Making children’s shoes is especially rewarding because you know what they are made of. Most shoes offered today consist of synthetic, glued together components that aren’t healthy for a growing and more vulnerable body. Wearing shoes made of such material often leads to sweaty (and sometimes smelly) feet.
I use vegetable-tanned leather in all my leathercraft projects. It’s the most environmentally-friendly leather available today. I’m still waiting for organic leather to find its way to the shops. After all, there are organic cows and pigs, what do they do with their skins?
These shoes I made for my 5-year-old son. I lined them with soft, thin goat leather to make them warmer for the colder days.
I’m so glad I discovered a 100 % natural leather finish based on beeswax, carnauba wax, and essential oils. It is so much better than the chemical stuff they sell. The beeswax repels water and brings out the natural beauty of the leather.
Update 11/2020
If you would like to make children’s shoes or shoes and boots for yourself, check out my new eBook Handcraft Your Own Shoes And Boots, here.
What an amazing blog!!!! You’ve inspired me…. Do you have a pattern and ebook for the children’s shoes… Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge
Hi, my derby shoe and bootmaking ebook will be out sometime in the next couple of months. I don’t have any other shoemaking books yet. In the book, I explain how to make your own patterns using the lasts you have, once you know how to make patterns you can make any size of shoes and they will fit well and look good. Please, check back some time or subscribe to my blog (right sidebar) or follow me on Instagram where I will announce when the book becomes available.