How do I make sandals with a top sole that is cushioned

[deboardp]

Hi, I no longer have to make sandals, because the government awarded my disability compensation after I was homeless 15 years. Ha! But I have a complete sandal shop set up, and unless someone wants to buy it, I'm stuck with it. I did think I might make myself a pair of sandals, if I could figure out how to make the topsole with something under it that would allow the top sole to settle into the cushion layer, so the topsole and the cushion layer together  acted like  a memory foam mattress.

Anyone who remembers I tried to make a sandal without a strap between the toes might want to know I couldn't keep the foot centered on the sandal, and I gave up on it.

Anybody got an idea about the cushion layer? As far as I know, there are no sandal makers on leatherworker dot net.

Cheers!

Patrick

[deboardp]

I thought of something. A narrow strip of sole leather, like about 1/4 to 3/8" wide, around the perimeter of the underside of the topsole, glued to it, then a layer of foam for the cushion, that fits between inside the leather perimeter. Then the midsole that will have channels for the adjustable straps to slide through for adjustments. I can find a suitable foam that will give enough for the topsole to conform to the shape of the foot. woohoo. That was easy.  I'll use 6-7 ounce leather for all the layers: top sole, perimeter for the foam layer, mid sole for the straps to pass to the other side of the sandal, and the bottom sole. Then rubber sole. 5 layers. Every strap will be easily adjustable by the sandal owner. 100% adjustable. Actually all the straps will be made of one long piece of leather, not cut, but a continuous piece. When I had my shop 1970-1974, I made hundreds of pairs, and all of them had one continuous piece of strap leather, with channels, for the straps. The ankle posts, of course, were separate pieces.

Edited 5 hours ago by deboardp