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Testimonials from happy students:

 

I appreciate your willingness to give each of your students the very best of yourself. I love that you love what you do so well.

- Jo C.

 

I can't thank you enough for all you have taught me. You have great patience.

- P. P.

 

Thank you for teaching me a new skill. I appreciate your passion for life.

- J. L.

 

I've taken six classes at J. C. Campbell. They have all been good. This one was the best!

- B. R.

 

I wear the boots I made in your class all the time. I made my husband a pair, 8" high boots. He loves them!

- N. C.

 

We all love the stitchdown method. It has changed us and now all our shoes are done this way.

- W. M., Amish friend, shoemaker

 

Thanks for sending me a box of your shoes. They are "awsome". The workmanship rivals my own, and I've been doing this for 35 years! I've had several orders for the shoes you taught me to make!

- L. S. Bingham, master bootmaker

 

Thanks for sharing your many secrets with me. I really like the shoes we made while I was there. You should make videos.

- Sharon Raymond, shoemaker, author, friend

 

 

Shoemaking School

... a totally unique experience

photo of instructor and studentsAs rewarding as shoemaking is for me, I've discovered that teaching it is even more so. It's important to me to pass it on, to do my part to keep the craft alive. Until the waning of the 19th century, all shoes were made by hand. In the United States, only farming occupied more people than shoemaking. Now there are but a handful of truly custom shoemakers still working. I made shoes for nearly 20 years before I met another shoemaker. If you make your own shoes, you will be in rare company indeed, and you will be helping to preserve an essential craft which is nearly extinct in our country. Oh, the picture? That's me (on the left) with some students, at the end of a long, fun week at J. C. Campbell Folk School, showing off the results. I have some pictures of my students' work to show off, too.

In my classes, you will:

  • Gain a skill that is fun, and potentially profitable
  • Make yourself a pair of shoes that will fit and feel better, last longer than almost any other, and improve the health of your feet
  • Create castings of your feet; custom, reusable lasts, for a perfect fit
  • Harvest over two decades worth of accumulated shoemaking experience from a maker who is passionate about his craft
  • Learn one on one, or two on one, for maximum attention and fun. (Bring your honey and learn together!)
  • Enjoy the mountains of Virginia in a beautiful rural setting, with good food, fresh air, delicious spring water, and a swimming hole from heaven

Course Outline:

  • The Foot
    Understanding, anatomy, function, and the relationship of feet to shoes and health
  • The Last
    Molding and duplicating any foot to make exact fitting shoes every time
  • Pattern Making
    Designing shoes of most any style, creations uniquely your own, that can be embellished infinitely
  • Leather
    Learning the differences between leathers; choosing leather and parts of hides to best purpose
  • The Materials
    Exploring crepe, gum, glue, thread, ortho-foam, and more
  • The Tools
    Using traditional hand tools and machines; attaining modern results
  • The Insoles
    Assuring perfect fit and support for any foot, using custom-molded insoles
  • The History
    Connecting to your past through this essential medium
  • The Sharing
    Getting to know each other, sharing stories and jokes, and rejoicing in God's gift of our time together.
 photo of hands molding shoe

Molding uppers; the "foot-for-last" technique
photo of leather samples

Colors and qualities of leather are unlimited
photo of soling materials

Soling options to fit any purpose or occasion

Particulars:

3, 4, and 5 day classes are available at my workshop. Three long days (or four relaxed days) are required to make yourself one pair of shoes. We will be able to skim many related subjects in that time. In a three-day class, there will probably not be time left, after you finish your shoes, to make lasts, but we can try. Four days would do it. If you want to get serious, you can make shoes of two different styles over five long days of concerted effort. You will be much more able to procede on your own after this longer class.

The fee for one-on-one workshops is $250/day. Two-on-one workshops are $200/day per person. All tools and materials are provided. Room and board is included.

 photo of house

Our home

You will be guests in or near our home during your stay. Our food is simple, wholesome and mostly organic. Lodging is a bit primitive, but quiet and comfortable.

Logistics:

If you plan to arrive by car, I will send a map and directions. Otherwise, I can provide transportation from the airport or the bus depot. I charge $75 dollars for shuttle service from and to Roanoke Regional Airport (one hour from my workshop) and $50 for service from and to the Greyhound bus-stop in Buena Vista, (40 minutes from my shop).

Have school will travel:

Under some circumstances, I enjoy occasionally teaching small classes elsewhere. Perhaps you have your own shop, and wish to add shoemaking to your skills, or you have special needs. Contact Me

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