Shoe Making Workshop

more about this class

Rachel Sees Snail Shoes Workshop We'll spend the whole day learning the steps of sandal-making: you will design, fit, and assemble a pair of dream sandals for your own feet. The design possibilities are endless, as long as your idea is open-toe and open-heel. Some variables to play with include material, hardware, heel height, strap layout, sole shape, and color. And I’ll bring many patterns and colors to choose from! This technique is great for those who need a wider, or narrower, fit than store-bought shoes can provide. We can achieve any width because everything is custom-made! The sandals will be nearly ready-to-wear at the end of day. You will just need to bring them to a cobbler to have the edges finished (sanded) sometime. This usually costs about $20, and so I’ve discounted the class by $50 to make sure you have a budget for that expense. This allows us more time to work on the design and assembly during our day together. You can check out my website for all the styles https://www.rachelseessnailshoes.com/ BIO: I’m an artist and shoemaker based in Santa Barbara, CA. I started Rachel Sees Snail Shoes in 2010 after a fire destroyed my favorite custom sandals—I couldn’t afford to replace them, so I learned to make my own. Fourteen years later, my work spans teaching workshops, designing DIY kits, and crafting one-of-a-kind pairs. In 2021, Storey published The Sandalmaking Workshop, the first book dedicated entirely to sandal-making. It’s available online, including at Bookshop.org.