Tire Sandals–Part 2: Tips and Hints

So, now that you have gathered all of your materials (okay, you’re right, I can’t actually see if you have them, but based on what I am posting today, I really have to assume that you have…if you haven’t, then I’ll have to assume–for the second time–that you are a nonconformist) we should be ready to start drawing stuff out and cutting things!

I’d like to commend Elpel for making instructions on such an eccentric topic. Having given him his kudos, I have some concerns with his directions. First of all, the sandal isn’t the most comfortable thing to wear. This stems, I think, from the purpose he says he uses them for:

The field tests of our sandals were quite exciting. The tire sandal and moccasin combination meant we had “modular” shoes. We wore both the moccasins and the soles when hiking, and then just one or the other around camp. We could use just the moccasins for stalking, or just the tires for walking in water. We climbed 10,000 foot peaks twice and generally just put on the miles. I did not wear socks, and never washed my moccasins, but my feet were in healthy condition for the duration of the trip– a first for me.

We did find that we would get blisters if we wore just the tires for any significant hiking, but we seemed to have no problems when the tires were worn in combination with moccasins, or with a couple pairs of heavy socks. I was amazed at how comfortable these sandals were, particularly because I once wore conventional hiking boots on a 500 mile walk across Montana, with severe blistering for the first 250 miles of the trip. Our new type of footwear gave me a freedom and comfort I had been searching for for a decade.

Now, I’m not saying that you shouldn’t use his design…but I am going to attempt to improve on his already good idea.

Here are pictures of my sketches, using Elpel’s designs:

Tracing the pattern onto the tire was easiest (or so I found) if I used plain, white chalk. (I’m skipping here, because Elpel’s directions were fabulous). Once you begin cutting, I have some suggestions:

1–Elpel doesn’t mention what is easiest to cut steel belted tires with. I suggest a pair of tin snips. AND a pair of gloves! For those of you that think you won’t need gloves…go ahead and try it. Feel free to leave your experience in pain (or downy-soft comfort) in my comments. I also found it easier to loosen the nut on the tin snips so that the cutters don’t quite meet up…that way it makes it easier on your hands.

2–I also recommend ditching Elpel’s slits (you can see the annoying things on my blueprints above…I know how annoying they are from experience). With a leather awl and some waxed thread, you can stitch the belt material to the tabs without trying small explosives to create his openings in a steel belted tire.



Maybe the work great with other tires–I didn’t have any luck with the one I used. If anyone has suggestions that work, let us all know.

3–I have not tried this suggestion, but I think it might be easier to create the top part of the sandal, belt, buckles, and whatever other strange things will make your sandals unique and then glue it to a tire cutout (sans the annoying tabs) with Barges glue or something similar. Maybe there will even be a post in the future about how to go about it…if I feel the urge. (Oh, who am I kidding, I am imagining how I’ll do it as I type.)

To sum up a bit, I have to say that it took me so long to make the sandals that I really did feel a sense of accomplishment when they were done. I thought it was a fun project, and I used lots of tools (most of them didn’t work like I’d hoped, but, well, using tools is using tools, am I right?)

I commend Elpel and I’d like to see (or hear about) what you come up with, if you decide to try it!