Make your first shoes with Sneakerkit [REVIEW]
Making shoes is an area of leathercraft that can get very complicated very fast… but it doesn’t have to be!
Thanks to SneakerKit, I was able to build my very first pair of sneakers by hand without having ever made shoes before. Check out the build video below or read the full review.
IN THE BOX
I received the SneakerKit kit very fast after the order was placed and it was shipped directly to my door .
The box is neat and sturdy, and comes with the following items:
Soles in the requested size
Insoles
Waxed nylon thread and a long needle for stitching
Instructional leaflet
The sizing of the soles is pretty accurate and allows for lots of comfort. I oscillate between an EU 44,5 and an EU 45 and the size 45 SneakerKit soles are just perfect for me.
Optionally you can purchase the following:
A wide choice of materials and leathers for the shoes
Rotary punch tool
Rivets
QUALITY OF MATERIALS AND TOOLS
Overall the quality is great with the rubber soles being sufficiently tough as to provide some good protection from the ground, while soft enough to allow for some good flex.
The insoles are surprisingly comfortable and I am always very pleased with the feel whenever I slip on the shoes. Wearing them for the past 2 weeks they have not really bugged much and I can only assume they will last well long-term.
The thread provided looks strong and is more than long enough for your needs - even using more than recommended for each shoe I was left with quite a bit extra.
The needle is a great size for people who are not used to stitching, long enough to be easy to use while not too long as to be complicated in tight spaces.
The rotary tool they provided was surprisingly good and, while I was expecting some cheap Chinese tool, this one seems to be made in Germany to high-standards. It cuts really well, has plenty of punch size options, and the included eyelet setting tool works a charm!
If you’re working with thicker leather and don’t have a punch tool, I highly recommend you including this in your purchase.
Note: as I used my own leather, I can’t comment on the quality of leathers SneakerKit provide.
PATTERN AND BUILD
SneakerKit offer a selection of free patterns for all sizes that you can download for free off their website. These include some basic sneaker patterns as well as a few other options, including open sandale-like options.
The patterns are very easy to follow with markings for each cut and hole to punch out.
Having designed and sold patterns myself, I’m impressed by how simple and easy these were to follow - you can’t really go wrong here!
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION
Please note: I am used to heavy leather boots and, while very comfortable and perfectly fine for most people, I found the soles were a bit too thin for my personal taste. I glued a 2mm thick rubber undersole on the bottom of the sole and this gave me the absolutely perfect feel for walking on all sorts of terrain.
Overall I am highly impressed with what SneakerKit offer here!
The soles feel sturdy enough for casual sneakers, they look good and come in a decent variety of colors. The provided insoles are shaped to provide optimal comfort and are among the most comfortable insoles I’ve yet to test! The other elements provided are clearly good quality and will presumably last a long time.
I was able to easily build shoes that I know I will love for years to come and I can’t wait to see how the leather I chose for them will age.
Though this is a long way from making your own shoes from scratch, a challenge I hope to tackle in a few years, building or assembling my own shoes using SneakerKit was easy and fun - and I am over the moon about the final result and pair of shoes!
Final note
Yes, the basic SneakerKit is expensive for what it is. You can buy a perfectly fine pair of sneakers from most retail stores at that price… so why bother?
Simply the joy of being able to design and build your very own shoes, something that no retail store can offer!
So if you’re crafty and looking for some unique shoes, SneakerKit may be the solution you’re looking for!