View Full Version : 2nd pair of homemade shoes
This is my second pair of homemade shoes. They turned out much like the first. I will have to try something drastically different if I want something different.
Materials used: Men's swim trunks for the fabric, gross-grain ribbon for the eyelets, table pads for the inner stiffening, flip-flop soles. I'll walk around in them a little and decide if I want to glue on a lug sole for hiking. I think they'd hold up well enough for hiking even if they don't look like hiking shoes.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4153/5057899359_faa50097fc_m.jpg
The fun part is the backs are different because of the pattern on the swim trunks.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4131/5058510852_9f749decbe_m.jpg
Looks great. I'd be interested in knowing how well a lugged version resists rolling around your foot on banked trail.
I don't think the sole would have much to do with my foot rolling on a banked trail. That would be my ankles and the sides of the shoes. That could be a weakness as I didn't line the entire inner part all the way around. Just the heel is lined and the top of the front part of the uppers.
The boot sole is just so I can have some hiking shoes with good traction. I've been hiking in some old shoes that don't fit right but have good traction and my chaco sandals that fit great but have no traction. I'm tired of shopping for shoes that never fit. Now that I've been wearing my homemade shoes or sandals, which are actually the size of my feet, it feels weird when I wear my hiking shoes which I always have to buy 3 sizes too big so they'll be wide enough.
Those are really really cool.... I think you've found a hidden talent.
I don't think the sole would have much to do with my foot rolling on a banked trail. That would be my ankles and the sides of the shoes.
I'm not talking about your foot rolling. I'm talking about the shoe not staying on your foot well enough. Like when loosely laced shoes or boots shift from beneath your heel. I'm thinking a stiff sole might provide the leverage to shift the shoe out of place on banked trails or when you step on a rock.
Have you purchased any outsoles from that cobbler website you liked? I don't know how light and flexible those soles are, but I do wish we could order something like what Inov-8 uses. What about using this 5.10 product?
http://fiveten.com/images/stories/jreviews/tn/tn_4318_ResoleKits_1261676719.jpg
I did order some soles from the cobbler supply web site. I ordered a pair of Vibram Kletter 148 soles. They are very thin and flexible. They have no raised heel. I guess the cobbler is supposed to build the heel with the middle layers of sole. I like that they are flat without a raised heel. That's what I want. They wouldn't work on their own like if you wanted to make huarache running sandals. When you stand on them, you can feel the lugs beneath your feet.
What is that a picture of, that rubber stuff with the suction cups?
The flip-flop sole I used is pretty thick, so if anything is going to provide leverage, it'll be that. Fortunately, the shoe itself is pretty form-fitting since I made it with my own foot. It feels pretty similar to a pair of canvas sneakers. I will have to test it on some local trails when I get a good sole on them.
Hey Piper! Your home built shoes bring to mind an idea I always wanted to pursue.. only you are actually doing it! After burning through 12 pairs of cheap running shoes in the past two thru hikes I wondered about building a simple pair of my own made from recycled materials. For the sole I thought about cutting pieces of used car/truck tires. I noticed a lot of tires get thrown away even though they still have tread left, particularly around the Bay area where I live.. the Yuppies here replace them waayy too soon.
Anyhow I am very interested in your creation and you have inspired me to try a pair of my own. I am particularly interested in ways to bond the sole rubber to a "last". What kind of glue do they used commercially.
Also what kind of foam could be salvaged for a mid-sole.
I am always pissed when I get used to a particular model of shoe only to have the manufacturer junk it up or remove it from the market.
My dream is a simple breatheable upper, with a foam mid sole bonded to a tire rubber out-sole.. with appropriate lug tred.
Would be really cool to see a B.F. Goodrich Mud Terrain sole on a shoe! Hey there might actually be a market for that beyond us nutty Lond Distance Hikers!
Anyhow keep up the postings on your awesome MYOG footwear!
P.S. To everyone else.. Piper's Mom is an AWESOME trail angel on the PCT near Chester CA. This is smack dab in the middle of the PCT.. like mile 1300. In '09 she brought Birdman and I down into Chester so we could soak up some suds and pizza to celebrate! Anyhow.. Your MOM is AWESOME! :sun
I did order some soles from the cobbler supply web site. I ordered a pair of Vibram Kletter 148 soles. They are very thin and flexible. They have no raised heel. I guess the cobbler is supposed to build the heel with the middle layers of sole. I like that they are flat without a raised heel. That's what I want. They wouldn't work on their own like if you wanted to make huarache running sandals. When you stand on them, you can feel the lugs beneath your feet.
