Rachel Corry is coming back to Wolf Craft School after last sold-out mule-making class. Rachel is an artist and sandal maker currently based in Santa Barbara, CA. Her brand RACHEL SEES SNAIL SHOES consists of teaching workshops, shipping DIY kits, designing prototypes, and occasionally fulfilling custom requests. Rachel studied Art and Design at UCLA and later taught herself shoemaking using books from the library with some advice from an English clog maker. She now teaches sandalmaking classes all along the West Coast. Her how-to book THE SANDALMAKING WORKSHOP was published in 2021.

Here’s a Q&A to give you an insight into her process:

Can you tell us about your journey into shoemaking? What first drew you to this craft, and how did you go from an Art and Design background at UCLA to teaching yourself shoemaking? I was making DIY clothing and art for a few years and then in 2009 I had an apartment fire burn up all my best clothes and shoes in my closet! It was dramatic and scary. What remained were smokey, melted-glue shoes and sandals that opened up like a book revealing the inner workings. This led me to seek out books + advice on how to make my own. I discovered no one was teaching simple leather sandal classes along the West Coast. I thought this was a weird omission in our society, so I ventured into this craft knowing there was a need (in America) to keep this fundamental craft alive. 

Your brand, Rachel Sees Snail Shoes, has a very distinctive name. What’s the story behind the name, and how does it reflect your artistic vision or approach? I was aware that the snail was the mascot of the slow food movement, and I realized my work was also slow. This was before ‘slow fashion’ was a common concept. I also had a thing for snails and kept aquatic ones as pets at the time of my business naming. I also liked the playful nature of the name- a silly and childlike collection of words. 

You’ve been teaching sandal-making workshops for 15 years along the West Coast. What is your favorite part of teaching hands-on classes, and how do you see students evolve throughout the workshop? I love encouraging people to jump into something intimidating like making 2 shoes. Using scissors, knives, awls, and simple hand tools, some of them slightly dangerous– I believe it is so good for one’s brain to reconnect those eye-to-hand commands and learn to master it. We’ve all got to start somewhere. So in short, I think this workshop can ignite confidence with tools and materials, which is so valuable.

In April Wolf Craft School will be celebrating World Art Day, which emphasizes the role of art in promoting sustainability and social responsibility. Where does sustainability factor into your process, and what’s your perspective on creating wearable art with a conscience? Ooff. It means a lot to me. But there’s no easy way to be sustainable. Like, making our own footwear is a wonderful step. But some of the materials come from far away (Italian leather and glue, stacked heels probably originate in Mexico). I wish I could be all-local but it's not realistic in this global world. My habits have gravitated toward more ecological choices as I learn more and more: Italian leather is “eco-certified” (but not without major downsides i'm sure), I use eco-weld glue (water-based, non-solvent) and I share with my students about the unfair practices of fast fashion footwear (relying on economic inequity to make cheap products in asia) and about smart use of leather.

For those interested in taking your workshop, What can they expect to learn or experience, and is there any special preparation they should do in advance? I would collect a few snapshots of sandals you like the look of, but also keep an open mind. Think about what color you’d wear the heck out of. And please wear slip-on shoes: it’s hard when people are tying up Converse or something every time we need to check the fit on their feet!