Klompenmakerij den Dekker

Last week we had the pleasure of going to a wooden shoe factory! There was a 40 minute workshop/demonstration and then the kids got to paint their own shoe. I didn't have my camera charged so I got these from Rebecca and from their website :)

The shoes are made out of Poplar or Willow; once the trees are cut down they are cut into smaller blocks roughly the size of the shoe. The first machine cuts the block into the shoe, the second machine hollows out the inside, and the third machine cleans up the inside. This is all done while the wood is wet so it does not crack or break. Once the shoes are dry the get sanded and painted.

This man owns the factory, he is one of ten people in the country that know how to make the shoes by hand. This factory uses 100 year old machines and can make 30 pairs of shoes per day. Making them by hand can produce 4 pairs per day.

Once carved into shape, the shoes have to dry for 4 weeks before they get sanded and decorated