HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN SHOES AT HOME

Shoes make a crucial fashion statement. After all, we never go anywhere without them, so, why can’t you make your own shoes at home and enjoy wearing your own make? Even though making shoes is not an easy task, especially in untrained hands, it is not difficult to make your own shoes. Besides, even though it is hard for the first time, once you learn the trick, you will never have to depend on manufacturers to come up with a shoe that meets your taste and preferences. 

Here are tips on how to make your own shoes at home!

Come up with a concept

Coming up with a concept is an excellent step in any project’s design phase. Here, think of the type of shoes that you love and then sketch it on a paper. As you decide, choose a shoe that is comfortable to your feet, putting your toes into consideration.

Casting your foot into the mold

Here, put your foot into a box, but this depends on whether you want your shoe to resemble your foot touching the ground. Make sure that the foot is covered with mold halfway above your ankle. In case you lack enough mold, add some napkin to the space to fill the mold. After that, wait for about twenty minutes for the alginate to solidify into a strong jelly.

Cut your leather into fabrics

With the use of your personal design, cut the necessary sections of fabric or leather with a scalpel or a surgical knife. A protractor or a ruler can help you with the incisions.  As you cut your pattern, leave at least one inch of extra material at the bottom of the shoe.

Bottom-line

Make sure you have the right measurements as you cut your fabrics. That way you will come up with the best shoe.

Stitching the pieces together

While making your own shoes at home, a fluid stitch is a skill-testing one. While it might be easier to stitch faster, remain keen and slow as you pierce together since bad stitching will be seen in the last product and your shoe won’t look good.

Bottom-line

Being your first shoe means you don’t have enough experience in shoemaking and so you need not rush as you stitch. With time, you will hone your skills and stitch faster and clean.

Cutting the outsole

If you bought pre-fabricated sole or nabbed shoes from old footwear, you also don’t need to worry about this step. However, if making purely home-made shoes, you can get cork since it has a good amount of cushioning and it is also waterproof.

Bottom-line

The sole determine a shoe’s durability, `and so you need to choose wisely.

Stitch and glue your pieces together

Stitching your pieces together direct on the sole may not work on its own. You should buy quality shoe glue to stick the pieces to your sole. Make sure you apply the glue evenly and slowly.  

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At this step, make sure you have the right adhesive for your shoes to turn out great.

Cut off the excess fabric

Your shoe is now coming together. Once you are done stitching the pieces together, it’s now time to cut off the excess pieces. Here, use your utility knife to shave the fabric off.

Bottom-line

Cutting off the fabrics is a crucial process since those fabrics may ruin your shoe appearance.

Add finishing touches

Now that your shoe is 99% complete, it’s now time to add decorative touches. Most probably, when making shoes from home, you get an opportunity to add a personal touch to the footwear. You have a chance to do that, and you can do so even after completing the shoe.  

Bottom-line

As you add the finishing touches, make sure you don’t add things that might ruin your shoe.

There you have it! A home-made shoe is excellent since you get an opportunity to add a personal touch to make the shoe a representative of your taste and personality.

All the best!