In shoemaking, the last comes first. Used by cordwainers in the manufacture of shoes, lasts are the wooden form around which shoes are constructed.
Freeman Michael James is the managing director of Northampton’s Springline Lasts, the only lastmaking company in the UK. As such, Michael has made lasts for everyone, from His Majesty the King to Grayson Perry to Michael Jordan.
Lastmaking is a critically endangered heritage craft and Michael is undoubtedly a skilled master craftsman. He will team up with the talented shoemaker (the former Qest Scholar and Cordwainer Footwear finalist) Adele Williamson of Trickers Shoes to produce a bespoke pair of handmade leather shoes for the lucky winner of the Cordwainer prize draw in aid of our charity of the year, the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.
The winner can expect to have their feet measured for wooden lasts and have a pair of shoes made to measure so that they fit like a glove. This luxury experience is worth in the region of £3,500 but the prize draw tickets are just £15.
So don’t be last and miss out – buy a ticket before 25th June to be in with a chance to win this terrific prize and make a valuable donation to the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.