Mistake: I really should have scalloped the sewn-in heel counters.
I ended up cutting away little wedges after lasting, but it was much harder and messier to do at that stage.
Mistake: Should have tacked at back height.
I tried to get away with lasting in my lap without tacking at the back height. It’s possible to pull the upper up tight around the heel seat by putting the shoe on a last jack and pulling the upper down, but it’s not ideal.
Mistake: Should have marked pre-pierced holes through holdfast.
In the past I’ve relied on the little burnished ramps the awl makes when piercing to mark my pre-pierced holes through holdfasts. I set this pair aside for a few weeks after carving the insoles, so those marks really faded, making them hard to see after lasting.
I should have just marked the holes with pen lines on the insole again.