Have you ever stopped and looked down at your sneakers, curious about how this comfortable, supportive, and fashionable companion was born? It seems seamless, but its story is far more complex than imagined.
Step 1: Dreams Shine into Reality - From "Thinking" to "Painting"
Like industrial design, everything starts with design.
1. Seeking inspiration and positioning:
I ask myself: What kind of shoes do I want? Are they minimalist daily casual shoes or retro style sneakers? I collected a large number of pictures and ultimately decided to make a pair of clean and neat low cut canvas shoes because their structure is relatively simple and suitable for beginners.
2. Drawing design drawings:
I don’t understand complex CAD software, so I chose the most primitive way – hand drawing. I drew the side, front, and top views of the shoes on paper with a pencil, and labeled the color scheme I wanted: white shoe upper, navy blue shoelaces, and details.
3.Creating a 'paper pattern':
This is the most crucial step. I found a pair of old shoes that fit well, wrapped the entire upper tightly with masking tape, marked the seams with a pen, and carefully cut along the marking line to flatten the tape, which gave me my first rough “shoe upper pattern”. I will then make corrections on the cardboard based on this pattern to create a more accurate paper pattern.
Step 2: Prepare the "arsenal" - tools and materials
Without professional cutting and sewing machines, my ‘home workshop’ can still operate:
Shoe upper material:
I chose a high-quality white canvas (durable and easy to sew) and a small piece of blue suede (used for detail decoration).
Insole&midsole:
I bought a prefabricated cork insole and a layer of 5mm thick EVA foam pad as the midsole (to provide basic cushioning).
Bottom line:
This is the biggest challenge. I have chosen:
Option A (beginner friendly): Purchase ready-made rubber shoe film and cut it into shape by yourself.
Option B (Pursuit of the Ultimate): Remove the intact sole of an old pair of shoes for reuse. (I ultimately chose option A)
Tools:
Cutting type: sharp leather knives/art knives, scissors.
Stitching type: punch, two hand sewn needles, top needle, tough nylon or hemp thread.
Adhesive type: Special shoe glue (very important! Ordinary glue is not suitable).
Other: Hammer, ruler, strong clamp, tweezers.
Step 3: Fingertip Practice - Record the entire production process
1. Cutting and Marking
Place the cardboard pattern on the back of the canvas, stroke it with a pen, and then use a leather cutter to accurately cut all components: the upper, heel panel, decorative strip, etc. of the left and right feet. Then use a punch to drill holes on all the edges that need to be sewn.
2. Sewing the shoe upper - the most patient process
This is the core of production. I started from the simplest part, sewing the toe, body, heel and other components together one by one according to the design. This requires great patience, as uneven stitching and pricking hands are common occurrences. But as the flat fabric gradually transforms into a three-dimensional shoe upper, the joy is indescribable.
3. Making a sandwich - combining midsole and outsole
Place the cork insole on top of the EVA midsole, stroke and cut into the same shape.
Reverse the shoe upper and place it on the shoe last (I made an approximate model using old shoes and socks), and preliminarily fix it with the insole.
Important steps: Use a strong clip to tightly clamp the edge of the shoe upper and the insole together, preparing for subsequent stitching or bonding.
Apply specialized shoe glue evenly on the sole (outsole) and EVA midsole, let it stand until half dry, and press it firmly to ensure there are no bubbles. I placed a heavy object on it for a full 24 hours to ensure a firm bond.
4. Final assembly and organization
After the sole is fully adhered, remove the clip.
I choose to use adhesive to handle the joint between the upper and sole (hand sewn sole is too difficult for beginners), and then use shoe glue again to carefully bond the edge of the upper to the sidewall of the sole.
Finally, put on the shoelaces, insert the insoles, trim off excess thread ends, and use an eraser to clean the handwriting – it’s done!
The shoes I made are far from perfect. The stitching is slightly skewed, and there is even a slight asymmetry between the left and right feet. It cannot be compared to precision products on factory assembly lines.
But when I put it on and took the first step, I felt an unprecedented fit and comfort. Every stitch, every thread, every glue mark carries my time and heart. It is no longer a cold commodity, but an extension of my creativity and patience.