My Sandal Making Journey: From German Roots to Italian Craft and Australian Shores

Hello, I'm Kristin, the heart and soul behind Sandal School. Today, I want to share my own journey. Very often I get asked how I got into Italian Sandal Making and especially how I got started. And this is exactly what I am going to share with you today. It is a story that took me from a small town in Germany, through the cobblestone streets of Italy, to the sunny beaches of Australia and led to the birth of Sandal School and the SANDAL MASTERY program. 

_{With my 2 (not so small) children at the Amalfi Coast during our most recent visit in 2022}

Let me take you back about 2 decades. I was living in Germany at the time and took every chance to get away from the cold and grey skies by escaping to Italy. From an Australian point of view (where I live now) this was literally just driving a few hours “down the road”. During one of those visits I found the most beautiful pair of sandals I had ever seen, made from the most luxurious leather and bedazzled with swarovski crystals. As usual, they did not fit, a problem I was very accustomed to. I remember to this day how intrigued I was when the boutique owner told me that I had to go to Capri to get them made to fit. This was the very first time I heard about the craft of Italian Sandal Making. 

First Steps in Capri 

This beautiful part of Italy is in the South of the Country, so it took a few years before I was able to go there. This trip however was the beginning of a love story, not only with the region itself, but also with an ancient craft of shoemaking that is now the foundation for my business and a huge part of my life. 

During this holiday I had my first pair of Capri Sandals made and fell head over heels for this beautiful artform. I spent hours watching artisans bringing the most beautiful and unique sandals to life and I was stunned that this process, despite being so personalised, only took 20 or 30 minutes. I decided right then and there that I would learn how to do that one day. 

I spent the next few years building my career in the corporate world and starting a family, so this “one day” did not come until many years later, when my family of 4 moved to sunny Australia. We found our new home at the Sunshine Coast with sandal weather all year around, which was my invitation to finally pursue the dream of learning Italian Sandal Making. 

Our new home in Australia 

Although we absolutely loved the Sunshine Coast, making it our home was not easy. Everything was new, we didn't know anyone and were far away from family and friends. Being a young mum at the time, my children were and still are my first priority. I was convinced that becoming a maker of bespoke Italian sandals would fit beautifully into my new life outside of the corporate world, allowing me to be creative, to work with people in my beloved Italy while having enough flexibility to be present for my family. And that it did. And so much more. I also met beautiful women in my new community who appreciated Italian fashion and craftsmanship, just like I did and later on found my love for teaching. 

But let’s start at the beginning

Trying to find mentors and suppliers turned into a 2 year quest. The journey to master this craft wasn't straightforward and much harder than I expected. Hours turned into days, weeks and months as I was trying to find information online. And at some point it was clear that I had to go back to the birthplace of the craft to find what I was looking for. 

So I packed up my family and travelled all the way back to Germany and then Italy to learn and to find suppliers. During this trip I went from one sandal maker to the next trying to learn and to find someone who would teach me the process, with not much luck. After about a week of doing this, on our last day, a young artisan finally shared with me where he bought his materials. 

Needless to say, I was thrilled that I was now able to buy the essentials. On the other hand I was also disappointed that I had not found a mentor yet. 

I spent the next year figuring things out by myself. Countless hours of trial and error & many expensive mistakes later we went back to Italy the following summer. This time was very different though as we now had the support of someone in the industry who had found mentors for me. 

I was taken under the wings of a father and son duo of artisans who taught me the ins and outs of the craft. This experience was so special and memorable that it deserves a separate post, so please stay tuned for that, it’s worth it, I promise. If you want a little sneak peek, check out this Instagram Post. 

Building Sandal School

Over a decade has now passed since I started my sandal business, crafting bespoke Italian sandals for the women at the Sunshine Coast and beyond. After many years of doing that I started teaching Sandal Making Workshops, where women come together to design and craft a pair of sandals for themselves.  
Through these local workshops I found my passion for teaching and this is when Sandal School was born. Today I mentor women online and help them to build Italian Sandal businesses and labels of their own. Businesses that offer the freedom, flexibility and creative fulfilment they have been dreaming about for so long. 

After so many years of crafting sandals I am proud that I can now help to preserve this tradition for our children and future generations by making it more accessible for women around the world and helping them to share it in their communities. In a world that often moves too fast we celebrate a slower, more intentional and personal way of creating while honouring an ancient Italian tradition. And if you now wonder why this is important to me, keep reading as I take you back even more years, to my childhood in the East of Germany. 

A tiny village in the middle of nowhere

I grew up in a small village, trapped in a political landscape that did not allow for much abundance or freedom. My neighbours were people of many trades, often multi generational small businesses. Carpenters, Sewers, Builders, a Potter, a Basket Weaver, a Shoe Maker - people would share their skills and expertise whenever it was needed. 

My grandfather for example was the blacksmith of the village. He made horse shoes for the farmers and did all the metal work for the people. 

_{This is my daughter on the main street of this small town. This used to be cobble stone just like many of the streets in Italy I love so much. The tall building to the right used to be my Primary School.} 

Today only few of these skills are still “alive”, many have not been passed down to the next generation. In my own family, my cousin still runs the blacksmith business, but he also had to find other ways to generate an income. And after him, most likely no one will take over. 

For my craft, I would like to change this cycle of these ancient traditions and crafts disappearing. I’d like to help preserve it for our children and the best way I know how to do this is by sharing it and teaching others. Whether it is in one-off local workshops or online in a more comprehensive program like my SANDAL MASTERY program.