Handmade beaded Maasai leather sandals from Kenya

BEADS DECORATED MAASAI LEATHER SANDALS

Beads decorated leather sandals are handcrafted by talented artisans from Kenya. Making of beads decorated leather sandals is an old age art that has been passed from one generation to another. To make these sandals, one is required to have at least the following materials and tools :-Â

1. A large piece of processed cow hide (leather)

2. A large sheet of rubber sole materialÂ

3. A roll of heavy duty clear nylon thread, fishing eading p>

4. Assorted beads in different colours and sizesÂ

5. A sturdy piece of textile materialÂ

6. A can of tough bonding glueÂ

7. Working tools like large gauge needle \ beading needle, a pair of scissors, pliers, artisans knife, punch tool e.t.cÂ

STEPS OF MAKING BEADED LEATHER SANDALSÂ

There are several steps that are involved in the process of making beaded leather sandals. Below here is the description of those steps :-

1. Designing patterns for beads artworkÂ

Before beads artwork is done, the artwork pattern has to be designed first. An artwork pattern is therefore hand drawn on a art paper or board first. Once the desired pattern drawing has been achieved on the art board, the oute of it is cut out and used to trace and cut artwork patterns from the large piece of leather using artisans knife. One has to be an artisan who is good in designing and drawing to be able to come up with a perfect pattern in terms of size and shape.

2. Getting the strapsÂ

Just like the artwork pattern, the straps are hand drawn on a art paper or board first. Once the desired strap drawings have been achieved on the art board, their outes are cut out and used to trace and cut the straps from the prepared large piece of leather using a sharp pair of scissors or artisans knife. The straps are drawn according to the sandal size \ and style. Wooden foot models are used as guideorder to obtain the right size and shape.

When the leather straps and artwork patterns are ready, they are matched and sewed \Â stitched together using a large gauge needle \ beading needle and a heavy duty clear nylon thread or beading /p>

3. Doing the beads artworkÂ

With the artwork patterns already in place, fine chains of beads in different colours and sizes are first obtained using beading needles and heavy duty clear nylon threads or beading ains of beads are then sewed or embroidered on the artwork patterns and any other area requiring beads artwork. Matching, arranging and sequencing of beads colours and sizes is vital and has to be observed and followed during embroidering of the beads artwork.

More colour matchings can \ are employed to come up with different colour appeals of beads artwork for the same pattern. Sewing or embroidering is done using beading needles and heavy duty clear nylon threads or beading g the beads artwork is the hardest step in making of these sandals. Its time consuming and tedious work requiring a lot of creativity and attention especially in arranging and sequencing of the beads colours and sizes.

4. Getting textile lining and applying themÂ

Pieces of textile \ clothes are applied underneath the leather straps and leather pattern with beads artwork that has been sewed or stitched together. The purpose of cloth lining is to bring comfort to the sandal wearer.

Pieces of textile ribbons are obtained first by tracing and cutting the large piece of cloth using straps and artwork patterns before are stitched together in order to get the correct size and shape of the ribbons. After the straps and artwork patterns are stitched together and beads artwork embroidered, the ribbons are stuck underneath them using tough bonding glue. It is left for about an hour to firmly stick and dry.

5. Getting the solesÂ

There are two different soles used together here I.e rubber sole which is the outer and main sole for the sandals and a soft and light insole made of leather.

(a) The outer rubber solesÂ

These soles are obtained from the large piece of rubber sole material. Plastic prototype soles are used to trace the soles from the rubber material according to the sandal sizes \ needed. The traced sole out cut using a sharp artisans knife, placed on a spinning grinder disc to smoothen the edges for a fine shape and look.

(b) The leather insoleÂ

These are obtained from the large piece of prepared leather. The process involved in obtaining leather insoles is the same as the one used to obtain the rubber soles, difference being the source of material or material used I.e rubber or leather for that matter.

Some decorative markings are added on the leather insoles like running stitches around them using special sewing machines, stamping of the sandal size and other decorative markings.

6. Joining of upper and lower parts I.e sole and strapsÂ

This is the final step in making of these sandals. It involves joining the straps and soles together using tough bonding glue to come up with a whole complete sandal.

A complete set of straps with beads artwork is first joined together with the leather insole before being joined with the rubber sole later. Three or so holes are punched on the leather insole then the three or so ends of the straps inserted upto the right length, folded to overlap in the insole and tough bonding shoe glue applied carefully. It is then left for at least an hour to stick firmly on each other and dry completely. Sometimes stitching is done in the overlapping joint to make it stronger.

After the straps and leather insole has stuck together and dried, it is again stuck on the rubber sole that has tough bonding shoes glue applied on it and left for at least one hour to stick firmly and dry completely. Finally after drying out, final touches and checks like hitting the sandals on the insole with a mullet to strengthen and straighten them out, passing them on a spinning grinder disc to smoothen the edges, trimming of stitches and lining e.t.c are done and the sandals will be ready for wearing or for the market.

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