Shoes. From the sky-high stiletto to the steel toed boot, no accessory can compare in versatility to the almighty shoe. Think about it. This accessory has been in style since for thousands of years, appeals to both men and women, and is part of every day of our lives.

Despite all of this how much do you actually know about the shoe?? Not much I would wager. But a workshop this Saturday January 12th at the Flying Monkey Arts will change this lack of knowledge.

How? You might ask. With a shoe-making demonstration and workshop from Daniel Scott.

Can You Say Shoes?

“I just got a wild hair, tried making shoes once and failed, then got hooked on the problem solving,” Daniel told me.

That was 5 years ago. Since that first failed pair of shoes, Daniel has built many, many pairs of shoes. Though he has no favorite pair that he has created, he does prefer to create shoes for himself. (If asked, he prefers the comfy slip-ons. You can see examples of Daniel’s shoe patterns on his website here.)

And really who could blame him? If I could make shoes, I’d want to keep them all for myself. Well if I had any skill whatsoever. Pretty sure I wouldn’t want to wear anything I actually created…

Though attending Daniel’s workshop Saturday might do much to improve my shoe-making abilities.

What to Expect

Here’s the scoop on Saturday’s workshop. It’s a two parter. First from 1-2:30pm, Daniel will demonstrate the process of shoe making from sizing to stitching to attaching the soles. Then from 2:30-4pm, he’ll actually help you make your own shoes. You can come to one or both demonstrations. And it’s free!

Daniel Scott shoes — Make your own shoes this Saturday at the Flying Monkey!

“It’s a casual demonstration. BYOB. Anyone can attend, and no registration is required. Just show up at the Flying Monkey,” Daniel said.

“I will try to show as many techniques as possible in an hour and a half. For the remainder of the time, I will guide other people in making their own shoes.”

Bonus: on display Saturday will be hand printed designs on fabric from the uber-talented folks at Green Pea Press. Daniel will be using their original prints to make his demo shoes.

So basically: shoes, shoes, and more shoes? What more do you need to know??[spacer size=”0″]

Materials You’ll Need

For this workshop, you will need to bring your own materials. If you’re as crafty as me (i.e. not at all crafty), you may love shoes, but you don’t know the first thing about choosing the best materials to make shoes. Luckily, I spoke to Daniel about this very subject.

Here are his recommendations for what to bring Saturday:

Denim: An old pair of jeans works just perfectly
Rubber: For the soles
Old pair of shoes: Ones you don’t mind destroying, for the soles
Sewing Kit: A basic one, if you have it
Picture taking technology: (A camera or phone) If you think you’ve got some skills, then bring along some technology to document your shoe-making process

Want even more guidance on your materials? Visit Daniel’s website here.