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We brought our dream shoe idea to Olivier and he
was able to make it a reality!
Throughout the entire process he was able to walk
us through what he was doing and bring out our
creative side along with his. We loved that he was
as excited about our product as we were. Any ideas
that Olivier offered only enhanced what we had
brought to him. He's a genius in this field and the
shoes that he creates truly are one of a kind!
MARK AND MICHELLE, NY
APRIL 2012 ,
PARSONS THE NEW SCHOOL INTERVIEW
Hi Olivier,
Here are my feels about your education.
I have been importing footwear for the past 30
years, while I have been in many factories I never
made my own shoes.
With you teaching me and guiding me, I made my
first pair of shoes . I have always wanted to take a
class like this but it was usually in Italy and
thousands of $$$$.
I flew in from FL and while I was extremely tired
and COLD you were very patient with me.
When we finished my first pair I was totally proud
and amazed at what you taught me. It was a GREAT
experience.
I do not plan on making shoes for a living, I plan on
practicing and then teaching my grandson a craft
that has been forgotten.
I have been telling everyone I know about my
experience and how they should try it. I started by
telling two couples at the restaurant you sent me to
the first night while they were trying to eat.
Your love and passion for what you do makes it even
more enjoyable.
It was an honor to meet you and I will stay in
touched with you.
Bruce Pontner, Fl
Good morning!
You know - I never tire of sharing stories about my
terrific students. I am so proud of you all. I wonder
if you would mind taking a few minutes to share
YOUR reaction to your boot/shoe class experience.
It would mean a great deal to me to hear your
reactions. They could be posted on the site or used
in an article.
Points of interest might be:
- What made you decide to take a class in the first
place?
I have been wanting to take shoe making class for
years and when I saw the Groupon opportunity, I
jumped at it!
- How did completing your first pair of footwear
make you feel?
I was glad I was able to make a sturdy pair of
shoes. I know now I'll need to work on materials
and fitting better, as they are too large.But I at
least know how a shoe is constructed and feel
confident that if I have the right tools I can
construct a pair of sandals.
- Did you (or do you plan to) go on to continue
learning these skills?
Yes, I signed up for the bootmaking class
- Do you feel that the episode “empowered” you in
any way?
I want to go on to make sandals and shoes,
and hopefully teach people in Ghana how to do so.
In other words, even if you do not choose to make
shoes for a living, did you learn something about the
power of self-determination?
- Would you recommend to a Friend to take a class
that teaches the utilization of skills and imagination
to create personal income and assist their
community?
Yes, I plan to teach this in Ghana, and I also would
recommend to a friend.
I know you are busy, but your thoughts are
important to me and I learn from YOU, as I prepare
new additions to the curriculum.
Hatshepsut, NY.
I just watched the short video on your website and
wanted to write a quick note to thank and
congratulate you on your efforts. The world needs
more individuals like you who help the less
advantaged to help themselves.
Inspirational.
Best regards
Doug Ware
Arrowsic, ME
Maestro Olivier's How to Make Boots From Your
Garage is more than a method for learning the art of
boot and shoe making—it is an opportunity to enter
into an age-old tradition of craftsmanship as both a
means of self-expression and self-reliance.
It is clear from the moment you step into Olivier
Rabbath's workshop that he believes the tools for
creating a beautiful, finished design lie within your
reach. No matter how many slip-ups or missteps,
under or over-calculations the student craftsperson
might make, Rabbath's belief in the work, and in you,
does not waver.
It is his mission that during your time with him, you
extend that reach and leave his workshop with a
firm grasp of the concepts, skills, inside tips, guides
and mantras that will inspire you to create your next
design and the one after.
Is the work arduous? Yes.
Is it a challenge and an act of concentration,
inspiration, preparation and perspiration? Yes, yes
and yes.
Am I hooked? Yes.
The combination of Olivier's process with artistry,
artistry with craft, and craft as a means of re-
imagining and re-visiting the art of fashion as a
cottage industry is irresistible.
Boot-making in Olivier's workshop is a celebration of
that intimate connection between artisan, craft, and
buyer.
Learning the art of handcrafted footwear over the
course of a weekend or in one intensive 15-hour
workshop becomes an act of reclaiming that
connection, of taking the art of fashion and
shoewear design out the industrialized and soulless
exchange of the marketplace and bringing it back to
the kitchen tables, the garrets and, yes, the
garages of makers and the buyers who patronize.
Each pair of boots and each sale I make will be
infused with the experience of having spent time
with a teacher who holds the philosophy of
craftsmanship as an imitable truth.
When you enroll in Boot Camp, you are essentially
imbuing yourself with the power of making
functionable, sustainable art and building a life.
E.H. Vital-Lazare
Las Vegas
Hello Olivier,
Points of interest might be:
- What made you decide to take a class in the first
place?
Seeing the workshop in action and understanding
that you would learn the art of shoe
making from start to finish in a real hands on
environment (from day 10) with direct
contact with the teacher (classes usually have 4 or
less people at a time which means you
have great level of personal interaction with Olivier,
the master, himself.
- How did completing your first pair of footwear
make you feel?
Awesome! Very proud. My shoes came out better
than expected and I wear them to work
regularly. My co-worker, friends and family can’t
believe I made them.
- Did you (or do you plan to) go on to continue
learning these skills?
Yes, I have already started the boot class after my
shoe class and signed up for
workshop time as well.
