Q&A for How to Make Shoes

Fabric is a lot more forgiving than leather.

It depend on what you want to glue. For example, for gluing leather parts together for stitching, a normal "milk glue" will do. If you want to attach the sole with glue, you should first roughen up the two surfaces and then add contact glue or carpet glue before pressing them hard together.

No, you can sew it all by hand. There are even videos out there showing each step crafting the shoe all by hand. All you need is needle and thread.

I would choose suede or leather to make high heeled shoes.

You're best off with an industrial sewing machine and special needles for use with leather. Some of the "home" sewing machines can handle the thicker, stiffer material but they will cost much more than other machines. Check the manual that comes with your machine first; if it mentions nothing about leather sewing, assume it's not strong enough for shoe making.

As stated in the article, you won't get much in the way of hard soles unless you're repurposing old shoe soles. If you're making your own leather soles, you'll need stiff cow hide and a special awl/sewing machine to attach the uppers to the soles with.

Andrew Wrigley creates YouTube videos on every step for how to make men's shoes by hand. If you prefer reading books and blogs, I would recommend you the book "Herrskor (2000). Vass, L." and the blog Gentleman's Gazette.

Some art schools have it, but can sometimes only offer it to full time or graduate students only. Try changing some of the words in your internet search. Occasionally, shoemakers will have workshops throughout the country that offer classes for a few thousand dollars.

Amazon or Etsy would have the resources you need.

The best material for the sole of shoes is one that is durable, sturdy, and water resistant. The best material should also be attractive and complement the style and feel of the shoe. The most common materials are rubber and leather.