Last week, Class 8b were very fortunate to take part in a shoe-making workshop. The cobbler guided them through the process of first cutting out the leather uppers from a pattern before making stitching holes and lacing holes with specialist leather tools. The children then had the option to impress additional details on the leather and fix metal eyelets on the lacing holes.  Finally, they hand sewed the leather uppers to the rubber soles.  A pair of new sneakers was indeed the perfect project for a young teenager! 

Rudolf Steiner said, “If you can make your own shoes, you can do anything.” 

Making a pair of shoes embodies the shoe-maker archetype. Someone who is kind-hearted, hard-working, grounded and upright. Generally, making socks, slippers or shoes helps the middle school child to declare inwardly: ‘I now stand firmly on the earth, rooted and steady and I am ready to embrace the challenges of upper school with patience, strength and perseverance.”