Leather Turnshoe Workshop

Step into the fourteenth‑century!
In this two-day hands-on shoemaking workshop, you’ll make your own pair of late medieval leather turnshoes under the expert guidance of Francis Classe, who has been crafting historical reproduction shoes since 2000.

The workshop runs 10 AM – 7 PM on both Saturday and Sunday upstairs in the Bors Hede. This is a full workshop intended to build a pair of turn shoes from start to finish, including closing, lasting, inseaming, and turning. Preparation is required, but we will walk you through it! Welted shoes are also a possibility, but only for the experienced who have already made a pair of turn shoes.

There is also a prerequisite for this class, and that is to have attended a session on making a leather palm using waxed ends at a Shoemaking meeting (these are held at least once a month). Previous leatherworking experience may also cover this prerequisite. Additionally, students should be prepared to be present for the whole session, and reconsider if sitting for an extended amount of time might cause some challenges.  Additionally, although shoes will typically get completed by the end of the session, they will still be wet and will require some days to dry before they can be tried on and any finishing touches applied (laces, straps, etc.).  Expect to attend a future Shoemaking meetup for that, or make special arrangements with the instructor.

Please contact us with any accessibility requirements.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER. Space is limited!