Partners in Making: Rachael's Journey to Crafting Her Wedding Shoes

Rachael, a talented SOLIDWORKS Product Definition Team engineer, recently embarked on an extraordinary project: creating custom shoes for her wedding. Chinloo and Sal Lama, SOLIDWORKS employees, are passionate about creating and problem-solving, share their maker skills on their YouTube channel, Our Next Make. As part of their “Partners in Making” series, they teamed up with Rachael to help her make a custom shoe last.

Rachael has a passion for making dresses and has been involved in creating dresses for Magic Wheelchair projects, including a beautiful princess gown for Freyja. Rachael learned how to use SOLIDWORKS to create dress patterns, lay out fabric, and make adjustments to ensure a perfect fit. This project was her first experience applying her technical CAD skills to dressmaking.

The Dress Rachael Designed for Freyja as part of a Magic Wheelchair project

Rachael’s passion for creating and designing has deep roots in her family history. Her grandparents were tailors, and she learned the art of sewing from a young age. Therefore, making shoes felt like a natural progression to her.

Rachael presented at 3DEXPERIENCE World how she used SOLIDWORKS to design dress patterns. During her presentation, she wore shoes she had bought to match her custom dress, but they were uncomfortable. She was determined to do something about it, and Sal jokingly suggested that she make her shoes. To everyone’s surprise, Rachael accepted the challenge.

One of the most essential elements of handcrafted footwear is a properly sized last, the solid form around which a shoe is built. Rachael initially purchased a last in her regular shoe size, but it was not the right fit. After another last was too long and narrow, she decided to make a custom last. She used a Brannock device to measure her feet and scanned the original last to bring the three-dimensional shape into SOLIDWORKS, where she made adjustments to ensure it matched her feet perfectly.

Chinloo and Sal guided Rachael through the complex process of converting her CAD designs into precise milling paths. They assisted her in selecting suitable bit sizes and advised on techniques to maintain the integrity of the wood throughout the milling process. Together, they prepared the white oak block for milling, ensuring it was correctly set up for the CNC machine.

Rachael and Sal working with the CNC Machine

As the CNC machine brought her digital model to life, Rachael carefully monitored each step, learning how to manage the machine’s settings to achieve the desired shape. Despite a few mishaps, including some surface imperfections, Rachael could clean and perfect the last using two-part epoxy clay to smooth out any flaws.

This hands-on collaboration gave Rachael a custom last and deepened her understanding of milling techniques and machine operations. The result was a perfectly shaped last, ready to form the foundation of her custom wedding shoes.

Once the custom last was ready, Rachael created a pattern using tape, ensuring all critical points around her heel and toes were enclosed. She practiced with various materials before settling on a thin floral fabric backed with leather for durability. She meticulously pulled the layers around the last, ensuring a smooth, wrinkle-free finish.

Image: Creating a pattern from the last with tape

Image: Pulling the fabric around the last

Rachael didn’t stop at the shoe itself; after all her work to create custom shoes, off-the-shelf heels would not suffice. She crafted custom wooden heels to fit her shoes perfectly.

She also learned about leather splitting, wet molding, and other intricate shoemaking techniques through online tutorials and advice from professional shoemakers. Each prototype brought new lessons and refinements.

Rachael’s approach was both methodical and artistic. She used practical methods, like leaving a wet footprint on paper and dusting it with powdered makeup, to create precise foot imprints. She then overlayed the imprints with her shoe patterns to identify areas needing adjustment. Resourcefulness also played a role, as she reused insoles from previous prototypes to save time and effort.

While few people take on the challenge of making their wedding dresses, even fewer take on the challenge of making their wedding shoes. As a SOLIDWORKS expert (CSWE – Certified SOLIDWORKS Expert), Rachael expanded her skill set to include milling and shoe design, bringing impressive craftsmanship and attention to detail to her shoemaking. From starting with a painful pair of store-bought shoes to designing her own last and creating custom-fit, beautifully designed, hand-embroidered shoes for her wedding day, Rachael’s commitment to her craft showcases her skill, perseverance, and love for creating.

In their Our Next Make Partners in Making series, Chinloo and Sal Lama aim to showcase diverse makers like Rachael, who fearlessly take on new challenges and continuously expand their skill sets. With curiosity, determination, and a willingness to learn, anyone can create something unique and personal. Whether making shoes, designing a dress, or crafting something entirely different, there’s immense joy and satisfaction in making something uniquely yours.

Ready to tackle a project of your own? At just $48 a year, SOLIDWORKS for Makers offers hobbyists access to professional-grade CAD tools, making it easier for anyone to bring their creative ideas to life.

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Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp. offers complete 3D software tools that let you create, simulate, publish, and manage your data. SolidWorks products are easy to learn and use, and work together to help you design products better, faster, and more cost-effectively. The SolidWorks focus on ease-of-use allows more engineers, designers and other technology professionals than ever before to take advantage of 3D in bringing their designs to life.