Leather Sandals

After trying Vibram Five Fingers for a few weeks and enjoying the feel of "barefoot" style running, but really disliking the way the Five Fingers fit my feet, I started looking around for running sandals that might fit the bill of what I was after. I found a number of makers who offer such a product - Luna, Teva, and Unshoes - but in the end, it was Bedrock that make the next pair of running "shoes" I am going to try. Their Evolution V2s should be here in a couple of days and we'll see how they work. But, while I was perusing their site, I noticed a product that looked less functional for running, but caught my eye anyway. They didn't so much catch my eye because of their looks, but because they looked like a product I could make myself. I'd never made my own footwear, and it looked like a pretty straightforward place to start. Their specs say they are using 6mm (.25") leather as the soles, which I am thinking is about 9oz leather? I had some 8oz on hand that became my test piece. Not a lot to say about the process as it was composed entirely of tracing, cutting,then lacing. Not much too it really, but when finished turned out to be a functional, if slightly feminine looking, pair of sandals. I'd imagine you could fashion something similar from heavy canvas, cardboard, or flexible bark if you needed to. And before you get to the pictures, I'll apologize in advance for the hairy hobbit feet. I'll try to keep posts that feature my feet to a minimum!