How to Make a Pair of Leather Flip-Flops

Have you ever looked into a store window at a pair of hand crafted sandals and wondered how they were made? You can make your own leather flip flops in just a few hours. You'll discover that custom made sandals are not only elegant, but are comfortable because they're designed to fit your feet perfectly. Start by buying a few pieces of leather in the colors of your choice and you will be on your way to cobbling your own shoes.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Pencil
• 1 foot by 1 foot piece of 1/4 inch thick leather
• 1 foot by 1 foot piece of 1/8 inch thick leather
• Leather cutting knife
• 1 foot long piece of string or yarn
• 6 inch by 20 inch piece of leather for straps
• Shoe glue

How to Make a Pair of Leather Flip Flops

1. 
    
   Trace the Foot on a Piece of Paper or Directly onto the Leather

   Using a pencil, trace each foot on the 1/4 inch thick leather. Draw a 1-inch border around the foot's outline.

2. 
    
   Cut out the Bottom Sole

   Using the leather knife, cut out the shape of the foot to make the bottom sole of the flip flop.

3. 
    
   Trace the Bottom Sole onto the Upper Sole

   Trace the shape of the bottom sole onto the 1/8-inch-thick leather. Cut the piece out to make the upper sole of the flip flop.

4. 
    
   Mark Between the Toes

   Put the foot on the upper sole, and with the pencil mark where a flip flop would naturally wedge between your big toe and second toe. Also make two marks on either side of the heel, about 1/3 of the foot's length from the back of the sole and 1/2 inch from the border.

5. Cut out a 1/2 inch long slit at the mark between the toes, and a 1 inch slit at the marks by the heel. This is where the straps will connect to the sole of the flip flop.

6. 
    
   Measure the Foot

   Put the foot back on the sole and use the yarn to measure from the toe to the outside of the heel. Mark this distance plus four inches on the strap leather. Next measure from the toe to the inside of the heel, and mark this distance plus four inches on the strap leather.

7. Cut out the straps. The straps should be about 1/4-inch wide where they intersect your toes (which is two inches from the top of the strap), and about 1 inch wide at the heel (which is two inches from the bottom of the strap.)

8. Slide the straps through the slits in the sole and put the foot into the shoe. Adjust the straps so they are snug around the foot.

9. 
    
   Glue the Ends of the Straps to the Bottom of the Top Sole

   Glue the strap ends to the bottom of the top sole. Wait 24 hours for the glue to dry. Glue the top sole to the bottom sole. Wait 24 hours and your flip flops are ready to wear.

Tips & Warnings

• For a more accurate measurement of the foot, have someone else trace your foot while you stand up straight. To keep things organized, label all pieces of leather "Left" and "Right." Spray your flip flops with leather waterproofing spray before wearing them.
• The leather knife needs to be very sharp to cut through the leather. Be careful with the knife.

Resources

• Tandy Leather Factory Retail