Home-made shoes

Liz

Barefooters
Apr 3, 2010
109
0
0
Hey All,

I want to share version 2 of my creation with all of you. I love them for hot pavement.

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I made them out of a plastic membrane I found at the hardware store.

I cut out the pattern and attached velcro with my sewing machine.
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The pattern was a result of trial and error.

The inside is so smooth that they just hug your foot and create zero friction.

This is a pic of the materials I used to create them.
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These are great because when it gets too cold for bf I can wear socks with these.Anyway, I just thought I'd share.
 
 interesting!what is the

interesting!

what is the material? can you give any more specifics? brand name? is it stiff? soft? slippery?

and does that top strap bite at all? it looks a bit snug where the top of your foot meets the bottom of your leg.
 
stomper

stomper said:
interesting!

what is the material? can you give any more specifics? brand name? is it stiff? soft? slippery?

and does that top strap bite at all? it looks a bit snug where the top of your foot meets the bottom of your leg.



I don't know what the brand name of the material is or even exactly what it's called. I know, not very helpful, but I can tell you exactly where to find it. I went to Lowe's, found some employees, and said, "This is gonna sound crazy, but I need you to point me to something rubber-like that I could use to make a shoe?". They stared at me for a while then one said he might know something that would work. He led me to the plumbing section. The material is sold by the linear foot, and I think it is a waterproof membrane for underneath tubs and showers. It is very thin and maleable, but stiff enough not to flop around. One side is extremely smooth, and the other side has a little bit of texture.

I made a pair at the beginning of the summer because I burnt the soles of my feet on the hot pavement one afternoon, and even my VFFs were uncomfortable. The problem with these was the toe section was a little floppy. You can see how well they wear. I put quite a few miles on them when my feet were healing.

This is the prototype.

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No, the strap doesn't bite because I designed the strap to fall in a comfortable spot just below my ankle, plus I could just adjust the strap a little if it did get uncomfortable.
 
There's a company out threr

There's a company out threr that makes similiar shoes from used billboards. Not sure where I saw it, could have been here?
 
very clever to come up with

very clever to come up with this on your own but yes, PaperFeet offers something similar. There is a thread on them somewhere around here.
 
That material is a rubber

That material is a rubber liner used for lining shower pans. I'm in the construction business and use this all the time. It's available in different thicknesses, cheap, and durable. Also really flexible so I'd think ground feedback would be great. I'd thought of using it for trail runs but couldn't figure out how to keep the toe area from flopping. Great concept though! I've had great luck using a sock dipped in this stuff http://www.mapei.it/Referenze/Multimedia/MapelasticHPG_TDS_EA.pdf.pdf



I just dip the bottoms and do a few coats. Really durable and a sweet bright blue color.
 
ewheeldrive,I would like to

ewheeldrive,

I would like to try to dipped sock method. But the only Mapelastic I found is sold in a 2 gallons container for over $100 dollars. Have you tried other materials? Or do you know where I can get smaller amounts of the stuff?

How many coats do you use and how long do they generally last?
 
ewheeldrive,If you send me

ewheeldrive,

If you send me an outline of your foot, I could make you a pair. Also, where do you get mapelastic?

I tried to find something to dip socks in as well, but I had no luck. Instead, I used shoe goo to glue leather to the bottom of a sock. That worked well last winter as long as it was dry. The thing that I like about the sandles I made is that I can wear a waterproof sock with them this winter.
 
I know the stuff can be pricy

I know the stuff can be pricy as I'm in construction. Fortunately, I have access to more than I know what to do with. I would suggest going by a small ceramic tile or flooring store in your area and see if they have any that they're using on jobsites. Ask them for a small container of it. I almost always have an open container in my warehouse and would give it to someone looking for a small amount.

In regards to durability, I've been pretty pleased. I will typically put the sock on, leave my foot in a natural position, and paint on at least 3 lightish coats. It can be pretty thick so painting seems to be the way to go. It will normally last me a good while and the sock starts to go before the coating. If I do puncture it, I'll touch up the spot. I'm going to try another pair and bring the coating further up the sides, just don't want to lose breathability.
 
Anyone try this stuff on the

Anyone try this stuff on the bottom of some socks....

http://www.plastidip.com/home_solutions/Plasti_Dip

Plasti Dip is a multi-purpose air dry, synthetic rubber coating that can be easily applied by spraying, brushing or dipping. Plasti Dip protective coating products resist moisture, acids, abrasion, corrosion, skidding/slipping, and provides a comfortable, controlled grip. It remains flexible, stretchy and will not become brittle or crack in extreme weather conditions; -30°F to 200°F. Available in 7.25-oz Can, 11-oz Aerosol, 14.5-oz Can.



I think I'll give this a try on some wool socks ...... $6.88 at Home Depot..wrap my feet in plastic wrap then insert them into my sock and then dip....should be a perfect fit....
 
Let us know how it works.

Let us know how it works.

