Backpart
from the waist backward
Clip
tapered shape of the comb at the back of the heel, designed to hold the heel into the shoe by fitting over the Achilles tendon and the upper contour of the bulb of the heel
Comb
top of the back of the heel part
Cone
part corresponding to the top of the foot instep
an “Inside Cone”, also known as “Twisted Cone”, curved toward the inside of the foot as it descends from the vent to the forepart
Crown
bottom of the forepart
bespoke crowns are often convex, dipping lower at the tread point and curving up to the featherline
mass-production crowns are often flat
Cuboid
around the heel of the foot, above the featherline
Featherline
line and sharp ridge around the bottom of a last marking the point where the upper will end and the insole will begin
Forepart
part from the waist forward
Plate
steel or other metal plate fixed to the bottom, covering some or all of the bottom of the last below the featherline
provide a hard surface for turning over clinching nails
often have holes drilled in the center of the heel, waist, and forepart, exposing part of the last for tacking on insoles
Socket
AKA: Thimble
cylindrical holes in cones, enabling them to be mounted on lasting posts, and, in the case of hinged lasts, broken for delasting
commonly 9mm or 12mm in internal diameter
Ramp
part of the bottom under the waist, where the last rises from the treadline toward the final heel pitch
Range
general term for a pleasing, continuous shape of the featherline of the forepart of a last
A last is said to “have range” when the featherline around the forepart is smooth and joins pleasingly with the curves of the ramp.
Range has been defined as the harmonious blending of the spring and pitch. It is understood to define the contours of the edges of a last. The range is good when the curves of the edges are in harmony and continuous. The range is broken when these conditions are not satisfied. This does not apply to the profile but only to the bottom. Suppose a person is looking longitudinally along the bottom of a last with the toe pointing to the observer. Then the edges of the forepart along each side should harmonize. Otherwise it is considered “out of range”.
— Beresford Worswick, “The Making of Lasts”, Chapter VII of Boots and Shoes, edited by F.Y. Golding
Recede
part or shape from the featerline at the tip of the toe to the top of the toe box
Shover
piece of leather placed over the cone, extending down to the ball
used for building up lasts, especially comb lasts, or for adapting lasts for other styles to making pull-on shoes
Top Plane
flat part at the top of the heel part of a last above the cuboid and comb and behind any vent
Vent
empty space cut out of a last between the cone and comb, above the hinge of the mechanism
Waist
part between the heel and forepart