The Sandalmaking Workshop Make Your Own Mary Janes, Crisscross Sandals, Mules, Fisherman Sandals, Toe Slides, and More

Custom-fit for comfort, custom-designed to suit personal taste, and stylish and satisfyingly DIY? Shoemaking checks all the boxes! Making shoes is a surprisingly accessible and increasingly popular craft, and with this photo-rich guide, even a beginner can make a comfortable pair of sandals in the course of a day with just a few simple tools and materials. From setting up a workshop and refining a design to making uppers, attaching soles, and adding finishing touches like buckles or studs, The Sandalmaking Workshop takes readers step by step through the process of creating modern leather sandals that are stylish and comfortable. The book includes traceable patterns for 14 of author Rachel Corry’s original sandal designs—both open- and closed-toe styles, including mules and slides—and covers a range of techniques so readers can build their skills and stretch the creative possibilities with each new pair they make.

Rachel Corry has been making her own footwear since 2010. In addition to selling her own line of custom sandals, she has kits to help people make their own shoes. She teaches shoemaking workshops all along the West Coast. Her studio workshop is in Portland, Oregon, and she can be found online at rachelseessnailshoes.com.

Introduction to Sandalmaking
Chapter 1: Setting Up Your Workshop
  Basic Tools and Materials
  Choosing Leather
  Patterns
  Folk Shoes
Chapter 2: The Sandalmaking Process
  Making Sandal Uppers
    Tracing
    Cutting
    Lining
    Draping and Marking
    Dots and Slots
    Fitting
    Darts
    Outlining
    Scratching and Gluing
    Skiving or Midsoles
  Preparing and Attaching Soles
  Rubber Soles
    Preparing Rubber Soles
    Joining Rubber Soles
    Trimming Rubber Soles
  Stiff Leather Soles
    Preparing Leather Soles
    Shaping Leather Soles
    Joining Leather Soles and Heels
    Joining Uppers to Leather Soles
  Finishing
    Sanding
    Trimming
    Edge Finishing
    Laces and Hardware
Closed-Toe Shoes
    Making Patterns
    Preparing the Uppers
    Preparing the Soles
    Lasting
    Adjusting the Fit
    Scratching and Gluing
    Joining the Outsoles
    Edge Finishing
  Shoe Folk
Chapter 3: Sandal Projects
  Tying Sandals
  Toe Slides
  X Platforms
  Crisscross Sandals
  Lace-up Sandals
  Modern Sandals
  Colorblock Sandals
  Sport Slides
  Fisherman Sandals
  Hippie Sandals
  Fabric Sandals
Chapter 4: Shoe Projects
  Mary Janes
  Mules
  Country Shoes
Acknowledgments
Appendices
Troubleshooting
Making Shoes for Friends
Glossary
Metric Conversions
Resources
Further Reading
Index
Patterns