Shoemaking: Living the Tradition

MSP Terminal 1, Gallery F4
October 2023 - October 2024

Amara Hark-Weber has been making footwear by hand for more than 10 years. Working between traditional techniques and modern aesthetics, she makes each pair from scratch out of leather, thread, wax, nails, and sometimes a rubber sole. Every pair is completely different. Here you can see a gallery of some of her work and learn about this increasingly rare and traditional process.

There are more than 250 steps to making a pair of shoes. In her workshop, Amara starts with the individual anatomy of each foot and sculpts a wooden form, or last, to reflect the dimensions of the foot, while abstracting the curves. She adds arch support and makes the heel height and toe shape right into the wooden lasts. She then makes a pattern, cuts and sews the leather, stretches the upper over the lasts, and puts on the soling. This exhibition guides you through the process and shows some of the tools involved in each pair's creation.