so enthusiastic about hearing them. As he's very hard at work dad is not so keen on being constantly peppered with questions but I love finding out more about this part of his career.

We have kept some of the pics of the finished shoes and of the drawings and technical instructions as well. We shall see if we if it is possible for us to scan them in and share them more with you. We are planning a website devoted to Cos as a shoemaker and designer and this part of his history will be covered. He started making the shoes in 1990 and finished in 1999 (rather appropriately). He can't remember the exact number of shoes without checking the records but a lot of work went into crafting each individual pair.

As for the picture I'm delighted to oblige http://www.flickr.com/pho...954206308/

Hi belenalhama,

Thank you for your response !

I can not wait to see the website when it will be complete.

If you have the photo book, sacrifice of victor, you can see a picture of prince waderob with a bunch of sexy and beatifully crafeted little high heels shoes, the one your father did.

Congratz !!

Also, until 1999 make sense I suppose.

From 2000 Prince started to be broke and have hips problem if i m not wrong.

Genesia said:

belenalhama said:

I think certain matters should remain private between a gentleman and his shoemaker.

Okay, well...I'm not sure how you decide what should be private and what shouldn't. I mean...you already posted pictures of the lasts and told us what size he wears.

But whatever.

Sorry about that, actually I avoided the question because I was at home when I answered it and did not have the last with me. You may or may not be pleased to know that just like you Prince's left foot is also slightly longer than his right.

unkleg said:

Thanks for this wonderful insight belenalhama

I can't believe how slim those heels are. The only ones I can recall seeing up close were the 'Batman' ones from Sky Magazine back in the day. As I remember they were less high, but I could be wrong.

I've read here numerous times that Prince was in the habit of not paying craftsmen for work they'd completed, which I don't believe. Perhaps you set the record straight with your father's experience?

Though he was incredibly (and rightly) demanding and exacting about his footwear, I can reassure that he always paid for all the work we did in full and on time. He was a challenging customer but in many ways he was a pleasure to deal with.

Though we didn't work on those particular shoes you mentioned, we started with working with him not too long afterwards. There is an element of structural engineering in building and designing heels. By reinforcing it with steel you can make the heel very tall and razor thin yet still incredibly strong. For this reason the shoes my dad makes are very popular among trannies

Hi belenalhama,

Thank you for your response !

I can not wait to see the website when it will be complete.

If you have the photo book, sacrifice of victor, you can see a picture of prince waderob with a bunch of sexy and beatifully crafeted little high heels shoes, the one your father did.

Congratz !!

I have never seen that book so thank you for recommending it, me and my dad will be checking it out.

[img:$uid]http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n276/squirrelgrease/10842_1269074403204_1120151531_30852089_487_n.jpg[/img:$uid]

belenalhama said:

Heidi said:

so what size are they?

They are a UK size 4, which would be about 6 US

A 6? I can fit a man's size 6 shoe!

Yo, Prince...send me a fly pair of those gorgeous heeled boots, that are somewhere collecting dust in one of your many closets and I'll rave over your next music release, like I used to back in the old days!