My shoemaking started with a class from Glen Leasure of Healthy Handmade Shoes. He taught me the basics, and after that I experimented on my own. With each pair of shoes, I tried new techniques, materials, and dyes.

My goal was to make shoes that are healthy for the wearer and the maker. I wanted shoes with little heel elevation, and flexible soles to allow natural movement of the feet. Throughout the day, feet spread, and I avoided stitching that interferes with that spread. Most shoes are held together with carcinogenic glues, and frequent use can be unhealthy for the makers. Many shoes have plastic stiffeners that can off-gas during construction. I used water based, low VOC glue, and only used it to attach the sole. Everything else was held together by hand stitching.

Since I had a ready source of leather and tools, I tried my hand at other leather craft, such as belt making and carving leather. However, my heart wasn't in those things, and eventually it wasn't in shoemaking either. Even with low VOC glue, I still had problems. For my mental and physical health, I decided to take a break from shoes and try knitting.