Key Points
How to make Leather Sandals
Footwear making is a highly-skilled and lucrative trade; especially in Nigeria. In this age and time, many Nigerians, especially the men, have become insistent on wearing local custom-made shoes that match their unique tastes and class. As a result of this development, there is the availability of a wider customer base for all persons involved in the footwear production business.
Today, on Elistatus, we will be teaching you how to make your own leather sandals, for free! You can sell these beautiful sandals both online and offline and make huge profits from their sales. On Elistatus, you can learn different relevant skills that can make you self-reliant.
Materials
- One layer of Cowhide leather
- Rubber soles
- Gloves
- Nose mask
- Pen/ Pencil/Chalk
- One layer of kangaroo leather
- Contact cement
- Leather Awl
- Knife and Scissors
- Marble slab/ Ceramic tile or a flattened piece of wood
- Masking tape
- A piece of construction paper
- Super glue/Shoe Gum
- Lace/Leather cord (Optional)
- Metre rule
Tips for Choosing the Leather
Here are a few things you should consider when choosing the leather for your sandals:
- Be sure that the leather is not stretching or slack.
- Depending on the type of sandals you are making, you may want to buy a different type of leather for the middle sole of your sandals.
- Experiment! Leather comes in a variety of colours so be sure to pick a colour combination that will emphasise the uniqueness of your product.
- Test the durability of your leather using water and sandpaper. Observe how the leather wears and if the dye washes off easily.
Suggested Measurements for the Leather
Teal top sole: 1 millimetre
Mid-sole: 3 millimetre
Midsole: 3 millimetre
Bottom Sole: 1 centimetre
Straps: 3 millimetres (Optional)
Instructions
First, trace out the outline of your feet on the construction paper. Cut out these shapes and place them aside. Next, cut out 1-inch of the construction paper. These will be used to make the straps of the sandals.
Place the outlines on the leather. Using a pen, trace out this outlines on the letter. Cut out the shapes from the leather.
Using the paper tape, attach the rubber soles to the work surface. Apply the glue all the way to the edges of the rubber soles. Attach the soles to the leather carefully and leave them to dry for a few minutes.
Mark your dried soles with the pattern and carefully cut holes for the leather straps.
Next, fit the leather straps neatly through the holes. Ensure that the straps fit tightly.
Apply the contact cement on the insides of the leather straps. Now, tacky stick the leather straps with the sole of the sandals. Finally, stitch all around the soles of the sandals; one after the other.
