Barefoot Leather Shoe Workshop - Soil for Life

ABOUT

Why barefoot shoes?

The world has started to catch on to the importance of our feet and the connection it allows us to the earth. Our posture, balance, and everyday movement start with how we stand, walk, and move around.

Being able to feel the floor and splay your toes is fundamental to good foot health. The shoe industry doesn't cater to the individual's foot shape and size, unfortunately, but you can. In a couple of hours, as a novice, you can shoe those feet independently.

This beginner's leather workshop will teach you rudimentary skills used in handmade leather production. Leatherwork is a heritage craft. It has been done for over 80000 years and by species other than homo-sapiens. It is ingrained in our ancestry. These shoes will change the way you walk, they are the perfect size and shape for your foot and have a thin sole allowing you to still feel the earth below your feet.

About your facilitator

Summer Francisco is your facilitator for this class, they are a passionate leather worker with 20 years of experience. They pride themselves on making sustainable items that will last throughout the ages. From upholstery, hats, and shoes to bags, harnesses, masks, and belts, they have made hundreds of pieces that continue to live on and bring joy to their owners. They are a small business owner of bespoke creations and find great joy in sharing their craft so others can experience the satisfaction of making all the things one needs of the best quality.

FAQ

Do participants walk away with a pair of shoes?

• They absolutely do, made to the shape of your foot and sewn by you!

Does everyone finish their shoes in the allotted time?

• A large portion of the participants have completed their shoes in the 4 hour slot, however with the social dynamic and different speeds that people work some people take one shoe home to stitch. You will however always have one shoe done so that it can be fitted and altered if needed, which is rarely the case.

Do I need any previous experience?

• Not at all, this is a beginner crash course in leatherwork and shoe making. It uses the most basic of the tools on the market and is achievable by anyone with the will to show up?

What is included in the ticket price?

• The ticket purchase covers the leather, tool usage, and pattern-making materials. As well a a PDF of instructions and access to continued support on your shoe-making journey.

What is meant by sustainably sourced hides?

• We use skins from Kudu, Gemsbok, and Oryx, they are not farmed in a traditional environment and have lived a wild life, the benefits of using game skins are that the skins are sourced from Southern Africa, lowering carbon emissions on transport. Another benefit is that it is not a by-product of cow farming which is responsible for a vast amount of CFC emissions. As well as being a kinder to life lived for the blessed creatures to which we are using to shoe our feet!

What is a barefoot shoe?

• There is a movement happening around us where people are catching on to the benefits of having a closer connection to the earth beneath their feet, it takes us back to primitive days when our bodies were stronger and more capable, and we had a wholesome connection to nature. In the days of the digital era, our time outdoors and in nature are sometimes few and far in between, making the need to get the most out of the moments ever so more prevalent. It incorporates the zero drop sole made from a piece of leather as well as a wider toe box to allow for the splaying of your toes.

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