Getting Started

If you are wondering how to get started with shoemaking, you might try one of the following:

• Purchase a First Footsteps kit for making toddler shoes in size 4 – it can be a perfect baby gift (either the kit or the shoes made by your hands!)  The kit comes with directions for making the shoes in children’s sizes 3 – 6 and the pdf of How to Make Simple Shoes for Children up to size 3, so the kit provides the perfect “first step” for your shoemaking journey. A pattern is included for making a similar shoe in women’s sizes.

• Order my newest book, How to Make the Simplest Shoes – Nomocs, Lomocs and Fomocs –  with your own two hands! (AVAILABLE JANUARY 2015) All the patterns are for making shoes without lasts, a great way to start. All the patterns have stitching holes marked around the edges, so it’s a simple matter of cutting your shoe material out, punching the holes (there are lot of them) and stitching the shoe together.

 

• Make a pair of shoes or sandals by following a tutorial. This is a photo of a moccasin that you can make by following directions and using pattern in my One-piece moccasin tutorial.

• Order How to Make the Simplest Sandals for Everyone with your own two hands! Though the projects are simple, they will give you an opportunity to get acquainted with materials and tools thatbe useful for more challenging projects. And, the sandals that you make will be awesome!

 

• Take a workshop by coming to my studio in Western Massachusetts, or take a workshop over Skype! I have a kit that I will send you before connecting by Skype,  containing all the tools and materials you will need to make a pair of sandals, moccasins, or stitch-down (shown below), nomoc, lomoc and fomoc shoes. Please email or call if you have questions.