Learn traditional Italian sandal making techniques & start your own artisanal sandal label.
There are limited spots available!
Discover an ancient craft, born on the sun-drenched shores of Italy's Amalfi Coast
Our craft finds its origins in the skilled hands of artisans who have passed down their expertise through many generations. Their exquisite, timeless sandals have found their way to the feet of style icons like Jackie Kennedy and Sophia Loren in the 1960s and over the years the allure of Capri sandals has only grown.
Today we embrace both heritage and innovation and are proud to be sharing these ancient Italian techniques of shoemaking with you. We are driven by the passion to preserve the authenticity of this beautiful footwear and invite you to celebrate and honour the artistry of Making Sandals the Italian Way with us.
Step into the wonderful world of Italian Craftsmanship and become one of very few people worldwide to be entrusted with ancient techniques of shoemaking from Italy's Amalfi Coast!
A 12 WEEK ONLINE TRAINING that takes you from beginner to skilled maker of bespoke Italian sandals.
Whether you are a total beginner, have tried traditional methods of sandal making or other leather craft before, SANDAL MASTERY will meet you where you are.
You will be equipped with everything you need to learn and practice traditional Italian techniques of sandal making and acquire a solid foundation to take the next step toward starting your own shoe brand.
Here is what you will get with SANDAL MASTERY:
👣 Original Sandal Making Tools
👣 Sandal Making Materials - Handcrafted leather soles, leather straps in different sizes & colours, hardware like brass tacks & buckles
👣 Sandal Patterns & Lasts
👣 Sandal Making Tutorials
👣 Live Masterclasses, Sandal Making Workshops & Q&As
👣 A private Whats App group for real time support
👣 Our SANDAL MASTERY Community: A wonderful group of women celebrating Italian craftsmanship and supporting one another
👣 A Personal Introduction to our Italian Suppliers
Let's craft your Sandal Business Dreams into reality with SANDAL MASTERY!
Your 
Box
These tools and materials will be curated and made especially
for you and sent from Italy straight to your doorstep.
Sandal Making Tools
👣 Leather Punches in 6, 8 and 10 mm
👣 Awl
👣 Tack Puller
Materials
👣 15 Pairs of Handcrafted Italian Leather Soles in your size
👣 40+ m of Leather Straps in different sizes and colours
👣 2 Pairs of Pre-made Leather Uppers
👣 Hardware like Brass Tacks, Buckles and Rivets
Ad Ons
👣 A Set of Sandal Patterns
👣 Sandal Lasts in your size
Join
Become a skilled maker of bespoke Italian sandals & start a unique creative business that stands out from the crowd
There are limited spots available
Apply nowWhat our students say...
"I have followed Kristin since 2018. When she (finally) offered a mentorship, I did not hesitate to say “Yes” and I am so glad I did. I could not be happier with the Program and Kristin as my teacher and mentor. Her wealth of knowledge and care makes the craft easy to learn and fun. It has been an inspiring experience to dive into the history of this age-old craft and to learn these unique techniques of shoemaking. Kristin is extremely thorough in her approach. With every style I learned she made sure to show me different variations, tips and tricks and answered all my questions, including the ones I did not know I had. She made sure I was well prepared to create my own sandal line, which I am currently bringing to life. I have worked in the fashion industry for over 20 years as a Makeup Artist and couldn't be more excited to finally launch my own brand."
Rebecca Alexander, New York City
"My experience with Kristin and the Mentorship has been so good. I feel fulfilled and armed with so much information, so much inspiration, and ready to go out and create my own sandal brand. I am confident that I have learned this age-old skill and can make a profitable business out of it. My sandal journey started 5 years ago after I had my second son. I had a dream to create my own sandal brand, but did not find much information online, nothing that brought me to a process that brought me to a finished product that looked well made.
When I found Kristin on Instagram, I immediately knew that I wanted to learn how to do what she does. Not only did the process look fairly simple, but the finished product just looked so beautiful.
When I spoke with Kristin, I was instantly hooked. She was so nice and so warm and had such an infectious personality. She shared ideas very freely. The same continued throughout our calls and workshops. Sharing the skill set, she took great care to ensure that she was preserving the tradition of Italian Sandal Making.
Now I feel like I have learned something truly special and that I have the opportunity to do multiple things with. I can't say enough good things about this Mentorship and Kristin. Even after the program has ended, she is still providing information, she is still supportive and encouraging, she is still asking how things are going and answering questions, She really is the best resource.
I feel so equipped to go out and build my sandal brand, so I truly recommend her and her program. It has been a wonderful experience and great investment. Thank you so much, Kristin!"
Brianne Scott, Atlanta
Hey there!
I am Kristin, a mama of two, designer and maker of So U Custom sandals and founder of SANDAL SCHOOL. My family and I live at the beautiful Sunshine Coast in Australia, where we are blessed with sandal weather almost all year around.
Over 10 years ago, I have been where you are now, intrigued by Italian craftsmanship. I had fallen in love with these ancient techniques of shoemaking years earlier during a holiday at the Amalfi Coast and was ready to learn. So I went on an adventure of a lifetime to find mentors and suppliers.
It took almost 2 years and 2 trips from Australia to Italy, but eventually I succeeded and learned the craft from a father and son duo of artisans who shared not only the traditional techniques with me, but also their family's workshop and multi generational expertise.
Today I make bespoke sandals for my customers at the Sunshine Coast, teach Sandal Making Workshops (the only ones of this kind in the world … crazy, I know) and mentor women, who share a passion for the craft and want to create their own sandal lines.
So often people hold tightly onto the things they have learned, but I am here to share, doing what I can to bring more creativity and sustainability to this world while helping to preserve this ancient craft for the next generation.
is for you if ...
