Make Your Own Shoes at the Chicago School of Shoemaking

Making shoes by hand isn’t very common these days, but for the Chicago School of Shoemaking’s founder and Master Cobbler, Sara McIntosh, it’s a very satisfying way of life.  She's teaching dozens of students the craft of shoemaking from scratch.

                                              Student cutting out leather for shoes

McIntosh hopes to promote self-sufficiency and sustainability through shoemaking. “I really want to empower people. I want them to feel a sense of awe and excitement to make something so vital to their needs, like a pair of shoes,” McIntosh explained.

 Students showing off thier very own handcrafted shoes

The school, which has been open since September, offers many different classes from Leather Work 101 to Advanced Patterns and Shoemaking. Two days of hands-on learning for classes of four people cost anywhere between $75 and $1,050. These classes include all the materials and tools needed. And, your graduation gift is your newly handcrafted pair of shoes. Students will learn how to cut out the leather, prepare the materials, hand-stitch the leather uppers to the midsoles, glue the soles, and then form the upper to the size and shape of their specific feet.

                                                       A student's finishing touch!

With 38 years of experience, “I basically decided it felt like the right time to start teaching,” McIntosh passionately revealed. “There is something also magical about shoes, and because it is so rare to have people make their own shoes, it becomes a very special experience to [students]; I love being apart of that and watching.”

Chicago School of Shoemaking's founder and master cobbler

Although unable to really structure a pair of stilettos by hand, McIntosh can make a high wedge with cork, crate or wood soles. She is planning on bringing in other teachers to teach different techniques next year.

PHOTO CURTESY: Sara McIntosh/Chicago School of Shoemaking