What is that a picture of, that rubber stuff with the suction cups?
If you have an appropriate scale, would you mind weighing the sole? I might try a much simpler project with it.
The bumpy rubber stuff I posted is the same type of rubber used in 5.10 rock climbing shoes. Super grippy. In fact, maybe I should order some of that for my motorcycle boots.
P.S. To everyone else.. Piper's Mom is an AWESOME trail angel on the PCT near Chester CA. This is smack dab in the middle of the PCT.. like mile 1300. In '09 she brought Birdman and I down into Chester so we could soak up some suds and pizza to celebrate! Anyhow.. Your MOM is AWESOME! :sun
Cool, I didn't know that. Does she know about a certain house (ranch?) that was for sale...I think in that area? Apparently the PCT ran across its driveway. Karen in Idyllwild was in love with that place.
If you are talking about the property with the dude ranch near Cassel, my boyfriend was dreaming about it for months. My mom really enjoys the trail angeling. She remembers you, Iceaxe.
Shoemakers use barge cement so that's the stuff.
Since US tires mostly have steel belts, you will not be able to use tires for soles without a lot of difficulty. If you can find retreads or use ATV tires, that will work better. Or else you can use the sidewalls of steel-belteds but you won't get the tread. I think I would go with ordering the soles because they are only about $10 and then order some top-sole material or use flip-flop soles or yoga mats or something and then glue the layers together.
I don't know how economical this is going to turn out to be. It is not easy to make shoes. They would last a lot longer and be more economical if I made them out of leather. But leather is hot compared to fabric and I don't have tools to work with leather. Plus with fabric I can rip the seams out and try again.
I don't have a scale to weigh the sole. The sole that is on these shoes is a flip-flop sole. I just cut the straps off. It's the kind of flip-flop where the straps don't go through holes in the bottom. The Vibram kletter sole will add some weight but it shouldn't end up to even as much as a pair of trail runners because as they are, these shoes are slightly lighter than my New Balance MT 100s.
There's a site online called Simple Shoemaking (http://www.simpleshoemaking.com/) with a book of instructions and books of patterns. I ordered some patterns. I'll probably have to order her instructions, too. She has a sample online of fishermans sandals. I find her instructions hard to follow, but I'm going to try the sandals using fused plastic bags. It probably won't work, but if they did, that would be really funny. I made a tote bag from fused plastic bags. The material turns out quite durable.
I wore my shoes on a hike today. About 6 miles or so, steep hills, lots of rocks, a couple of banked sections. They worked fine. The only thing I might like to add on a future pair is some padding on the sides at the widest part of my foot so that if I bump a rock there's a bit of cushioning. Otherwise, they worked great!
Mrs Baggins
10-08-2010, 18:40
Oh for God's sake. Just buy some real shoes! Gees.
Don't have sex either. That's what porn is for, right? :rolleyes:
Sorry about the off colour remark. Seriously though. Good work.
I think you should give mocassins or ankle mocassins a try next.
Work towards something like these...
http://www.quoddy.com/styles/tracker-boot.html
and then if you decide you do prefer a tread, you can still add a vibram sole, or just cover with gum rubber in some sort of mold.
http://www.quoddy.com/styles.html
You can make gum rubber by disolving rubber bands in gasoline and heating in a double boiler, but of course be careful. I haven't doe it. Only recently heard about it.
atraildreamer
10-10-2010, 17:44
Oh for God's sake. Just buy some real shoes! Gees.
...and keep some Chinese employed! :D
I don't think tire rubber would be ideal. It would be too hard to provide good grip. Maybe if you can find the tire rubber for a low speed racing tire, especially for a motorcycle tire.
JAK you are insane. You can buy whatever soling material you need. No need to blow the house up or choke on toxic fumes.
By the way, it is easier to buy shoes or tents or whatever, but this is the homemade gear forum. Plus my feet are almost an inch wider than what shoemakers think feet should be and I'm tired of settling for that.
Trailbender
10-11-2010, 17:15
Oh for God's sake. Just buy some real shoes! Gees.
Because homemade gear can be sturdy, reliable, and a lot cheaper than commercial gear? I heavily modify all of my gear to fit my requirements.
stretchin
10-12-2010, 13:58
Oh for God's sake. Just buy some real shoes! Gees.
Translation: BAAAA :)
The shoe's look great Piper! I too like the asymmetric pattern design, looks neat. Let us know how they hold up.
I recently made some huarache running sandals from a 15" trailer tire (no steel belts). I only have a few miles on them but I already like them more than my new balance runners.