Rope sandals are fun to make and wear. If you want rope sandals, but you do not want to spend too much money on buying them, you should make them on your own. Read the following Fashionhance article, and learn how to make rope sandals.
Rope sandals look very cool, and they are robust. You can use any kind of rope to make the sandals. Here, I have used polypropylene rope. In addition to the rope, you will need:
- Knife
- A shoe
- Lighter
- Washable marker
- Tape Measure
- Glue/string
Instructions to Make Rope Sandals
The look of your rope sandals will depend on the design of the straps, and its longevity is highly dependent on its soles. First I will tell you how to make the soles, and then we will discuss the straps.
Soles
For simplicity, this section is divided into 2 parts:
Cutting
If you do not make the right soles, your sandals won’t last even for a week. Making the soles might be the most difficult part in this project. When you are making the soles, you should ensure that they are sturdy and comfortable. To make a sole, take 5-6 lengths of rope (each length should be around 12 inches), and place them on the working area, parallel and adjacent, to each other. Take the shoe (it should be snug for you), and place it on the ropes positioned on the working area. Now, take the washable marker, and outline the shape of the shoe on the ropes. Now, cut the ropes with respect to the outline of the shoe. Instead of the shoe, you can also trace your foot on the ropes, and cut it accordingly, but I recommend you to use the shoe.
Fusing
Once you have cut the ropes, your next task is to fuse these ropes. Take the lighter, light it, and bring it close to the ropes. The ropes will start melting after some time, and they will fuse eventually. See that you do not overheat it. Allow the fused ropes to cool down. Now, take a length of the rope, and bind the edges of the fused ropes with it. Use a lighter, and carefully fuse this rope too. Your sole is ready!
Similarly, make the second sole. A single layered sole might not give you the desired comfort. To make comfortable sandals, you can fuse together 2-3 layers of such soles, and use it as a single sole, but you will have to spend a lot of time, if you intend to make multi-layered soles.
Straps
There are numerous strap designs which you can implement. Here I will be telling you how to make ‘Y’ straps. This is one of the most common designs, and it is simple to implement it, you just have to follow the steps mentioned below:
- Keep your right foot on one of the soles. Now, use the marker, and mark a spot on the sole, between your 2 biggest toes, then make 2 spots on the sole, such that they are near your ankle, and they lie on opposite edges.
- Keeping your right foot on the sole, measure the distance from one of the spots near the ankle, to the spot near the toe (you should measure over your foot).
- Now, cut 2 pieces of rope in such a way, that the length of each one of them corresponds to the distance that you measured a while ago.
- Place the ropes parallel and next to each other, and attach them at one end, such that at least 2 inches of these ropes are joined to each other. You can use glue or a string to attach the ropes.
- Now, fuse the tip of the joint end to the sole at the spot marked near the toe, then take one of the open ends of the rope and fuse it to one of the spots near the ankle, then fuse the other open end to the remaining spot.
The sandal for your right foot is ready. Similarly, make one for the left foot.
Remember to wash the sandals before you start using it. You should be careful while handling the knife and the lighter. To make good rope sandals, you just need some creativity and skill, and I am sure that you have both of them.