So like 2-3 years ago I made myself these shoes. They're basically my favorite shoes ever, though they're starting to get worn at the toes. When I was putting them together I took a bunch of pictures, so here's a sort of tutorial type-thing about how I put my own uppers onto factory-made soles.
So the stuff that isn't included here is making the pattern and putting together the basic upper. I made the pattern basically by draping some fabric over my feet and drawing on it/cutting it until it basically looked like a shoe upper. There was a fair amount of luck involved...
Then I cut that pattern out of medium thick leather from the local surplus store. The leather is about 3/8" thick and stiff but not unbendable. Which is good for a shoe which should more or less stand up by itself.
I embroidered a motif on the leather uppers (which is Hannunvaakuna/St Johns Arms, fyi). Then I cut from random fabric the shape of the upper + seam allowance, to be a lining (and protect the back of the emboidery. While everything was still flat I sewed the lining to the upper with blanket stitch around the top opening of the shoe. So I had pieces that looked like this:
Then I cut that pattern out of medium thick leather from the local surplus store. The leather is about 3/8" thick and stiff but not unbendable. Which is good for a shoe which should more or less stand up by itself.
I embroidered a motif on the leather uppers (which is Hannunvaakuna/St Johns Arms, fyi). Then I cut from random fabric the shape of the upper + seam allowance, to be a lining (and protect the back of the emboidery. While everything was still flat I sewed the lining to the upper with blanket stitch around the top opening of the shoe. So I had pieces that looked like this:
 from the outside |  from the inside |
The green stitching there is to mark the holes I had already punched for attaching the upper to the sole.
So the sole. I took mine off a pair of old Keds. I liked that the high rubber sidewall on that kind of shoe gives me something good to sew into, plus it is a teeny precaution against water. I cut the uppers off the shoes and then, because the Keds were so old, I could basically just rip out the old insole, and wind up with something like this:
So the sole. I took mine off a pair of old Keds. I liked that the high rubber sidewall on that kind of shoe gives me something good to sew into, plus it is a teeny precaution against water. I cut the uppers off the shoes and then, because the Keds were so old, I could basically just rip out the old insole, and wind up with something like this:
 |  |
Kind of gross, but not unbelievably so. The sidewalls got sharpied yellow in their previous life.
I pre-poked holes in the sole too, to match the upper, but I didn't really wind up using them because it was actually pretty easy to shove the needle through the rubber (plus after all the futzing around the holes in the uppers and the soles didn't actually match up...)
I cut a new leather insole with some help from the insole I had ripped out. And let me just say, thick leather insoles are THE BEST because they mold to the form of your foot over time. I don't like shoes with "support" because I have high, wierdly placed arches, and the "support" usually digs into some other part of my foot - so I just get my shoes as flat and thin as possible - but wow, the accidentally custom molded soles in these are SO COMFY. A great accident.
I pre-poked holes in the sole too, to match the upper, but I didn't really wind up using them because it was actually pretty easy to shove the needle through the rubber (plus after all the futzing around the holes in the uppers and the soles didn't actually match up...)
I cut a new leather insole with some help from the insole I had ripped out. And let me just say, thick leather insoles are THE BEST because they mold to the form of your foot over time. I don't like shoes with "support" because I have high, wierdly placed arches, and the "support" usually digs into some other part of my foot - so I just get my shoes as flat and thin as possible - but wow, the accidentally custom molded soles in these are SO COMFY. A great accident.
The sole gets set aside till everything else is put together, and then it winds up covering some funny ends on the lining.
So next I pinned the upper to the sole around the toe of the shoe. I used straight pins, and I stabbed them in, trying to match the pre-marked holes on the sole and upper. This was most important and useful around the toe of the shoe. To mold the single piece of leather around the sharp curve and sort of straight line of the toe I had to cut little notches in the toe area, which then got held down by the stitching. Worked really well, actually.
Starting with the toe was pretty much completely mandatory, because, since I was putting the shoe together all rightside out, I had to be sticking my hand inside the shoe to get to the toe. It was the least horrendously difficult to do it toe first and then work my way around the outside of the shoe.
On the inside of the shoe I arranged the lining so it came down inside the sole-sidewall, and that way the sidewall was enclosed.
And then I started sewing! With two threaded needles, going in and out the same holes in opposite directions. It took probably two seconds before I stabbed myself quite unpleasantly on all the straight pin ends sticking into the shoe's interior.
So next I pinned the upper to the sole around the toe of the shoe. I used straight pins, and I stabbed them in, trying to match the pre-marked holes on the sole and upper. This was most important and useful around the toe of the shoe. To mold the single piece of leather around the sharp curve and sort of straight line of the toe I had to cut little notches in the toe area, which then got held down by the stitching. Worked really well, actually.
Starting with the toe was pretty much completely mandatory, because, since I was putting the shoe together all rightside out, I had to be sticking my hand inside the shoe to get to the toe. It was the least horrendously difficult to do it toe first and then work my way around the outside of the shoe.
On the inside of the shoe I arranged the lining so it came down inside the sole-sidewall, and that way the sidewall was enclosed.
And then I started sewing! With two threaded needles, going in and out the same holes in opposite directions. It took probably two seconds before I stabbed myself quite unpleasantly on all the straight pin ends sticking into the shoe's interior.
 Huh, no pins here. guess i must have taken them out after I got through the first row of stitches because stabby |  yup, much stabbing |
Yeah, so I sewed along the top row of stitches across the toe, and then I went back and did the second row underneath (with all the notches cut). Because of the sidewall shape on the sole, the seam here is just overlapped and not turned inside or anything. Even the lining inside just sticks out along the bottom of the sole-inside below the stitching.
After finishing the toe, I sewed down one side of the shoe and then the other.
After finishing the toe, I sewed down one side of the shoe and then the other.
 fairly unhelpful picture |  slightly more helpful - inside view of one side, finished |
As you can perhaps imagine, it was really very difficult to take pictures of the sewing process, because it's a two handed task, and also half of it takes place, you know, inside a shoe.
When I came to the back of the shoe, I turned the lining edges under before sewing them down. The edges of the upper were supposed to butt against each other on the outside, but they didn't quite end up meeting. Its fine, it's only visible from very close.
And then I stuffed the leather insole in there on top of all the lining seam allowances and yeah, finished shoes!
When I came to the back of the shoe, I turned the lining edges under before sewing them down. The edges of the upper were supposed to butt against each other on the outside, but they didn't quite end up meeting. Its fine, it's only visible from very close.
And then I stuffed the leather insole in there on top of all the lining seam allowances and yeah, finished shoes!
 Oooooh! |  Aaaaah! |
These are super comfy and convenient and have even proved adept at resisting water (you know, not puddles or snowdrifts, but like, rain and damp). And if I do say so myself, they're damn pretty!
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