Hot shoe shuffle

Wow, it's been a while.  A room renovation has taken the place of clothing renovation and I've only just cleared a path to the sewing machine.  Which gave me even more time to think about this project.
 

For the longest time I have been afraid to cut into these shoes.  Just because they were shoes, what do I know about altering shoes?

Plus my sew-jo has been MIA for about 6 months.  Also, I still liked the way they looked - but they killed my feet about 30 minutes after I put them on.  Those elastic straps that cross over the top of my foot would leave red welts by the end of the day, even if I spent the whole day adjusting their position.

Then - how to fix them?  I tried them without the straps (pre-cut) but the back has no structure and they wouldn't stay on and were difficult to walk in.  Eventually I tried ballet shoe type ribbons - and then it was time to cut.

Which I thought about for another 6 months or so....

Finally, the chicken shears.  That was some serious thick heavy duty elastic to cut through.  Over to the sewing machine.

Which I ended up not using for this project in the end.  I attempted to get these shoes near the needle but figured I was going to end up with punctured fingers. So, hand sewing.  I think I will be taking these for short test drives to start with because I am afraid of my stitches not holding up.

In total, <mumbles> years thinking time, about 30 minutes cutting and hand sewing time - problem solved.  They are now comfy to wear and I like the new look too.

And with my perfect project planning I have finished them just in time for winter here.

Happy sewing!