To order products
send credit card information, name and address via telephone or fax or send check made out to Sharon Raymond to address below:
Sharon Raymond
145 Baker Road
Shutesbury, MA 01072
Tel: 413.259.1748
Fax: 413.241.6119
Email:
sharon @ simpleshoemaking.com (please eliminate spaces when using email address)
Greetings, I am in the midst of making changes to my website, please get in touch if you have questions!
Welcome to simple shoemaking! Making simple footwear has been my passion since I lived in the south of England several decades ago, where there were people making shoes. Realizing I was self-sufficent in many ways, but couldn't cover my own feet, I decided to correct that situation. I learned, and now teach, the "stitchdown" shoemaking process, in which the bottom edge of the upper part of the shoe is turned out, then is cemented and stitched to the topsole. Finally, a rugged outdoor sole is stitched or cemented in place. Very simple!
On this website:
- Learn how to make shoes in a class customized to your needs (Shoemaking was considered "one of the top jobs" in the "clean tech" revolution in an article at Treehugger.com (10/22/07) And, when Richard Heinberg, ("one of the world's most effective communicators of the urgent need to transition away from fossil fuels") spoke recently at Hampshire College, in response to a student's question about "what should we be studying", said, "learn to butcher animals and make shoes!"
- Purchase patterns for making a wide variety of shoe styles from a wide variety of materials, such as felt, recycled wool coats, needlepoint material, quilted material, of course leather, canvas, upholstery fabric, beaded material...
- Develop ideas for starting your own shoe making business
- Purchase outdoor soling, with a suede edge or without, as well as indoor soling with a non-skid crepe or suede sole
- Purchase a finishing kit for knitted/felted boots and crocheted/felted boots!
- Purchase hard-to-find shoe making materials
- Download free directions for making fishermens' sandals
"You Walk Wrong!" is an article from the NY Times magazine last year (http://nymag.com/health/features/46213/) that I invite you to read. It supports the simple way that I make shoes, with lots of space for your toes and thin flexible soling that comes as close as possible to duplicating the barefoot experience, while still protecting your feet.
Become the shoemaker for your village! Here are three reasons why learning to make shoes now might be a great idea: Many people are sensing that the transportation costs for importing products such as footwear may soon outweigh the advantages of low labor costs in other countries; there is a lot of encouragement for people to reclaim the ability to MAKE THINGS! in this country; and many people are intent upon buying locally-produced food and products. I believe the time is right for a multitude of small shoemaking enterprises to crop up all over this country! I can help the budding shoemaker to blossom - first by teaching her or him the basics of simple shoemaking, then offering support during the development of a product, the purchase of tools and materials, and throughout the start-up time. If my belief aligns with yours, please see my Shoemaking Workshops page and consider taking a class customized to your interests.
SANDALMAKING IN HAITI
Recently I sent a sample of a 'fisherman"-style sandal to an orphanage in Haiti, for the older boys to make for the younger ones. I have received a photo of the first pair of sandals made there, and would like to share it with you. I have now put the directions for making these sandals on this site so anyone who would like to make these sandals can do so. Please email me with any questions, and I would love to hear about your enterprise!
Back to Top
Contents Copyright ©2005 Sharon Raymond, All Rights Reserved