Exploring the Art of Paper Shoe Making...

"Now for good luck, cast an old shoe after me."

~Proverb~

For the past few days I have been about the business of a cordwainer exploring the art of shoe making. Some refer to this art form as cobbling, although historically, cobblers were those who repaired shoes, irregardless of the technical term you use, I have been making paper shoes.

In exploring the technical terms of shoe making I stumbled across some interesting tid bits of information. Did you know that there are patron saints of shoemakers? St. Crispin and Saint Crispinian, are the Christian patron saints of cobblers, tanners, and leather workers.

(Vintage Shoe Images from Karen's Whimsy)

Born to a noble Roman family, in the 3rd century AD, Saints Crispin and Crispinian, twin brothers, fled persecution for their faith, winding up in Soissions, where they preached Christianity to the Gauls and made shoes by night. Their success attracted the ire of Rictus Varus, the governor of Belqui Gaul, who had them tortured and beheaded c. 286. In the 6th century, a church was built in their honor in Soissions.
The history of footwear and shoe making is quite interesting. Centuries ago experimentation with various types of materials such as bark, leaves, and rawhide resulted in early forms of foot coverings such as sandals and moccasins. From there new materials and styles were introduced and continue to evolve, only to be limited by the imagination.
My imagination was sparked by a pair of little boy's shoes that I purchased in a flea market several months ago. The itch to experiment with various techniques, materials, and styles pushed itself to the forefront of my mind and so began my hands on journey in the art of art shoe making.

My chosen medium was paper. I sat studying the little leather shoe resting in the palm of my hand and was overcome with the urge to recreate it to the best of my artist ability. I have never made a paper shoe before, had no pattern, and yet I knew this shoe would come into being. First I had to sketch a pattern and then develop a technique that would make paper look like leather. One shoe and a few hours later I was hooked.

From heel to toe this shoe measures 5 in. long and is 3 in. high. A real little toddler foot could slip right in it.What I would change about this shoe is the stitching, I should have done it by hand with waxed twine and went one step further with the paper technique to get a more aged look.Next I search online for paper shoe patterns, after all, wouldn't it be better to at least have a pattern and instructions to follow? I came across this design by Ellen Huston, shoe template and lining template, a cute peep toe party favor shoe. I modified the pattern to suit my tastes, had an experience in major frustration as the vintage wallpaper I used did not want to glue, and after much effort gave birth to my version, the Lady Bird paper shoe...The Lady Bird shoe is 6 1/2 in. from heel to toe and stands 4 in. high at its tallest point.Then I found these adorable patterns for tiny doll size shoes. I made a few changes to the construction of these as well. The results were this adorable little doll shoe where I experimented with paper printing techniques...This wee little dolly shoe is a mere 3 in. long and 1 3/4 in. to the arch of its buckle.And this tiny baby boy oxford, where I wish I had used real stitching before assembling the shoe...This sweet little boy's shoe is 3 in. long and a fraction over 1 in. high. If you try this one, lace the shoe before you construct it. Trust me on this one.While I found following these patterns quite pleasurable, it did not compare to the process of designing and executing the shoe myself. So, I returned to the sketch pad and came up with a baby bootie pattern that is made from handmade duplex and vintage wrapping paper. I goofed on the toe of this one, turning the wrong side of the duplex out but, it was a happy accident. I ended up liking the two tone effect of the shoe.This over sized bootie is 5 in. long and 2 in. high.I then moved on to making a fanciful Autumn Fairy shoe, once again experimenting with paper printing techniques and adding natural materials as design features and embellishments.This sweet confection of nature is 3 in. long and 1 in. high.Dried naturals from the woods around the Quill adorn this shoe both inside and out. It came out better than I expected.Three more shoes are sketched, patterns are cut, materials chosen, and they await the hands on touch of the cordwainer.

Also on the work tables are four Fou~Fou Art Shoe Kits ready to be embellished and filled...Stay tuned, the shoppe really is coming soon!

My shoes do not have the charm, grace, or elegance of Nancy's nor the magical quality of Dawn's but they were created with the same kindred artist spirit that makes one want to apply the hands on touch of an idea bringing it into being by the fingers. Cobbling is indeed noble profession and I am honored to work alongside other shoe makers and be inspired by this century old art form.

Blessings,
Miss Sandy