Casting a shoe

 

The phrase 'to cast a shoe' is more commonly used by horseriders and farriers but mine has quite a different meaning.

Reading about shoe superstitions I discovered  the practice of 'casting a shoe' as a sign of good luck - throwing a shoe after married couples, or those embarking on a journey.

The original saboteurs - those wooden shoe wearers in France who threw them into machinery as an industrial labour protest - also were casting their shoes.

But my casting is none of those......

I wanted to see if I could produce a plaster cast of one of my clogs. Lots of research needed.

But before committing these precious objects to the process I tested out the method using a contemporary size 5 childrens shoe - Clarks of course!  

This belonged to my grandson Rory and the other one had disappeared - perhaps someone will find it in a future century?

Using an alginate moulding liquid first to make a rubbery mould. Allowing this to dry fully. Then mixing plaster of paris to make the cast.

It worked pretty well on Rory's shoe giving good detail of the fabric and even the Clarks branding

However, the larger leather clog was more of a challenge. I needed something to prevent the alginate liquid going inside the shoe - the first thing tried was some playdough (thanks again to Rory)

The mould support needed to be large enough to hold the shoe, watertight so the alginate liquid cannot escape, and something which can be removed. Duplo provided the perfect tool for the job

I removed the laces and gave the shoe a rub of vaseline so it would release from the mould

The alginate comes as a powder which is mixed with water to form a liquid. You only have 4 minutes to pour your mould before it sets

I was worried about the bubbles

Left to set overnight

When set I removed the duplo and cut the mould into two parts

Then mixed up the plaster of paris and poured into into the mould - disaster! The liquid plaster ran out of the cut in the mould, all over my kitchen, and all over me. 

So next time I taped the mould cut seam and rebuilt the duplo mould support around to catch any runaway plaster. 

I cannot recommend duplo enough - what a brand - it worked a treat

This time the paster cast was a success. I love that it picked up the stitching and the lace eyelets.

On the next cast I made a stupid mistake and put the rubber mould together heel to toe (not toe to toe) so had to use a hacksaw and cut through the plaster cast.

Polyfiller used to put back together again. But as the concealed shoes found in buidings were usually in very worn condition with evidence of repair I think this can add to my story.

So far I have made two moulds and three casts.

Not too bad for a first effort, never having tried anything like this before.

So what do I do with them now?

Enjoying this process of exploration for work to be exhibited with EAST in 2026