We're often asked whether it is possible to adapt Twig + Tale footwear - like the the Wayfarer Shoes or Tie Back Boots - so that they can have a sole added for outdoor wear. The answer is yes! And we're so pleased to welcome Storyteller and pro footwear maker Wietske Ossendorf to share how she does it.
We hope that with Wietske's guidance and useful tips, you're inspired to try making your own barefoot shoes.
My feet hurt. A Lot! There is something about being squished into leather boots that my sweet feet do not like as much as I do. It starts after the first half hour, with a light tension in my toes, slowly building up momentum, until somehow after a few hours my whole back hurts and aches and I feel two times my age, longing to be home again, taking a warm bath to release the hurt, and slipping into my comfortable Wayfarer Shoes. Sound familiar?
Hi, my name is Wietske. Dutch, Iiving in Germany with my 3 kids, husband, and a few chickens. And I have had a lot of pain in all kinds of non-feet-related areas of my body, due to shoes. In this article I want to show you how you can actually turn your lovely comfortable house shoe patterns into outdoor shoes (Wayfarers, Tie Back Boots, and Animal Boots). Give them a sturdy upgrade and you can walk everywhere without pain.
A list of ingredients to cook up some cool barefoot shoes
1. Ready sewn shoes - Sew your shoes exactly as described in the tutorial. There are a few things to keep in mind whilst sewing them though:
- The glue for applying rubber soles will stick very well on rough surfaces like jeans, linen, and the rough side of leather. It will not, however, stick very well to smooth surfaces, like the smooth side of leather, or plastic-based surfaces like softshell. When sewing up shoes I always sew my soles out of leather, rough side out. Alternatively, you will have to rough up the smooth side, before adding glue. And by roughing up, I really mean rough up! it should look like an angry badger had a go at it. You can use your grinding machine for that.
- When sewing the animal boots or tieback boots I would recommend using the Wayfarer tutorial for changing the shape of the foot. For outdoor shoes with a barefoot feel, you do need a good fit of the sole. Take time to create a toe box shape that fits your toes well. (If you'd like to see how I do this, please click through to my highlight #tttiebackboots on instagram @mama_puffin)
2. Glue - You'll need a special glue for this that cobblers use, called contact cement. It is a chemical product that you apply on both surfaces. When it is dry, both surfaces are pressed together, resulting in a flexible rubber-like bond. Every country has its own brand. Try looking online for cobbler shops that sell to private persons. Ask in your local hardware store. Or go and visit your friendly neighbourhood cobbler. Bring a small container and ask if you can buy some of his magic glue.
3. A silicone brush or an old knife - When the glue dries, it is hard like a rock, so do not use your beloved oil paint brush for this project. You can use an old/wooden knife. I like to use a silicone brush, normally used for cosmetic purposes. It is the only thing that allows the dried up glue to be removed.
4. Rubber sole - This is, like the glue, a very specific item. Every country has it. Again, look for online cobbler shops, or maybe your local cobbler. A brand that sells these rubber sole sheets all around the globe is Vibram. But again, your country will probably have a less expensive product as well. Although I am all for upcycling, in this case I would recommend to buy sole sheets, made for the specific purpose of shoes. The reason behind it is this: the upcycled materials that come to mind, like old rubber tires, are mostly very unhealthy, loaded with all kinds of chemicals that I want to keep far away from my body. But maybe you are more creative than I am. Whatever you choose to use, make sure the surface can absorb the glue.
5. Hammer - Any ordinary hammer will do.
6. A car or a thick book - I'll leave this mysteriously unexplained for now. You will see further down why we need them.
7. Regular scissors
8. Original paper pattern of the sole
9. A plastic bag - or something else that you would not mind being covered in glue.
Step 1: Cutting
Take your original sole pattern, draw it on to the rubber sheet, and cut it out using regular scissors.
