Somehow, I kinda figured the "shaping" of the track-shoe was via "extruding". In a former life I worked at a factory that sold extruded brass items such as padlocks and punches. The furnace was heated by electric heat projection boxes, the filaments became red hot si.ilae to outdoor heater in front of hotel entrances say. I am unable recall the actual noun nomenclature of this device, arranged in a circle around the furnace which melted the brass.

nice