SneakerKit & Sneaker Stitch Part 1

Before there was Sneaker Stitch in Australia, there was SneakerKit.

And before SneakerKit, there was Dutch designer and maker Roderick Pieters, an old pair of leather shoes and an idea.

It started with an old pair of shoes

Roderick wanted a lightweight pair of shoes for summer, so he started experimenting.

He took an old pair of leather shoes, cut away the tops and hand-stitched what remained onto a new rubber sole.

That experiment sparked a thought:

What if everyday people could make their own sneakers by hand?

Traditional shoemaking can involve specialist machinery, presses and adhesives. Roderick wanted to find a simpler, more accessible way for people to experience making their own shoes.

After experimenting and running sneaker-making workshops, he developed something pretty clever.

A specially designed rubber sneaker sole with perfectly positioned, pre-punched stitching holes, allowing makers to stitch their own sneaker uppers directly onto the sole.

By 2015, SneakerKit had officially launched from Arnhem in the Netherlands.

More than just making shoes

What we love about Roderick's idea is that it isn't simply about making a pair of sneakers.

It's about being connected to what you make.

When you've chosen the materials, cut the pieces and stitched your sneakers together yourself, there's a different sense of ownership.

You get to look down at your feet and say:

“I made these.”

And because the uppers are stitched to the soles, there's another clever benefit.

They can be unpicked, repaired, changed and stitched again.

Roderick compares it to a bicycle. If your bike tyre wears out, you don't throw away the whole bike. You replace the tyre and keep riding.

Make it. Wear it. Repair it. Keep it going.

It's a pretty simple idea, but one we love.

Then the idea started travelling 🌍

Roderick went on to share his approach through workshops and creative communities around the world.

Makers began taking the SneakerKit concept and making it their own, experimenting with different materials, colours and designs.

And eventually, those little sneakers found their way to Australia.

Or, more specifically...  they found their way into my inbox.

And that's where the Sneaker Stitch story really begins.

👟 Next: Part 2, When a Pair of Sneakers Flew Into My Inbox.