I have my friend Kate to thank for this one. She and I have been pals since we were 13 and happen to share the same shoe size, so we’ve always bonded over shoes!
Kate and her boyfriend had been traveling through Guatemala earlier in the year and happened upon the small town of Pastores where Kate had some custom boots made. When Tom asked me if I was interested in going to Nicaragua on a surf trip (I don’t surf) I told him my only condition was that we added a stop off in Guatemala.. I had one tiny errand to run first.
So off we went to the small town of Pastores, about 20 minutes from Antigua to get me some new boots!
They have a whole street of bootmakers there but since my style is pretty minimal and I am not one to rock out cowboy boots I found only one little store that was just right for me.
Jose, 66 had been making shoes since he was 8 years old and managed to whip up 2 - 3 pairs a day!!!! Even by my standards that is totally outstanding. There are a few little imperfections which add to the charm, but you know me, I love anything handmade.
The boots needed some new insoles with a little foam for comfort, but so what, I do this to all the shoes I buy (Including my Acne, pistol boots and they weren’t cheap!). They also had little holes in the backs of the uppers where they had been attached to the lasts with small nails. Other than that they are absolutely beautiful hand made leather boots for only $30!! YEP thats not a typo $30!!
Although I went for classic all black leather boots, Pastores is famous for making boots with the traditional Guatemalan fabrics which is what Kate went for (She’s always been more adventurous than me with her style).
All in all, Pastores was well worth the visit!
learn shoemaking for yourself
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.
