Shoes

Piper · Post by **Piper** » Mon Jan 31, 2011 5:29 pm

I have wide feet and don't fit in shoes very well, so I decided to learn how to make my own shoes.
I found a web site called Simple Shoemaking and followed the instructions for making a pair of fisherman sandals. The instructions and pattern are free. I used some scrap leather (very thick leather) for the top soles and an old purse for the uppers. I used vibram unit soles for the bottom soles which I ordered online for about $15. The instructions are hard to figure out but I read the instructions over and over and eventually figured it out. My sandals came out pretty good for a beginner.
The Simple Shoemaking site has a book for sale, too. I bought the book but it is almost impossible to follow. She has patterns for sale, too, for only $10. I have been able to make several pairs of shoes using the method outlined for fisherman sandals using the 2-piece casual pattern. I have had to make changes to the pattern to get it to fit better and to change the style.
Making shoes is not that easy but the method outlined here is a simple method that can be done with hand tools. I have been able to make shoes and sandals that fit my wide feet better than anything on the market. I figure I save money because I don't have to keep chasing the planned obsolescence of commercial shoes that almost never fit me.
I thought I would share in case anyone is interested in learning an obscure skill like this. Her site is easy to find in Google.

orinoco · Post by **orinoco** » Mon Jan 31, 2011 9:11 pm

What this one? Simple Shoemaking

I have also been musing over making some Jika-Tabi, but perhaps a pair of traditional Western shoes may be a better starting place.
Thanks for the tip.

Piper · Post by **Piper** » Tue Feb 01, 2011 12:24 am

Yeah, that's the site. It's not easy to do and maybe not that cheap. The Chinese do a pretty good job of making inexpensive footwear. But I see an overlap among people here about wanting to get free from being dependent on big corporations, so if that's you, this is an interesting avenue to pursue.

Nagerusu · Post by **Nagerusu** » Fri Apr 15, 2011 10:53 am

I made my own geta and I'm currently looking for material to make some Huarache sandals.
Should it interest you, geta:

http://www.egeorgeonline.com/getapage/plans.htm
huaraches:

http://www.invisibleshoe.com/how-to-make-huaraches/
Both are much more alternative footwear in Western countries (read: my family thinks I'm crazy for making and wearing it),

but the geta are a lot of fun to walk around with.

There's one problem though... they are wooden, so if you're not used to wearing them, you can accidently hit your leg and hurt yourself.
The problem most shoes have, are that you place your heel first, when walking. This is not the correct way.

When walking bearfoot, you automatically place the front part of the foot first on the ground. Huarache sandals make walking bearfoot possible, while still protecting your feet.

That's why I'm going to make some.