Making some new slippers (hopefully.

[toxo]

Been threatening to have a go at slippers for quite a while because I have the leather and a bit of sheepskin and at the moment I'm stubbornly walking on holes. I couldn't find any cheap outsoles and I found a cheap vinyl mat with a good textured back and I immediately thought glued back to back would make a decent sole for a pair of slippers.

Draw around feet and cut out. Oversize because I intend to make things easy by sewing and binding around the outside.

Rough up and glue.

Work out the shape you want.

I was very pleased that the 801 skiver took the sheepskin in it's stride.

Top level glued and turned.

 Feet cut out.

First try for fit. Cosy or what? That's where we're at now. More to follow.

 

[chuck123wapati]

How come when you trace your foot, it doesn't look anything like the toe of a shoe? cool project indeed!!

[toxo]

5 minutes ago, chuck123wapati said:

How come when you trace your foot, it doesn't look anything like the toe of a shoe? cool project indeed!!

I guess a round shape is more generic and easier to do. What do you think about overhanging shape so can sew around the outside? Wouldn't wear em to a party but for indoors or the garden.........

[Dwight]

First off . . . I only did this once . . . came out really good.  It is a throw-off of the Roman soldiers in Jesus' day . . . how they made their "Caligae" footware.

They laid down a substantial thickness of a basic hunk of leather . . . thru which they protruded the little nail like devices that gave them traction in slippery ground  . . .  something like a baseball players spiked of years ago.

Next . . . on top of that they would lay down a piece of leather that would become the shoe part . . . it envelopes your foot . . . has the laces / buckles . . . and holds the shoe onto your foot.  It is simply a flat piece of leather that would not be cut out unless the maker knew already the exact measurements.

A third layer would then be added.

All these layers would follow the general shape as OP's original page.  

These three layers would then be sewn together using 3 distinct stitch rows.  One on the very outside perhaps 1/4 inch from the edge.  Second inside the first about 1/4 inch and the third about 1/4 inside the second one.

The foot was placed in the proper orientation . . . the leather pulled up . . . and cut off to match the wearer's foot.

Sandals were also made this way . . . as were dress sandals . . . but it was designed originally for the Legionaires and for the battlefield.

The drawing is not to any kind of scale . . . just showing how you would do it . . . with a bit of a modern twist.  Pull the tabs over to the area with the same label . . . run a lace thru theree . . . starting at the toe and going upward.  Tie off at the top.

Drawing is rough . . . but a picture is worth a thousand words  . . . so here is the 1000 word response

The real beauty is that this can be made on any flat sewing machine . . . no super equipment required.  All the sewing is done with it in the flat layout

 

May God bless,

Dwight

Edited 2 hours ago by Dwight

[chuck123wapati]

Heck, I dunno, go for it, I fell flat trying to make a pair of mocs lol.

[toxo]

Hopefully this will turn out like a deck shoe.

[toxo]

1 hour ago, Dwight said:

First off . . . I only did this once . . . came out really good.  It is a throw-off of the Roman soldiers in Jesus' day . . . how they made their "Caligae" footware.

They laid down a substantial thickness of a basic hunk of leather . . . thru which they protruded the little nail like devices that gave them traction in slippery ground  . . .  something like a baseball players spiked of years ago.

Next . . . on top of that they would lay down a piece of leather that would become the shoe part . . . it envelopes your foot . . . has the laces / buckles . . . and holds the shoe onto your foot.  It is simply a flat piece of leather that would not be cut out unless the maker knew already the exact measurements.

A third layer would then be added.

All these layers would follow the general shape as OP's original page.  

These three layers would then be sewn together using 3 distinct stitch rows.  One on the very outside perhaps 1/4 inch from the edge.  Second inside the first about 1/4 inch and the third about 1/4 inside the second one.

The foot was placed in the proper orientation . . . the leather pulled up . . . and cut off to match the wearer's foot.

Sandals were also made this way . . . as were dress sandals . . . but it was designed originally for the Legionaires and for the battlefield.

The drawing is not to any kind of scale . . . just showing how you would do it . . . with a bit of a modern twist.  Pull the tabs over to the area with the same label . . . run a lace thru theree . . . starting at the toe and going upward.  Tie off at the top.

Drawing is rough . . . but a picture is worth a thousand words  . . . so here is the 1000 word response

The real beauty is that this can be made on any flat sewing machine . . . no super equipment required.  All the sewing is done with it in the flat layout

 

May God bless,

Dwight

I can totally see how this would give a rustic look, especially for the re-enactment types.