I’m psyching myself up to finishing some major pieces of fiber, bead, & book art this year, including some pieces in the design phase for years!
To start, I wanted a pair or two of gloriously beaded sandals. (To work on, enter in art shows, wear to art & book events, etc.)
I can’t justify blowing $$$ on art shoes at even DSW or Ross outlet prices, so I’ve been keeping an eye out at Goodwill & other thrift stores.
I wanted: mostly leather, well-made, lightly worn, comfortable, and under $5 a pair.
Two candidates bought, each on deep sale for about $3 a pair.
This first one will get shimmery iridescent multicolor bands stitched to the burgundy leather straps.
The second pair is getting Egyptian inspired opaque matte & iridescent beadwork panels and straps, with mostly turquoise and rust colorways (once the plastic gems come off).
Here are the top panels in progress.
This pair will be tricky because I need to reline portions of the upper top and heel straps before beading them. The leather is solid but the poly lining is cracking a bit. Doubtless why these older Cobb Hill Rockport sandals were donated. The soles are nearly perfect.
Ah, but I have Shoe Goop and glove leather.
I like messing around with shoes.
My first pair of rebuilt shoes happened in ’88: a pair of Seventies-style huge clunky wooden and leather platform shoes.
I’d seen decorated shoes in a craft magazine.
Not knowing any better I decoupaged the wood with Mod Podge, magazine photos and cutouts of gift wrap. I cleaned the leather, and sold the pair to a resale outlet for $15. (About $13 more than I paid for the shoes.)
I would never have worn them; they were a broken ankle begging to happen. But they were fun to rebuild!