EASTPORT, Mich. — Sue Swain grew up believing she could do anything she put her mind to.
So when she decided to try her hand at shoemaking, she never doubted she would be successful.
"I always felt making shoes would be an honorable, dignified way to make a living — everyone needs shoes," said Swain, who handcrafts custom-made leather sandals, shoes and boots in a tiny workshop on her northern Michigan farm.
She says looking for someone to teach her the ins and outs of shoe construction was the biggest challenge to pursuing her dream.
"I went around from town to town asking shoe repair shops if they wanted an apprentice, but no one was interested."
She eventually found a northern California shoemaker who was willing to take her under his wing and teach her the basics of sandal-making.
"I learned the skills as far as sewing, cutting and measuring in exchange for making sandals that he could sell," said Swain, who took her knowledge to a small island in British Columbia where she learned three-dimensional shoe construction through experimentation, trial and error.
Since moving to northern Michigan 11 years ago, Swain expanded her business, known as Toe Togs, to include 10 styles of custom-fit footwear, ranging in price from $150 to $400.
"Each pair is made for a specific pair of feet. They mold to fit the person's feet," she said.
Swain works with individual customers to design the style, color and type of leather to meet their footwear needs. She crafts between 80 and 100 pairs each year and recently added spats to her line.
Although orders take approximately six months, she said her customers are more than willing to wait for the finished product.
"These are treat-yourself kind of shoes," she said.
Swain takes orders when she exhibits her wares at summer art and music festivals and works during the winter months to fill them.
Online:
http://www.toetogs.comInformation from: Traverse City Record-Eagle, http://www.record-eagle.com