From the Workshop

Custom sandals instead of mass production, craftsmanship instead of hustle -- for Peter and Barbara, a visit to the Sandalenwerkstatt is not a purchase but a ritual. In conversation, they tell us why they regularly travel to Freiburg and what good shoes mean to them.

From 26 to 27 April 2025, Heritage Post magazine is hosting its 5th Trade Show at Areal Boehler in Duesseldorf. Over 70 exhibitors will be presenting their modern interpretation of high-quality, classic products.

In the small courtyard of our Sandalenwerkstatt, I met Leon*, who told us about his experience with custom-made sandals. Surprisingly, he is only 18 years old -- quite a contrast to our usual clientele!

We rarely have workshop participants as young as Esther and Hannes. Esther (20) and Hannes (23) are two undergraduate students from Berlin who not only took part in the sandal course but also joined a spontaneous leather belt workshop.

Leather is a natural product crafted from raw hide through various artisanal processes. Before industrialisation, every village had at least one family-run tannery that worked with German leather, passed down from generation to generation.

When you think of a joint, the first thing that comes to mind is probably the movable connection between bones in our body, responsible for coordinated movement, right? As our craftsman Norihiko recently learned in a conversation, bags can have a joint too.

In our last sandal workshop, we had a rather unusual pair of participants. Wolfgang Klein, 59, had signed up together with his son Maximilian Klein, 29. The father-son duo tells us in this interview how it came about and what the course has to do with a holiday in Mallorca.

For 5 days, participants crafted their own custom-made leather sandals. Among them was Birte Muehlhoff. The young woman from Bochum not only discovered a fascinating craft but also faced her fears and several challenges along the way.

In our 5-day block course, Norihiko taught participants how he crafts high-quality, long-lasting leather sandals. Each production step was guided individually, with hands-on support provided throughout.

The Kobel tannery is located in the small northern German town of Kellinghusen. Since 1877 they have been producing high-quality, hard-wearing leather for industries including equestrian sports. The family business relies primarily on vegetable tanning

We are often asked why we use vegetable-tanned leather for our sandals. Unlike rubber or foam, this material has the unique ability to absorb sweat and moisture in a short time. This creates a comfortable wearing experience that, thanks to the material

We already offered courses in the spring. Participants crafted their sandals entirely to their own design. In our workshop you can use the same materials we use for our collection. Tools and machinery are also available to you. We look forward to your i

OPEN ART Freiburg 2022

From 1-3 April we look forward to welcoming many visitors to our workshop. Alongside our collection, we will also show you our production methods.

Jennifer Reyes from Freiburg's Das Stadtmagazin visited us and built a pair of workshop sandals. Here you can see how the sandals are fitted to her feet and the joy she takes in wearing them.

The Südwestfunk filmed a feature for their "Handwerkskunst" series about how sandals are made at Andreas Thilo's workshop.

Latest sandal-making course from 8 January 2022: two workshop participants crafted their own custom-fitted sandals with us. Here you can see their results.

Some of our exhibition pieces are on display at the well-established Freiburg clothing store Deutsche Designer Plus. For 16 years they have been selling clothing and accessories that combine timeless character with outstanding material quality.

Right in the centre of Freiburg you will find a display case showcasing the main part of our collection. From there it is a 10-minute walk to our workshop.