First pair of sandals underway

[AlZilla]

28 minutes ago, deboardp said:

I was referring to some monks I know who can't find sandals that fit them. I'm not sure if these sandals I'm making, with this design, will help them. I think they will be painful to break in. Without a strap between the two big toes, the straps have to be snug to keep the foot centered. 

One person had surgery on the bones of his foot to straighten his foot, and my sandals will be too hard for him to break in. The only positive is that the sole and straps will be in the right places, but it seems break in will be painful and arduous. 

I used to build or insert arches, but now I believe that our feet are well designed for walking and the soles are for protecting them from stones we might step on. We actually have arches in our feet so I don't presume to think I can build arches. Our natural arches are self supporting. If we have flat feet, using shoes with built in arches will hurt our feet. So I make my sandals totally flat. The heel I use is only 1/8" thicker than the 3/4 sole, which is 1/8" thick. 

I'm considering a softer and thinner leather - a 6.5 ounce luxury vegetable tan side - for the straps. Because my straps are wider, it might be strong enough to resist stretching. 

OK, I thought maybe I was missing something about the design of the sandal.

I suppose 60 years ago my feet were well designed for walking. Now a set of Nikes is my best friend.

[deboardp]

UPDATE, SEP 1, 2024

I started my sandal shop almost two years ago, because I was homeless at the time, not having enough income to afford an apartment. I was staying in a spare room at the local monastery, thanks to the gracious abbott. I spent $10,000 using my credit cards and a personal unsecured loan, to buy all the tools and materials I would need to make custom monastic sandals. I did manage to make a pair,  and after wearing them, I discovered that my foot would not stay centered on them because the front strap is wider on one side than the other, so the foot gets pushed over.  I experimented with changing the angle of the straps exiting the topsole, by using long clinching nails, and I was not happy with the result. It was ugly and uncomfortable. The shoe had to be worn with tight straps, which was painful.  I had gotten a HUD-VASH voucher (housing voucher for homeless veterans) and was in an apartment by the time I started making this pair of sandals, but I didn't have enough income to cover all my living expenses. I was using my available credit to cover the shortfall, getting cash advances from my credit cards. I had about 4 months of available credit left, and when that was used up, I would be facing homelessness again, at age 77!

Then something amazing happened. The VA approved my claim for disability compensation under The Pact Act, which states, basically, that if a soldier, sailor, airman served in a location where Agent Orange was used, and subsequently developed diseases associated with exposure to the herbicide, then it was presumed that there had been exposure. I had submitted three claims prior to that act being passed and had been rejected each time due to lack of evidence that I had been exposed. So suddenly I found that I had enough to live and pay my living expenses. Being disabled, weakened, by my diseases, having lost much of my cognition and memory functions, and being old, I really don't want to do any kind of work any more. I simply didn't want to have to live in the woods, because in my condition I thought it would be fatal, but now I just want to take care of myself, exercise as much as I can, eat healthy, go to Church services, try to be an actual Christian person.

As an aside, if anyone doesn't know how the Pact Act came to be, Jon Stewart, the comedian, went to Congress and yelled at them  for putting up obstacles to deprive the men and women who put their lives on the line for their country the care they needed for being disabled by this herbicide. He kept yelling, "Shame on you!" He was really angry. He scolded Congress. They wrote and immediately passed the Pact Act, for which I thank God, because I had prayed to St. Xenia that she intercede with Him to do something about the government. So moving the USG is a miracle, as we all know.

Anyway, I'm going to sell the shop. Exercising, eating, washing dishes, going to Church, is about all I can handle. Making sandals, or bags, or belts, is a younger man's work. It needs someone with energy.  I know someone who needs an income and a friend is reaching out to him about buying it  

I did have interest in making regular custom sandals, with strap(s) between the toes. After I made this first pair and realized it couldn't work, I remembered that I had tried making sandals without a strap between the toes, and it didn't work. Not ever.  I wish my memory worked! So I was excited to think about that, but I'm just worn out, sick, tired (oh, sick and tired! Where have I heard THAT??) I'll teach this fellow how to make sandals if he wants to buy the shop. 

I'm really happy to have an income now. I moved to a better apartment, bought a car. and can donate to the Church now.

Most of my exercise is simply playing pickleball, which is lots of fun. I'm adding stationary bike work to improve the circulation in my legs, which is compromised due to my heart failure, and I'm trying to work in light free weights for toning and range of motion, but PB seems to take most of my time.

Patrick DeBoard

PS If I don't find a buyer, I may make something. Perhaps a pair of sandals with a strap between the first two toes. I had about a dozen designs back in the day, when I was making almost 50 pair a week (with an intern). But they were a simple 2-sole soak and form design, not the 4-sole consummate sandal I just made.

PPS A monastic sandal has to be worn with socks, thus the no strap between the toes requirement. No flesh can be shown. Strict rules at a monastery.

PPPS For those who want to buy an item or two, I won't do it. It's the whole shop or nothing.

Edited September 1 by deboardp