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Custom LV Birkenstock’s

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So my next big project in 2018 was a pair of Birkenstock’s for my friend in Australia.  Nannette has size 43 shoes; she is a tall woman.  She was in a bad car accident at 18 and has suffered problems to her feet as a result  This was exacerbated by an accident on a train platform in Australia, so comfortable shoes are a must.  And what is more comfortable, than a pair of Birkenstock’s?  But they couldn’t be just any Birki’s.  They had to be Louis Vuitton Birki’s because Nannette is an LV nut.

I started with a used pair of Birkenstock’s with good platforms from eBay.  I took them to our local cobbler who deconstructed and separated the leather tops from the platform. I then used the Birki leather as a pattern.  

I had an LV purse to deconstruct, but there was not enough leather for the necessary 4 straps.  I needed another 2 pieces of leather for the sides, so I shopped at my Goodwill for a red purse with gold buckles. However, upon inspecting another friend’s Birki’s, I noticed that the leather was a sandwich and grommets were used for the buckles to give it strength. So, for the backing,  I scored a large piece of red suede from eBay, perfect color.  I used E-6000 glue in a thin layer and put heavy books on top to fuse the uppers with the lowers.  I then sewed the pieces together on the edges.  I glue basted the pieces to the soles to make sure the fit was correct. I then used the buckles from the purse for the shoe buckles sewing them to the side pieces.  I had to modify the pattern with an exacto knife in small slices until they fit. I took the shoes to my cobbler to finish the leather fusion to the Birki platforms.  I purchased red and brown grommets and together, we put them on. 

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1h9FkAQWEMqwiZuJLD-bGHJ4dZdaTAdil

Completed LV Custom Birkenstock’s above. 

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1eMj6Oa97lN_GWXF1Ev2yTDYxbDpn8XhP

Close up of red grommets and LV monogram leather.  




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