It that a blue cucumber in your shoes, or are you happy to see me? (Tutorial)

Have you ever had a pair of sport shoes you loved so much, but was also smelly?

Well, if you're a runner, climber, rower...it is likely you wear the same pair of shoes over and over again. Sure, you can chuck them in the washing machine, however it won't take long before they start smelling again. And their life span might be greatly shortened.

I'm a climber and my comfy(-er) pair of shoes have a very unique smell... It seems only to my standard though.
Yes, we had a sniff test with other climbers and I'm happy to say mine are at the bottom of the smelly ladder. Which to a climber only means one thing: I'm need to climb more!

I spotted a climber with bananas in his shoes. Honestly, bright yellow scented bananas.
What a brilliant idea! I immediately though about some particularly unsightly fabric I bought some time ago that I could use. I'm not quite sure what I was thinking that day.

The content of these shoes inserts is simple enough:

• Bicarb Soda
• Lavander
• Tea Tree oil

All ingredients are easy to find. Wilkinsons seems to be the cheapest for bicarb soda. Just buy this one and not the cooking one.

You'll also need about 50x50cm of fabric to make the shoe inserts and the tape to pair them together.
They're a bit like gloves, if they're not tied together, one could go walkie.

Tutorial

The shoe inserts are made of 6 panels of fabric stitched together. They're united by a length of tape to stay together. They can also be clipped on a carabiner and kept with the rest of your equipment.
 

1. Measure the shoe length and diameter at its widest. Take a bit out for each measurement and divide the diameter by 6.  Draw a diamond shape on a bit of paper: Trace a long horizontal line (length), at its middle trace a smaller perpendicular line (diameter / 6). Join the points and draw flat endings. Your pattern is done!

2. Cut 12 pieces of material following the template. 6 per shoe. I folded my material multiple times to cut 6 pieces at a time. Accuracy is not paramount with this pattern.
 

3. Using the wrong side of the fabric, pin all the sides together.

 

Many, many pins.

4. Stitch all the sides together (6 pieces by 6 pieces).

5. Stitch close one end of the tube and turn inside out.

6. Cut a strip of fabric (4cm x 25 cm), fold the side length-way, then fold again in two. Iron flat, then stitch length-way.

7. Take a scrap of fabric (6cm x 6cm), soak it in Tea Tree oil and cut it in tiny bits

8. In a pot, mix together 200g of bicarb soda, 100g of lavender flowers, and the bits of soaked fabric.

 

9. Take a funnel and pour the mix until you fill 3/4 of the shoe.
 

10.  Insert the end of the tape, stitch the shoe insert closed.

 

 

 

 

Your first shoe insert is ready. Repeat the steps to make the second one.

If you have some mix left-over, you can use it up in scented bags.

Now it is your turn, let me know what oblong shapes and colours you come up with!