This virtual workshop is offered in partnership with Gather. This sandal making workshop is for complete beginners to advanced sandal making students. Although the sandal making process is simple, you will finish the workshop with a classic pair of sandals that you will wear for years.

In this four hour virtual workshop led over Zoom by Stace Fulwiler Wood, you will learn to make your own handmade leather sandals. All the necessary tools & materials are sent straight to your door and Stace will give live instruction during the entire workshop.

Your sandals will be crafted using traditional techniques, your choice of leather, and some simple tools. All you need in order to attend is a device to connect to Zoom and a few items that you have around the house. This is a workshop for complete beginners - no previous experience is necessary. However, you’ll want to be comfortable using an Xacto knife or scissors, and a hammer. We will be working with our hands to build sandals right onto our feet, so there is some kneeling, bending, and crouching involved.

Sandal making has a rich history throughout the world - sandals are the oldest known form of footwear! Bespoke sandal shops once dotted coastal towns throughout California, though this craft has become rare as shoe production has moved away from artisan methods & materials. These days, one has to travel abroad for custom leather sandals. Stace works to revive this traditional method of shoemaking through her Virtual Sandal Making Workshops.

The versatile simplicity of your leather sandals will provide years of wear and they will become more beautiful with age, forming to your feet and acquiring a rich patina. We will make sandals with leather soles, a non-slip crepe rubber heel, and leather uppers. Here are some examples of what students have made in our Virtual Sandal Making Workshops.

What we will do: On April 3, 2021, at 11am PST we will meet on Zoom and Stace will teach you (and a small group of students) how to make your own leather sandals. This workshop will take around four hours (some students may finish earlier or later). Stace will be there with you every step of the way, giving you live instruction until we are all finished with our sandals. During the workshop, you will have plenty of time to ask any questions that come up, and to chat with your fellow sandal makers.

During the workshop, you will learn:

• How to form your leather soles to have arch support

• How to cut your leather straps & insoles

• How to build & fit your sandals to your feet 

• How to use shoe glue (all-purpose cement) to securely assemble your sandals.

• How to use brass shoe tacks (AKA ‘cobbling’)

  And much more…

How we will do it: Your sandal making kit will arrive before the date of the workshop. Upon checkout, you will choose which sandal design you would like to make, which sole shape you would like to use, and your leather color. Your kit will include tools, instructions, and patterns that are yours to keep.

What you will need:

• Viewing device to use Zoom (login information will be sent before the workshop starts)

• Table to work on (a kitchen table, desk, etc)

• Cutting surface - a self-healing cutting mat or a kitchen cutting board works well

• Hammer

• Pen/Pencil

• Optional: ruler, sharp scissors

How your sandals will be finished: Once you’ve made your sandals, you will mail them back to Stace’s studio (a prepaid return label is included in your kit). Stace will refine the edges of your sandals on the belt sander and can shave off any extra length or width. Your sandals will be sent back to you in 2-4 business days. If you have a belt sander at home, you are welcome to finish your sandals yourself - Stace can send over a video of a sanding demonstration.

If you want to continue making sandals for yourself (or for family & friends) after the workshop, you have a few options:

• You can order supplies a-la-carte

• You can source your own materials at your nearest shoemaking supply store

If you have any questions before you sign up, email Stace at contact@stacefulwiler.com.

Leather Choices: Black, Espresso Brown, Natural, Pebbled Indigo, Heirloom Tomato, Chestnut

Toe Shape Choices: Round or Angular

Sandal Design Choices:

Tropez: This is a simple, chic, classic toe ring style. You have the option to take out the angled strap, and make this style with two straps (instead of the three straps pictured)

Bijou: A classic slide sandal (leather choices for this style are chestnut, heirloom tomato, and natural)

Tulum: A sandal with three angular straps

Roma: A sandal that can be made with three parallel straps (pictured) or two straps

Deadline to sign up is March 28, 2021

Due to the customized nature of this product, we cannot offer refunds or cancellations.