What happens when a 70’s psychedelic print has a baby with our square toe wedges? These amazingly fun sliders are born!! 🤩
Our latest collaboration with Tara Khorzad, a print designer from London, has been super fun from start to finish and we can’t wait to take you behind the scenes and show you how we made these sandal sliders, and help you make your own too! 🌟
WHY DID WE COLLABORATE WITH TARA?
With her tagline of ‘so graphic it stops traffic’ we were drawn to collaborating with Tara Khorzad because her brand celebrates being fearlessly fun, whilst inspiring you to be your boldest.
Tara’s prints are loud, joyful and expressive and our intention with teaming up with her was to show you how you can use print to create super stand-out shoes.
We knew right away that our square toe wedge would be the PERFECT style for the print that we chose, and after discussing with Tara, we decided that the entire sandal would be print all over - from the strap to the wedge sole - because, more is more 😏
Tara’s process of designing her prints includes drawing by hand and then transferring her sketches digitally before printing onto fabric. We took inspiration from her shapes to create a moodboard that provided us with the direction for the sliders.
THE MAKING OF THE SLIDERS
Here’s the breakdown of how we made the sliders:
1. Firstly, Tara designed the print onto velvet and sent us a large piece of fabric.
2. We then traced the wedge onto the fabric and covered it with our solvent based glue.
3. Next, we covered the wedge with the fabric.
4. Then, we traced the upper and lining using our women’s sandal slider pattern and cut them out.
5. Once the pieces were cut out, we then stitched the upper and lining together.
6. After this, we covered the insole with fabric and lasted the upper, skiving away any bulk on the underneath with our safety beveler.
7. Then, we lasted the upper over the insole.
8. Next, we glued the lasted insole into the square toe wedge.
9. Finally, we cut the sole using our 2mm black resin and glued it on. We hammered it down with our folding hammer.
10. Voila! These were the finished shoes 🌟
You can watch the making process in our video below:
We’re SUPER pumped with how these turned out and I hope this project inspires you to think outside the box when choosing fabrics/materials so you can also create something truly unique 🌟
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO MAKE A PAIR OF SLIDERS LIKE THESE?
Overall, these took approximately 3.5 hours to make, and if you are feeling inspired to make a pair for yourself, here’s a list of the all of components that we used 😉:
- Women’s sandal slider pattern
- 2mm resin soling in black (or beige)
- Square toe wedge
- Folding hammer
- Safety beveler
- Solvent based glue and water based glue.
- Acid Paisley fabric from Tara Khorzad.
MORE ABOUT TARA KHORZAD
We asked Tara some questions about her brand Tara Khorzad and her design process. This is what she said:
- What is the inspiration behind your brand / what inspired you to do these fun prints?
I want to make the world a more fun and colourful place! I hope my prints bring you joy and inspire you to be your boldest.
- Where do you make the fabric and how long did it take to create? (from designing to printing etc)
All my fabrics are designed by me and printed in the UK. The Acid Paisley design was done over a few weeks. I like to start a design and then come back to it later with fresh eyes and work into the idea further, so the process can take a while. I have so many ideas so I like to make sure I've designed the best version of the print that I can. The design is then printed digitally, using water based inks, and I receive it within the quick turnaround of a week, thanks to manufacturing in the UK.
- What fabric is it that you used specifically?
The fabric is a velvet velour. It's super soft and the print is very vibrant. Comfortable fabric/products, as well as a bold colourful aesthetic are core values of my brand.
- What are the most challenging parts of your process?
I am a perfectionist so everything is a challenge!
- What was your reason for wanting to collaborate with us / what excited you about creating shoes with us?
I was so excited to hear from Kaylie because the shoes are stunning! I love the idea that anyone can make their own shoes. I find that kind of tenacious creativity really inspiring! I love seeing my prints of a variety of products so I'm always open to hearing about collaborations.
What are you working on at the moment and, what is next for Tara Khorzad?
I'm currently working on some new printed homewares. The vibe is a pastel aesthetic and it's very cute and feminine to make your home feel dreamy. I have a really huge collab coming up in 2024 which I cannot wait to share (it's top secret at the moment, but will be announced in Spring!)
- Is there anything else you'd like to add about our collaboration together?
Thank you so much! I am obsessed with these shoes and I cannot wait to style them! If you'd like to make some yourself, you can purchase the same Acid Paisley fabric direct from me!
If you want to find out more about Tara Khorzad or connect with Tara herself you can find her on Instagram here and her website here.
LEARN SHOEMAKING FOR YOURSELF
You can create your own unique designs like these sneakers by joining our online footwear masterclass.
I created a free 40-minute online course called 'Introduction to Shoemaking' to show how easy home shoemaking can be and to give you a little taste of what I Can Make Shoes is all about.
SIGN UP HERE for instant access.
If you are wanting to dive a little deeper into the world of home shoemaking, my online Footwear Masterclass is one of the most popular shoemaking courses in the world!! 🌍 (Casual brag! lol) The course covers how to make shoes from scratch including heels, flats, boots, sneakers, sandals, and more. The thing that really sets this course apart from others is that it's specifically designed for total beginners and requires very little in the way of tools & equipment, there's even a bonus module on how to start your own shoe brand.
To make getting started even easier, the course comes with a FREE Shoemaking Starter Kit, delivered to your door, anywhere in the world! 🌍
We are a tight community and regularly limit our intake to ensure the best experience for our students - so if our enrolment is closed I would recommend you sign up for our FREE Introduction to Shoemaking course while you wait.
Happy Shoemaking Amanda xx Pssssssst.... If you want to have a look at the shoes our students have been making, give us a follow on Instagram.
