This collaboration was particularly special for me, as I have always been a firm believer that there is a link between craft and mindfulness so when I came across Rachel Snack of @weaverhouseco I was not only totally impressed with her work but also with her ethos.
'Get Inspired' is a series of shoe design collaborations with the intention to inspire our community to unlock different creative practices and apply them to shoes. All the shoes made in this series and variations of them can be made from home following the instructions in our Online Footwear Masterclass.
So, back to @weaverhouseco - They are a yarn shop, textile studio and weaving school located in Philadelphia. They create heirloom textiles in homage to craft tradition, and the dialect between maker and loom. They teach mindfulness and mediation throughout all of their workshops, and believe that weaving can be therapeutic and healing. I just LOOOOVE this.
Rachel had suggested a few different weaves for this project but ultimately we chose this beautiful subtle checkerboard print. She will be wearing them as her studio shoes/slippers which I think is just so lovely, I know first hand how amazing it can feel to wear your own pieces whilst you’re making new pieces.
We used a natural leather randing to create a stitched sole look and a dense EVA foam for the soles, making them super comfy and lightweight shoes, perfect for the studio :)
My favourite part of this project… they only took 3 hours to make!
Here’s a little run through of how we made the sandals... 
Step 1 - I glued a leather lining to the back of the woven straps and stitched the toplines.
Step 2 - Next, I traced and cut the insoles giving them a nice semi squared toe shape. I then glued on a layer of comfort foam before covering them in the same lambskin leather I used for the lining.
Step 3 - I lasted the straps in place over the covered insoles.
Step 4 - Then, I added a natural leather randing with stitching around the feather edge of the insoles.
Step 5 - I added a cork bottom filler to the base of the shoes to create a nice flat surface for my next step which was to glue on the soles.
Step 6 - I cut the EVA soles down to size, glued them to the base of the shoes and then used a hand held dremel to smooth out the edges.
Estimated time to make = 3 hours
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.
