Shoemaking Galleries

Jump to:  Turnshoes  –  Internal Stitchdown  –  Class Photos

We hope you find these galleries as inspirational and exciting as we do. There is so much room for creativity working with these techniques.

We don’t teach you to make a specific pair of shoes. We teach the skills and the steps that allow you to follow your inner shoe-muse and create something unique.

And we can’t wait to see what you come up with!

Turnshoes

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Handsome high ankle traditional viking shoe in chocolate leather with black whip stitching
Elegant low ankle handmade leather Scandinavian traditional turnshoe with intriguing buttons featuring weblike stitching
Dark pair of leather shoes made at workshop displayed on moss in forest
Handmade turnshoe style shoes with contemporary lacing style
Black leather turnshoe featuring a bone button and without traditional flap
Closeup of whip stitching on a well worn pair of handmade shoes
Low elegant pair of traditional scandinavian turnshoes with button & flap
Single turnshoe that is bright and fun with light green stitching and decorative button
Unique tall turnshoes with leather web lacing and brass buttons
A well worn pair of traditional turnshoes with glossy redwood leather finish

Internal Stitchdown

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Handmade low boots with contemporary lacing and steel eyelets complement traditional stitching patters
A bright and saucy pair of Mary Jane's in bright burgundy leather
Handmade men's dress loafers in black & chocolate with lacing and thick soles

Shoe Classes

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Friendly faces showing off their handsome new shoes crafted at shoemaking class
Multi-generational group of students at Earthaven Ecovillage with their custom fitted shoes they made
Three people at the edge of the woods showing their handmade shoes after shoemaking class concludes
Small group of students sitting on a stone wall at Earthaven Ecovillage with the shoes they made in a shoemaking workshop
A diverse group of students in the woods near Appomattax, Virginia pose with their new handmade shoes
A group of happy shoemaking students at the John C. Campbell Folk School with their work product
A small private shoemaking class in North Carolina with their completed handmade leather shoes
A shoemaking class at a North Carolina homestead with six students and their new shoes
Group photo of students at John C. Campbell Folk School gathered around a picnik table with their newly made shoes
Students lying on the ground in a semicircle around their handmade shoes at a shoemaking class at Earthaven Ecovillage
A group photo of smiling shoemaking students at Brasstown showing off their work
Group of students at the John C. Campbell Folk School with their completed shoe projects spread on a large worktable
Closeup of handmade shoes made by students of Michael Ismerio

“I have now taken the Scandinavian turnshoe class with Michael Ismerio twice. Not only did I gain invaluable skills but also a mentor and friends.

This class is broken down into a simple, step by step system. After my first class I made 2 more on my own with the instructions that I was sent home with.

I came back for my second class just to confirm my skills and develop new relationships. It was an awesome experience!”

Chris O’Briskie