✔︎ You love shoemaking or leather craft, have tried traditional techniques, but find it difficult to monetise your skills
✔︎ You dream of starting your own creative business that stands out from the crowd and allows you to design a life on your own terms
✔︎ You are passionate about creating beauty with your hands, value artistry and enjoy working with beautiful high quality materials
✔︎ You’d like to own your own sandal brand
✔︎ You choose timeless style & sustainability over fast fashion trends
✔︎ You value craftsmanship and ancient traditions and want to be part of a small community of makers preserving age-old techniques for future generations
By the end of
you will...
✓ Know how to make bespoke Italian Sandals in just a few minutes
✓ Have a solid understanding of traditional Italian Sandal Making techniques
✓ Have made up to 15 pairs of sandals using a variety of different techniques that build on each other and form the foundation of your skillset
✓ Understand how to fit custom sandals to your customer’s feet
✓ Know how to craft standard size sandals
✓ Have the skills to create your own sandal designs and to find your signature style
✓ Have a personal connection to suppliers in Italy to beautiful, high quality materials
Step into SANDAL Mastery
Become a custodian of this treasured tradition & start your own sandal line
Apply now
Here is how it works
There are 2 distinct phases in
Week 1-5 = Preparation: We order your tools and materials in Italy, set up your work space and prepare for the learning the craft and the steps that follow after.
Week 6-14 = Learning the Craft & becoming a skilled maker of bespoke Italian sandals: You will learn everything you need to confidently design and craft sandals the Italian way.
Phase 1: Preparation
Week 1: Ordering your Materials in Italy
You will be welcomed into the program and we will start off with one of the most important tasks: Ordering tools & materials in Italy. Your soles will be produced especially for you, so step one will be to determine your size.
Once this is completed, week 1 will be your time to get accustomed with our private SANDAL MASTERY platform.
Week 2: The 2 Ways of Italian Sandals
In week 2 we will have our first Masterclass. You will be introduced to the 2 ways of crafting Italian sandals as well as different ways of building your sandal business, taking your personal situation, season and goals into account.
Week 3 - 5: Dream, Plan & Prepare
This is your time to work through the recommendations in the SANDAL MASTERY Portal in your own time & look into things like developing your brand/logo, creating a stylebook/vision board, doing market research in your local area and setting up your workspace. These few weeks are your time to dream, to plan and to exchange ideas with your fellow makers in our What's App Group.
Week 5: Watch the Process
This is the week, your tools and materials should arrive on your doorstep. In our second Masterclass you will watch me making a pair of sandals & explaining ALL the little details for each of the 5 steps of the crafting process. You will get access to our video tutorial library to re-watch and refer to during your sandal making journey.
As soon as your SANDAL MASTERY BOX has arrived, you will get the chance to practice what you have learned in the Masterclass ahead of our first Sandal Making Workshop in week 6.
Phase 2: Becoming a skilled maker of bespoke Italian sandals
Now it is finally time to get your hands on the tools and start your Sandal Making Journey! We will learn & practice several different styles together & cover many variations. The techniques taught in each workshop will build on each other and together will form the foundation of your ever evolving skillset.
Week 6: Sandal Making Workshop No 1
The most exciting part of your sandal making journey starts now. We will craft sandals together in our first Online Sandal Making Workshop (approx. 3 hours). I will take you step by step through the whole process and at the end of the workshop you will have made your first sandal.
In Workshop No.1 you will learn the techniques you need to craft one of the most iconic styles of Capri Sandals - The Sophia Sandal.
We will also talk about design, patterns, style variations, and fitting of custom sandals. Your homework will be to craft your second shoe and possibly another pair of sandals. Yes, you will absolutely be able to do that with the skills you will have acquired in your first workshop.
Week 7: Sandal Making Workshop No 2
Get ready for a treat. This week I will teach you how to make everyone's favourite Athena Sandal.
You will be adding new techniques to your skillset from the previous week. We will learn about the different leather types we use in this craft and will focus on the fitting process for custom sandals.
And again, your homework will be to craft your second shoe and test your skills by making another pair of Athena sandals using different leathers.
Week 8: Practice Week
This week you will have time to practice the techniques you have learned so far. You have the opportunity to catch up on the workshop replays & craft sandals - either seconds for each style or your bonus sandals.
We will catch up online for a Q&A session where you can ask all your questions and get help with the process if needed.
Week 9: Sandal Making Workshop No 3
It is now time to add a new technique to your repertoire. This week you will be learning how to make another classic sandal - the Giulia Sandal.
We will be working with wider straps and learn how to create the perfect fit, focussing on slides and their adaptations.
Once again, your homework will be to craft your second shoe and another pair of Giulia slides or sandal.
Week 10: Sandal Making Workshop No 4
Our final workshop is another favourite. You will be learning two different ways to make lace-up sandals. We will be working with several leather types, add in different hardware and you will craft your very own version of the Helena Sandal.
This stye is incredibly versatile, so instead of using a fixed style pattern, you will start this lesson by designing your own.
And again, your homework will be to craft your second shoe & possibly another pair of Helena Sandals.
Week 11: Practise & Catch Up Week
This is your opportunity to practise your skills and catch up on any styles that you may have not quite mastered yet and/or design your own sandals using materials from your SANDAL MASTERY Box.
We will have another Q&A Call where you can ask questions and get support.
Week 12: Graduation Week & Meet your new Italian Business Partners
It is time to celebrate!
You now have the skills to design and craft sandals the Italian way and will be introduced to your new business partners in Italy, the people who can supply everything you need for your own sandal line.
In this week's call I will be sharing my tips on how to move forward and provide guidance for your first collection and order of materials after SANDAL MASTERY.
Meet Brianne!
Bri has completed SANDAL MASTERY and here she describes her experience ...
Let's connect!
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