When you hold the cut out sole to your already-sewn shoe, you will notice that the rubber sole is bigger. It should be because we need a bigger surface to glue on. Those extra centimetres will give you a little room for error when sticking the sole onto the shoe later on.
Step 2: Apply the glue
Now it is time for my least favourite part. Warning - this is going to stink. Contact cement is a marvellous product, but it is not really meant to dive your nose into. Search for a work place with a lot of fresh air. Working outside is the obvious choice for this, but a wide open window will do the trick as well. Do not skip this step - this glue is serious stuff. I get lightheaded when I'm using it for a long time.
Before you open the glue container, first prepare everything else. Lay out your plastic bag to work on. Make sure that you can put your shoes upside down - this might need a little bit of shoe acrobatics, especially with boots. You might need to build a tower of books so you can rest the noses of the boots on that.
I like to lay out the right shoe next to the right sole, and vice versa. (It might have once happened that I glued the wrong sole on to a shoe).
Now, enjoy your last deep breaths of fresh air. Open the container and apply the glue. Start with the surfaces that are most absorbent (leather and fabric). You want the whole surface to be covered with a thin layer of glue. Most surfaces absorb the glue, so use your eyes and apply a little bit extra when needed. After gluing the shoes, apply glue the soles. And make a last check that everything is in fact covered.
Make sure to only glue the soles, and nothing else. The glue will leave ugly marks on anything else (this might be knowledge, obtained from experience as well). Put the glue only on the flat part of the sole, not on the bent part (see photo).
Now it is time to let the glue dry properly. What we are looking for is dry, but not hard. Normally that will take any time between 10 to 60 minutes. When it looks dry, you can carefully put your finger on it. It should not stick to your finger, but it should feel a little bit sticky. In hot, dry weather, this is a quick process. When it is cold or humid, you might need to wait longer. In very humid conditions, I sometimes deploy my hairdryer.
If you want to let all those chemicals air out, you can in fact let the glue dry out longer (a day or two) after that, but you'll need to reactivate the glue with a hairdryer so that it will get softer again.
Step 3: Stick it
Now you need a lot of concentration - sticking both sides together requires a great deal of precision. Contact cement has the wonderful quality of binding upon contact. That means, you can’t just go and throw the sole on to the shoe, then make adjustments. It must fit right away, with no margin for error (unless you want to repeat the whole process). Start at the front (toe) or at the back (heel). Take care to keep both unglued parts separated. (You actually need 3 hands for this... in the photo I am holding it with 1 hand, but that is generally a very bad idea).
I put one hand inside the shoe, making sure the sole is stretched, and there are no wrinkles. The other hand puts the sole on to the shoe. (If you do not have 3 hands, you can bend the sole away against the table). Now, inch by inch, or centimetre by centimetre depending on where you live, you now connect the sole and the shoe, making sure to spread the shoe. Continue checking that you are heading in the right direction, not moving too far to the side of the sole. Ideally the 1 cm extra you have on both sides should remain 1 cm on both sides.
You did it? Congratulations, the hard part is over!
Step 4: Add force
So here comes my favourite part. The contact cement is done and will need a lot of pressure to bond completely. This is the time to take out your biggest heaviest book. Or go and find you a car.
Put the book on top of the shoe, making sure it is completely covered. Get on top of the book. And if you have a friendly person visiting, ask them to join you on your shoe tower. It does not take long - just a few seconds is enough.
Or, my favourite method: put your shoe in a plastic sack. Lay it neatly under the tire of a car, and drive slowly over it, back and forth making sure the tire covers the whole shoe.
Repeat with the other shoe.
Then, take out you hammer and give the front and the back a few powerful hits.
The only thing left to do now is to cut away the excess sole. Leave the shoes to dry for at least a day.
Now enjoy wearing your pain free, homemade barefoot shoes!
Do you have any questions about adapting Twig + Tale footwear for outdoor wear? Have you given this technique a try? Feel free to join us in the T+T Chat Facebook Group to ask questions or share your experience.
Read more about making T+T footwear here:
