Enter this workshop as a shoemaking, leather-crafting newbie and exit wearing your bespoke, upcycled sandals!

Over two fantastic, hands-on sessions, you'll learn about the properties of leather, which weights and grades are suitable for shoemaking and how to use the various tools required for working with it. You'll choose from a wide selection of reclaimed leathers, choose a sandal style and cut out your pattern pieces, then learn how to last, sole and bond your leather uppers and upcycled rubber soles.

We're limiting class size to just six people, to ensure everyone gets plenty of guidance from our master shoemaker, Mario Dato. This workshop is suitable for absolute beginners and people who have some experience working with leather.

At the end of the second class, you'll leave with your new summer footwear and the know-how to make sandals at home. There's nothing quite like being able to say, "Thanks, I made them," to the people who compliment your shoes! Handmade sandals would make a brilliant Christmas present, too.

Session 1: Wednesday 25 September, 6-8.30pm

Session 2: Wednesday 2 October, 6-8.30pm

A note re pricing: we do our best to make Bower Leatherworks workshops affordable. For this class, we've priced one ticket for a low-income participant, on a trust basis. Once it's gone, it's gone, but we’ll do the same for future workshops. We’re also offering members of our community the opportunity to contribute towards this accessibility by choosing a Pay it Forward ticket.