Monday 9 May 2011

Shoemaking - carved tiki shoes revamp!

A couple of months ago I bought some cheap vintage carved shoes on etsy. I don't think they're 1950s, maybe 70s? Anyway, despite being deadstock the leatherette uppers weren't in the best condition, they looked like they'd been stored somewhere damp. Then, to top it off, they were so tight I couldn't even get my feet in! So I decided to revamp them... here's what I did!


First I removed the uppers using pliers, and put the decorative tacks aside. I made a new paper pattern for the uppers, measuring against my foot as I went.


I cut out new uppers from tropical barkcloth, adding a quarter inch seam allowance. I also cut linings from red fake leather, with no seam allowance.


Next I used these Miss L Fire shoes to make an ankle strap pattern from paper, but as I knew the ends would not be sewn in I made them rounded, and big enough to acommodate a metal eyelet.



I used fabric adhesive to stick the seam allowances in on the uppers and ankle straps, then stitched together the barkcloth outer pieces and fake leather linings.



Next I used small nails to attach the uppers to the wooden soles, and added the decorative tacks to cover the small nail heads and make the uppers more secure.


The wooden soles already had holes drilled through them, so I used nylon cord to thread the ankle straps onto them, after hammering metal eyelets into the strap ends. I knotted the cord and melted it a little.



Next I threaded small buckles onto flat elastic, and firmly machine stitched them in place between the ankle strap outer and lining.


Holes were punched in the straps using a large needle...


...ta daaaa! Finished!

14 comments:

  1. Amazing!!!! I cant ever think of anything as imaginative! Jimmy Choo eat your heart out!

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  2. HOLY COW! These are so amazing!! I have a lot of shoes in desperate need of spicing up. Thank you so much for the fantastic tutorial :)

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  3. !! holy cr@p !! you are a freekin' genius! & those shoes would cost an arm and a leg at http://www.irregularchoice.com/ ~ they look fantasticcc!

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  4. WOW! Those are fabulous! Clever, clever girl. I'm quite jealous.

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  5. Thanks girls! I'm really proud of them :)

    Ahh I love Irregular Choice, have you seen these? http://www.irregularchoice.com/shop/womens/product/3809/oriento-sun-so.html?offset=125

    Similar to mine, except whereas those are £150 ($246 at today's exchange rate) mine cost me about £20 in total!

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  6. This is really funny as those exact shoes were on my Etsy watch list for ages! I'm so glad I didn't buy them, and you did as what you have done with them is amazing!

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  7. I was so disappointed when they arrived from the US and I couldn't squeeze my trotters in, I just had to make them wearable! Also the colour of the original uppers was nothing like the etsy pics, the picture with it detached is the real colour.

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  8. Thats amazing! They are 100% better now!

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  9. They're so pretty!

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  10. yesss!! Those are the heels I was thinking of!! Thus, you = genius for making a pair of your own, girl. I need me some sandals...

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  11. How Fantastic! They are adorable!

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  12. Wow. Seriously impressed! :) They looked amazing to start with but you've made then a million times better! New career? You can branch out into shoe design? :) I would buy them! xx

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  13. How did you figure out the straps without cutting them off...any ideas on hoe to add a strap that the sole doesn't have a hole in? I have a tone of wedges and slipper styles that would look so much better and stay on if they had a strap...sometimes i just wear a black rubber band!! you rock! thanks babs

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