Make Fantastic Summer Clogs

Make your own beautiful clogs at home using recycled wooden soles!

This project allows you to make sandals quick, there is no sole work to do and no stitching so you can concentrate on designing beautiful and unique uppers. High fashion clogs can be really pricey but these clogs can be created for very little money.

Supplies

Here is what you need:

wooden clog soles. I took apart used clogs which I found on eBay very cheaply.
veg-tan leather 1-2 mm thickness
leather dye
leather shears
slot punch
edge slicker
sandpaper
buckles
water-based leather adhesive like Renia 315
you might need pliers if you want to reuse old clogs
upholstery nails (depending on your design)

Prepare the Soles

If you are using second-hand clogs, strip the clogs off everything they come with (topsole, straps) so just the wooden soles remain.

Sand the sides of the soles to get a smooth and unblemished surface.

Design the Clog Uppers

Make a design out of paper first. Cut stripes and fit them around your foot and check the sizing.

Prepare the Upper

Cut all the pieces out of your leather.

Finish all the edges with an edge slicker.

Punch slots into the leather.

Dye the pieces. In case of the blue cogs I also dyed the sides of the sole.

Secure Buckles

Secure the buckles if using, you can either stitch them on or fasten them with a rivet.

Do the Fitting

Fit all the pieces together and try the upper construction on your feet.

Adjust the straps if necessary to fit your feet perfectly.

Glue / Nail Straps to Soles

Either glue or nail your straps to the soles, which of the 2 will depend on your design.

What I did: In the case of the blue clogs, I glued all strap to the underside of the leather top sole. I also added some leather cut-outs to the sides of the soles to hide some of the holes that appeared when I removed the old straps from the clogs.

In the case of the red clogs, I used upholstery nails to fasten the upper construction to the soles.

That's it. Enjoy your new and unique summer clogs, nobody else will have a pair like them!

On my blog (www.secondskinblog.com) I have a lot more footwear making projects, check it out if you like.