Okay, this week I’m going to be talking about something that leaves a very cringy image in my brain. Duct tape shoes. Yes, shoes made entirely of Duct tape. I’m not sure if this was a trend at every school or not, but when I was in the sixth grade, Duct tape was in. And I mean it was IN. Everything that could be made of Duct tape was and my classmates were selling it to each other (pretty sure this wasn’t technically allowed but oh well). This included everything from wrapping pens and pencils and putting roses on top to handbags and cross body bags all the way down to shoes.
Now before I start bashing Duct tape shoes, I do have to say some people really can use Duct tape. Have you seen the people who make their prom dress and tux out of duct tape and enter it in the Stuck at Prom contest? Those people, they are talented and make it look good. Hats off to them because I could never pull off anything like that. Fun fact: a girl in my county actually entered that in 2016 and won 1st! Like okay, that’s pretty sweet and she got a scholarship to go along with it.
But these shoes, man let me tell ya, they have got to be the most uncomfortable and unsupportive shoe ever (at least how sixth graders were making them). The most popular ones made at my school were flip flops and slides. I think these girls made the soles out of literally two pieces of tape stuck together. And then what gets me, people bought them AND wore them to school! Like what?!?! (Needless to say, I never partook in this event. I did have a few rose pens given to me, but I never purchased them or made them).
Okay, enough of me making fun of sixth graders. How did these girls actually make these shoes? Or I guess, how should they have made these shoes? What types of other shoes have people made of Duct tape?
The most simplistic shoe seems to be the slide. Now I said this was simplest, not the best way or most comfortable so do not get your hopes up.
Step 1: Find a pair of shoes that fit you currently.
Step 2: Trace the shoes onto whatever you would like the base of your shoe to be made out of like cardboard, paper, styrofoam, etc.
Step 3: Cut out your shoe prints.
Step 4: Cover your cut out soles in the Duct tape of your choice. You may need to cut off excess tape or fold it in and under to the bottom of the soles.
Step 5: Make the strap for your slide. To do this you need to measure how long it needs to be to fit your foot. I recommend putting your foot on the floor and rolling the Duct tape over it to see how long of a piece you need to cut. Cut this first piece the exact length you need.
Step 6: Cut a second piece of Duct tape to be the other half of the strap. This piece needs to be longer than the first so you can fold it under and stick it to the bottom of your shoe to attach it.
Step 7: Center the first and shorter strap piece in the middle of your longer one sticking the two sticky sides together. Then place the excess sticky sides on the bottom of your shoe to attach the strap.
Step 8: Go over the bottom of your shoe with another layer of Duct tape. This will help secure the strap so your shoes do not fall off.
Step 9: Finish off decorating and wear the extremely poorly made Duct tape shoes to show off the fact that you can make Duct tape shoes like any other sixth grader out there!
Now this is not the way I would recommend making them if you actually want to wear them. I would purchase sole inserts or some type of actual sole to use and place that on top of your base of cardboard to give your feet a little more support. This may be easier to do in another popular type of shoe made out of Duct tape which is flats or shoes that look like boat shoes. The sole inserts would most likely stay better, but these are a bit more advanced shoe for you experts out there.
Sole Mate Shoes 