Sorry, Okiwen - I don't know the proper technique for getting shoe size measurements. Maybe someone else knows? I had an old sandal that I traced around for the sole, and for the straps I cut a long strip of leather and laid it along the old sandal straps to estimate the length needed, cutting a little longer just to be sure I didn't cut them too short. I used my own foot to make sure of the strap length needed when I was assembling the new sandal. As for why some people can charge $200 for a pair of sandals...I know other people out there are much faster than I am at leatherworking (using machinery for some of the stages would certainly help), but even half of the time I spent on these simple sandals would bring the cost up to around $100 even if I only "paid" myself minimum wage, despite using some of the least expensive leather available. Good leather + good wages = expensive sandals. More complicated sandals would cost more, sandals with good quality hardware would cost more, and sandals with quality cushioning and sole material would also cost more.
