Welcome to Sandal School and the very first blog post. I'm so happy you are here!

I'd like to take a moment to share why I created this blog and give you a glimpse of what you can expect from my future posts.

The inspiration behind this blog comes from my decade-long journey of crafting sandals the Italian way. It all started with a fascination for a craft I discovered during a holiday in Italy, one of my favourite parts of the world. Determined to learn and share this artistry, I brought it to the Sunshine Coast in Australia, my (at the time) new home.

Visiting my studio, many women experience the joy of having custom-made shoes for the very first time. Often they are captivated by the creativity, craftsmanship and the comfort of their sandals.

While I've been sharing snippets of my craft on social media, I've always felt there's not enough “room” to answer your questions the way you deserve and that there is so much more to showcase and explain. This blog aims to offer a deeper exploration of the art of making sandals the Italian way. It's a tribute to the craft I love, so in the upcoming posts, I'll dive into the history, traditions, and the intricacies of the craft. I'll share step-by-step tutorials, my own learning experiences, answer your questions, and feature stories from my students and customers. I’d also love to explore traditional crafts from other regions in this world. Being from Germany and a region rich in artistry and craftsmanship, this is something close to my heart. With an exciting new adventure coming up for my family in the not too distant future, this might happen earlier than I previously thought. 

In a world that seems to be moving at an ever-accelerating pace with little time or room to do things “the traditional (or old?) way”,  I hope to bring awareness to a different way of doing things – a slower, more personal, and sustainable approach. By preserving these ancient traditions and techniques, I believe we can infuse more creativity into our lives and make a positive impact in more ways than one. 

Here are my hopes for this space: 

• To make Italian sandal making & our beautiful footwear more accessible for women worldwide 
• To do my little bit to preserve these beautiful and unique techniques for future generations
• To Shine a light on craftspeople around the world, exploring their traditions & and handcrafted, ethically made products 

My hope for this blog is to become a co-creative space & I’d love for you to share your thoughts, suggestions, questions, and engage with me along the way. While we discover the wonderful world of craftsmanship together. 

And lastly, if you read this, I want to THANK YOU for being here and inspiring me to share more of my craft. I'm truly excited to embark on this new journey with you, one step at a time.

With much love,

Kristin xo