Here’s your delicious A-list of how to make Japanese wooden shoes, also known as Geta Japanese Traditional Shoes. Long before the 1970’s and the platform shoes, Japanese women had been wearing Geta sandals or clogs.
Every cartoon, movie, or TV show set in pre-WWII Japan shows Japanese citizens running around in wood shoes with risers or teeth that elevate the wearer. These are known as “Geta” and are traditionally constructed from a single piece of Paulownia wood.
For less-experienced woodworkers, these wooden shoes, in their most basic form, can be made from three pieces of poplar or other wood and a length of strong, thin rope. The result looks like a cross between clogs and flip-flops and makes a characteristic ‘clack-clack’ sound when worn.
How To Make Japanese Wooden Shoes
If you’d like to make Japanese wooden shoes your own, follow the guide below. When you’re finished, you’ll have a set of custom-fit Japanese wooden shoes that create more noise than a troupe of tap dancers on linoleum. How to make Japanese wooden shoes?
- Measure your feet. First of all, you need to place the heel of your foot on the end of a ruler and record the length of your longest toe. Add 1/2 inch to this measurement. This is the length of your shoe’s sole. Measure your foot across the widest point. Multiply this measurement by 1 1/2. This is the width of your sole. Measure both feet to be sure they require the same size shoe. Mark the measurements of your foot onto a piece of wood with a pencil. Cut the blocks for the soles of your sandals using the cross cut saw. Round the corners with a coping saw or wood rasp. Rub with sandpaper until smooth.
- Determine the placement of the teeth. Calculate what 35 percent of the length of the sole would be. Measure this distance from the front of the sole. Mark it in pencil. This is where the front tooth will be placed. Calculate 15 percent of the length of the sole. Measure this distance from the back of the sole and mark it in pencil. This is where the back tooth will be placed. Cut the pieces for the teeth. They should be 1 1/2 inches high and span the width of the sole. Glue the teeth into place and hold wood pieces together with bricks. Let glue dry, according to the label’s specifications.
- Measure the distance across the front of the sole. Mark the center with a pencil. Drill the front hole, centered, at 15 percent of the sole length from the front of the shoe. Drill one hole on either side of the sandal, directly in front of the back tooth, 1/4 inch from the edge. Hold the drill at an angle away from the back tooth. Measure the distance from the front hole to the side hole. Multiply this measurement by 2 to determine the length of the straps.
- Add 2 1/2 inches to accommodate the feet. Using the above measurement, cut the string and thread the sandals. Bring the rope through each of the back holes and up through the top. Pull both ropes down through the front hole together and secure from underneath with a knot. Cut away any excess and cover the ends with wood glue to prevent fraying. Try on the sandal and adjust for fit at the sides. When you have adjusted the straps to your satisfaction, knot the rope at the sides. Cut off excess, and seal the ends.
More about How To Make Japanese Wooden Shoes
The reason for wear these very high platform shoes was not for fashion, but for very practical reasons. If you are wearing a very expensive Kimono that hangs all the way to your feet, and you do not want to get mud on it when you walk outside. There are ultimate set of instructions for making them cheaply on the web, which allowed us to make them for the whole cast of Mikado.
For tools, if you pare it down to the absolute basics, all you need is a saw and a drill, but to do the job right you really need hand saw with a fairly fine cross-cut blade, use this saw to cut out the major parts. Coping saw or electric jig or sabre saw, use one of these to round the corners of the sole, or if you’re short on cash and patient use a wood rasp (a kind of file).
If you’re not very skilled at sawing, you might want to get the rasp, too. It’s great for cleaning up those rough coping saw edges. A hand or electric drill, If you buy one, get an electric with a 3/8″ chuck. It probably costs less than a good hand drill and has more uses. If you go the hand route, be sure to get the right type of bit. If it’s an egg-beater style drill then buy a 1/4″ drill or a 3/8″ with a 1/4″ shank. If it’s one of those big crank shaped things, then buy a 3/8″ bit. A drill has a fairly flat end, while a bit has what looks like a wood screw on the end. You may also need sandpaper and a sanding block or electric sander. Get a good assortment of grits so that you can have a nice finish.
In the world of woodworking projects, Geta are about as simple as you can get. They are just three pieces of wood. Japanese made Geta are cut out of a single piece of wood, but unless you have the tools and expertise, stick with the three piece project shown here.
Make a test pair first. Think of them as a “rough draft”. One reason for doing this is to get the dimensions right. Remember that most Geta don’t have left and right. The thong that attaches between the toes is right in the middle.
Knowing that it isn’t the final product makes it a lot easier for you to hack a half inch off the end and drill another set of holes without worrying about ruining your Geta. If you’ve never done woodworking at all, then you should seriously consider enlisting the aid of someone who does work with wood or take a course at your local adult education center. They’re cheap and enjoyable. Once you get the smell of freshly cut wood in your system, you’ll have a hobby for life. At least go to your local library and look at some books on basic woodworking on how to make Japanese wooden shoes.
How To Make Japanese Wooden Shoes
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