The Narrative

The Office of Angela Scott has sent us a serious shoe memo, and we’re over the moon for its uber-cute content. We’re always on the hunt for the next big, uh, shoe, and we think we’ve found it with this debut collection from designer Angela Scott (hence the pretty rad brand name). To give fair warning, these babies aren’t exactly of the showstopping, toe cleavage, skyscraper variety, but they definitely involve fancy footwork.
“The equivalent of a natural beauty with no need for makeup, whose vibrant dinner conversation still has you reeling the next day (the girl you want to hate but can’t), these poetic pairs are for ladies who have more on their minds than what’s on their feet.”
Each Italian-brushed patent leather shoe is handmade by a true artisan (assembly lines be damned!) in a devotionally bespoke process that involves carving and tanning—and other meticulous cobbler techniques that have us in awe. The perfect blend between manly strength (we love those touches of testosterone) and feminine sensibility, comfort never looked so subtly sexy. And not only does this Santa Barbara native have a sole, but heart too—her dedication may just bring you to tears.
- written by Brenna Egan of Refinery 29

Angela Marie Scott

I could go on talking about where I was schooled, what companies I’ve worked for and where my experience comes from, but would that really tell you about who I am, probably not. I’m the youngest of three older brothers. A tomboy at heart, I grew up wanting to be just like my brothers and yes I learned that riding down a skateboard ramp on your stomach is not a good idea just because your brothers and their cute friends said so (cut to Christmas photos of a scabby, bruised upper lip that looks like a moustache). I’m ridiculously organized (yes, a Virgo) but wildly free-spirited (Chinese Sign Fire Snake), often clumsy (not by choice I was born with awkwardly long limbs) and inspired by creativity, culture, passion, love, music, dance, individuality, family, friends and craftsmanship.
“And most of all I’m a creative who is and will continue to search for all that makes me a better designer, thinker, and do-er.”

Dedication

When I was a child I lost my grandfather and all I could remember was that I couldn’t build my future without holding onto a piece of him. He represented everything I thought a father figure should be. Everything that I didn’t have in the father that I will never know. From the smell of his cologne to the fit and tailoring of his suits, and the richness in the leather of his freshly polished loafers, my “Nono” was undeniably a gentleman. What I remember most of my grandfather other than his love was his unique character.
“I can remember my grandfather’s style and personality that so vividly came through in the way he dressed.”
When he passed my grandmother donated his belongings. It was painful for me to see everything that he was boxed up and given away, the memories of the only gentleman I had known. So I did the unthinkable and stole a box of bowties that would be my strength in the years to come. The menswear influence in The Office of Angela Scott (like the bowtie) is a symbol of strength and love, fashion and character, the four corners of where my style originated.

Bespoke Tradition

While so much of modern footwear manufacturing happens on assembly lines, The Office of Angela Scott’s shoes are held to a higher standard. Our commitment to top-quality craftsmanship starts long before the leather and thread of our uppers form the final shoe design.
Every individual shoe is bench-made. A single cobbler personally crafts every shoe from start to finish. It takes time, skill, and patient devotion to detail, the kind of time, skill and devotion that only the bench-making process can provide.
For our footwear, the process begins with a sculpted shoe-last. A shoe-last is a form created by a seasoned last-maker representing the anatomical fit of a foot. At The Office of Angela Scott, all of our lasts are hand-carved and created with an eye toward fitting a woman’s foot in the most comfortable fashion.		 Once the last is carved, it’s time to move on to cutting and shaping our uppers and linings. We use only the finest leathers for our uppers and linings. Our shoe uppers are fashioned out of the most luxurious Italian leathers, and our linings are made using “vegetable-tanned” leather. Vegetable-tanned leather ensures the wearer’s skin can breathe naturally. Premium materials help ensure a superior shoe. After all materials have been cut and detailed, the upper pieces are sewed together and the lining is sewed to the upper pieces. Next comes the stage of construction that sets The Office of Angela Scott’s shoes apart from most other women’s footwear—a “goodyear welt.”
But the quality of our creations doesn’t stop with hand-carved lasts and fine leathers. All finishes, including brogue-ornamentation and serrated details are also meticulously fashioned by hand.
   
A goodyear welt is the leather rim sewn around the edge of the shoe’s upper. It’s the essential piece that attaches the upper to the sole. The Office of Angela Scott uses a durable ‘double-stitched’ welt. We also use a ‘double’ sole and three threads of stitching. After the materials are prepared – the shoe-last carved and the uppers and linings sewed – in this critical shoe-making step, the cobbler tightly wraps the leather upper around the last and tacks it into place.

Then with a special cobbler’s hammer, the uppers are carefully hammered and shaped. This compresses the fibers of the leather, refining the form and improving the overall wear-ability of the shoe. Finally, using specialty thread made of hemp and treated with resin, beeswax and paraffin for waterproofing and durability, the cobbler sews the welt to the uppers. Often, our shoes are ‘double-stitched,’ a technique that involves using two needles to sew three rows of stitching to create a super-strong seam between the welt and the upper.

To complete the welt, the cobbler adds a protective strip of leather between the upper and the sole called the “rand.” When the rand and welt are firmly in place, a hollow area is formed between the insole and the outsole. A pressed bamboo shank is fitted into the heel of the shoe and covered with a leather piece fixed with bamboo pegs for stability, while the rest of the hollow area is filled with layers of cork. Next, a thin midsole is glued to the welt and the interlining. A row of stitching joins the welt and the midsole and another row of stitching holds together the outsole, midsole and welt, creating a double-stitched shoe style.		 The final step in our hand-made construction process is to add the heel and the insole. To add longevity, strength, resilience, and sturdiness, The Office of Angela Scott uses leather-stacked heels with a dovetail rubber heel detail. Additionally, The Office of Angela Scott uses an insole cover made of cork and the same vegetable-tanned leather as the lining of the shoe. The cork provides support and comfort, and the vegetable-tanned leather lets the foot breathe.
The level of detail, and craftsmanship that goes into each pair of The Office of Angela Scott footwear, is a true testament to our love of traditional artisan shoe-making and our commitment to creating inspired, high-impact styles made to meet—and exceed—the modern woman’s most exacting footwear needs.