I'm interested in trying. If it's not confortable enough for running outside it may at least be a good option for kids slippers...the tile floors get kind of cold in the winter, and socks are slippery.
 
I tried something similar on

I tried something similar on some Injini toe socks. Didn't come out very well at all. Others have done it successfully though. They're are some threads here about the process, how-to full with pictures.
 
Okay, since you and others

Okay, since you and others are talking about this stuff lately, I hunted around for those threads from "that other forum," and I've found this:

I saw your comment on another post about spraying your feet with a protective layer, and it just so happens that I tried this guy's crazy idea tonight. It didn't work for me, but I know how to fix my problem (See below). (I hope he doesn't mind my posting it here. Thank you Ryan!) Check out his site at http://ardydub.blogspot.com/2006/05/running-socks-my-previous-post.html. Here's his instructions:

"I bought a $12 pair of 5-fingered socks at REI and a can of plasticene at the hardware store (the stuff you dip tool handles in to coat them) about $6.

I slathered lotion on the soles of my feet to keep the paint from sticking to my skin (next time I'll use Vaseline), then I put the socks on and stood in a flat pan with some plasticene paint poured on the bottom of the pan. It took some doing to get the stuff to soak in to the fabric. This gave me painted surfaces on the soles of the socks across the pads of the toes, the ball of the foot, and the heel.

My socks are a light khaki green/tan color and I used black plasticene paint.

The plasticene does not offer much padding at all, its there mostly to protect the fabric from wearing out too quickly. I'll have to reapply it from time to time as the original coating starts wearing thin.

I thought it would be interesting to sew a bunch of zig-zag patterns across the soles of the socks with Kevlar thread (available at my local fly-fishing and tackle store) for additional strength. Next time! -- Ryan"



It went sooooo wrong for me when I tried to do it his way. It was difficult removing the sock once I applied the Plasticene, and it got all icky and all over the place. (My most technical description yet, I know.) But I'm sure I can correct my problem...I'm going to buy an extra pair of five toed socks, spray expanding foam into them, let them dry, then use them as my dummy feet to put another pair of five toed socks over them and paint the Plasticene on them. Silly, huh?

AND...

Now who woulda thunk it?! Hysterical. Thanks, Sheila, I will give it a try this winter!



Duct Tape Foot Tutorial First find a willing victim…err….volunteer. Here is my friend Meghan along with my faithful assistant, Ladie. I plyed her with offers of caffiene to help me. You will need an old sock or two that fit’s the volunteer. This sock will be cut off your foot in the end. Other supplies needed are duct tape, fiberfill and safety scissors. I have made these on myself so you do not need a volunteer unless you are trying to make a different size foot dummy.First, put the sock on.Then start to layer the duct tape on the foot. The pieces of the duct tape should be only about 5 inches in length. The first layer should be put on vertically. Do not cover the toes at this point. But don’t forget the bottom of the foot. Overlap the sides of the tape. It is not pertinent that you cover 100% of the sock/foot on this layer, but try to get it covered to the height you are desiring. Second layer you will start to layer the duct tape horizontally. In the pictures you will see I have used a different color to demonstrate. In this layer you want to cover the toes and cover the whole foot, overlaping the edges. Up to a fairly even top. Be careful to not wrap the duct tape too tightly. The third layer you do a horizontal layer again. I have again demonstrated with a new color. This layer you want to make sure you cover the whole foot including the toes. This is the final layer. http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aL7I2Mu3rWE/R_wVTGx687I/AAAAA
AAAAIM/kydFbZQGWmI/s200/uhoh.jpg
Meghan was a little concerned at this stage. Luckily it came off without any loss of blood or toes.Next you will carefully cut the duct tape foot off. Be sure to use safety scissors, you don’t want to cut your or your volunteers foot/leg. I cut down the back side of the foot all the way down to the bottom of the heel and then ease out the foot out.Do not cut it off this way….To tape the cut edges, I use a piece of tape on the inside and outside vertically. You can also add more horizontal pieces of tape to secure the edges.To tape the cut edges, I use a piece of tape on the inside and outside vertically. You can also add more horizontal pieces of tape to secure the edges. Now you will want to lightly stuff the foot with fiberfill or your preferred stuffing material. You do not want to stuff it too firmly or too lightly. If it is too firm it is hard to get your socks on and off it. If it is stuffed too lightly it won’t be firm enough. Stuff it up to the top of the leg. The right amount of stuffing is based on your preference and is something you will most likely figure out after you start using it. I discovered my first pair was stuffed too firmly so they are hard to use.When you get to the top of the leg, use pieces of duct tape to close off the leg, laying them across the opening until it is evenly closed off.Now you have a duct tape foot dummy. You can use it however you may want. I like to put my hand knit socks on there to photograph them. Here is Meghan with her pair of new duct tape feetsies. She wasn’t sure what we were doing when she volunteered for this, so she was a good sport and the enticement of coffee worked well. Now we just need to get her to finish a pair of socks so she can use them to model the socks.