Leather Shoes From Bulgaria

My friend made me these traditional Bulgarian leather shoes. She said that to make them mold to my feet I needed to soak them, then put them on and wear them until they were almost dry. So here are some photos I took of the process. I'm still not sure how to lace them, so I emailed her for more directions. I've always admired people that could make shoes. Other than some knitted or crocheted slippers, I've never managed to finish a pair of shoes.

Shoes from Bulgaria

Soaking the shoes before lacing them up.

Letting the shoes mold to my feet as they dry.

Archer in Bulgaria

I have a friend in Bulgaria (Sofia) named Iliana who just opened an Etsy shop. She emailed my boyfriend to tell us about Etsy. She didn't know I've been on Etsy for 3 years. I guess I should tell my real life friends that Etsy exists.
Anyway, she has wonderful things made of leather. http://www.etsy.com/shop/MadeOfLeather I hope you will go see and add her to your favorites. She comes to visit the local archers when she can (in Pasadena CA). And then we send a few of our archers to Bulgaria each year for an exchange of bowmaking ideas. We even have an auction to raise money for the trip. http://www.paleoplanet.net/. To find the auction, scroll to the bottom of the main page, and look for 'trade blanket'.