How to Make Sandals
Sandals can be made in many ways. They can be leather, canvas, chain or even made out of art foam. Sometimes you may want to make sandals the way the old Franciscan Friars did. They are a great project for the beginning sandal maker.
Things You'll Need
- Pencil
- Cardboard or heavy stock paper
- Measuring tape
- Leather or canvas for top of sandal
- Heavy leather or rubber for sole
- Cutting tools: scissors and razor blade knife
- Rubber cement
- Leather sewing thread
- Leather sewing needles
Instructions
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Make the Pattern
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1
Place both feet firmly on your cardboard or heavy paper and trace around the foot holding the pencil vertically.
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2
Mark a point A and B along the line where your toes join the ball of your foot. This line should be in the narrow part of the. Measure around this point and write it down next to your tracing.
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3
Notate points C and D which should be at the widest part of the inside and outside ball of your foot. Measure around these points and write the results next to your tracing.
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4
Draw a line around the foot, keeping at least one-quarter of an inch away from the foot outline. This will make the pattern for your insole.
Creating the Pieces
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5
Cut your first leather or canvas strap for your toes. This strap should be approximately 2.5 inches wide on the outer edges, and about 1 inch wide in the center. It should be long enough to be sewn to the insole and wrap around the top of your foot.
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6
Measure and cut the straps for your heel and ankles. Each piece should be the same size and in the shape of a golf club iron. The toe of the iron will be sewn at the back of your heel and should be 2.5 to 3 inches wide. This should narrow down as it goes under your ankle bone, then elongate into a 6-inch strap for tying to your foot.
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7
Sew both sides of the heel together. There should be approximately a 1/3-inch overlap at the back of the heel.
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8
Notch the heel 1 inch on either side of the seam so it can curve around your foot when you sew it onto your sandal's sole. Each notch should be about 1/4 inch deep V-shaped slit.
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9
Use the pattern of your insoles and cut the insoles from the remaining canvas or light leather. Cut a sole out of the heavy leather or rubber to match the insole.
Putting your Sandal Together
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10
Wrap the notched end of the heel strap around the heel of the insole. The underside of the insole and glue down with rubber cement.
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11
Curl the toe strap around the bunion area of the insole and glue it down with rubber cement.
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12
Glue the sole to the insole. Once the glue has dried, sew around the inner edge of the insole. Your stitches should be about 1/8-inch from the edge of the instep. This should be close enough to the edge so that your stitches also go through the ends of the heel and toe strap you previously glued into the sandal.
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1
Tips & Warnings
When making a pattern, the person whose foot you're tracing should stand with equal weight on each foot.
You can learn more about how the Friars made their sandals by looking at The Friar's online site.