- Do you feel that the episode “empowered” you in
any way? In other words, even if you do not choose
to make shoes for a living, did you learn something
about the power of self-determination?
Absolutely. Olivier is passionate shoemaker but is
also a passionate believer in the human potential. He
is one of the most creative people I have ever met
and his enthusiasm and belief in uplifting and
empowering oneself is infectious. The lessons
learned can far exceed the craft of shoemaking.
- Would you recommend to a Friend to take a class
that teaches the utilization of skills and imagination
to create personal income and assist their
community?
Absolutely. This skills taught are tangible, hands on,
practical and real. With minimal investment and some
practice, Olivier’s students can and do embark on
new ventures for themselves whether as a business
or hobby.
Mitchell Hoffmeister, NY
was able to make it a reality!
Throughout the entire process he was able to walk
us through what he was doing and bring out our
creative side along with his. We loved that he was
as excited about our product as we were. Any ideas
that Olivier offered only enhanced what we had
brought to him. He's a genius in this field and the
shoes that he creates truly are one of a kind!
MARK AND MICHELLE, NY
APRIL 2012 ,
PARSONS THE NEW SCHOOL INTERVIEW
Hi Olivier,
Here are my feels about your education.
I have been importing footwear for the past 30
years, while I have been in many factories I never
made my own shoes.
With you teaching me and guiding me, I made my
first pair of shoes . I have always wanted to take a
class like this but it was usually in Italy and
thousands of $$$$.
I flew in from FL and while I was extremely tired
and COLD you were very patient with me.
When we finished my first pair I was totally proud
and amazed at what you taught me. It was a GREAT
experience.
I do not plan on making shoes for a living, I plan on
practicing and then teaching my grandson a craft
that has been forgotten.
I have been telling everyone I know about my
experience and how they should try it. I started by
telling two couples at the restaurant you sent me to
the first night while they were trying to eat.
Your love and passion for what you do makes it even
more enjoyable.
It was an honor to meet you and I will stay in
touched with you.
Bruce Pontner, Fl
Good morning!
You know - I never tire of sharing stories about my
terrific students. I am so proud of you all. I wonder
if you would mind taking a few minutes to share
YOUR reaction to your boot/shoe class experience.
It would mean a great deal to me to hear your
reactions. They could be posted on the site or used
in an article.
Points of interest might be:
- What made you decide to take a class in the first
place?
I have been wanting to take shoe making class for
years and when I saw the Groupon opportunity, I
jumped at it!
- How did completing your first pair of footwear
make you feel?
I was glad I was able to make a sturdy pair of
shoes. I know now I'll need to work on materials
and fitting better, as they are too large.But I at
least know how a shoe is constructed and feel
confident that if I have the right tools I can
construct a pair of sandals.
- Did you (or do you plan to) go on to continue
learning these skills?
Yes, I signed up for the bootmaking class
- Do you feel that the episode “empowered” you in
any way?
I want to go on to make sandals and shoes,
and hopefully teach people in Ghana how to do so.
In other words, even if you do not choose to make
shoes for a living, did you learn something about the
power of self-determination?
- Would you recommend to a Friend to take a class
that teaches the utilization of skills and imagination
to create personal income and assist their
community?
Yes, I plan to teach this in Ghana, and I also would
recommend to a friend.
I know you are busy, but your thoughts are
important to me and I learn from YOU, as I prepare
new additions to the curriculum.
Hatshepsut, NY.
I just watched the short video on your website and
wanted to write a quick note to thank and
congratulate you on your efforts. The world needs
more individuals like you who help the less
advantaged to help themselves.
Inspirational.
Best regards
Doug Ware
Arrowsic, ME
Maestro Olivier's How to Make Boots From Your
Garage is more than a method for learning the art of
boot and shoe making—it is an opportunity to enter
into an age-old tradition of craftsmanship as both a
means of self-expression and self-reliance.
It is clear from the moment you step into Olivier
Rabbath's workshop that he believes the tools for
creating a beautiful, finished design lie within your
reach. No matter how many slip-ups or missteps,
under or over-calculations the student craftsperson
might make, Rabbath's belief in the work, and in you,
does not waver.
It is his mission that during your time with him, you
extend that reach and leave his workshop with a
firm grasp of the concepts, skills, inside tips, guides
and mantras that will inspire you to create your next
design and the one after.
Is the work arduous? Yes.
Is it a challenge and an act of concentration,
inspiration, preparation and perspiration? Yes, yes
and yes.
Am I hooked? Yes.
The combination of Olivier's process with artistry,
artistry with craft, and craft as a means of re-
imagining and re-visiting the art of fashion as a
cottage industry is irresistible.
Boot-making in Olivier's workshop is a celebration of
that intimate connection between artisan, craft, and
buyer.
Learning the art of handcrafted footwear over the
course of a weekend or in one intensive 15-hour
workshop becomes an act of reclaiming that
connection, of taking the art of fashion and
shoewear design out the industrialized and soulless
exchange of the marketplace and bringing it back to
the kitchen tables, the garrets and, yes, the
garages of makers and the buyers who patronize.
Each pair of boots and each sale I make will be
infused with the experience of having spent time
with a teacher who holds the philosophy of
craftsmanship as an imitable truth.
When you enroll in Boot Camp, you are essentially
imbuing yourself with the power of making
functionable, sustainable art and building a life.
E.H. Vital-Lazare
Las Vegas
Hello Olivier,
Points of interest might be:
- What made you decide to take a class in the first
place?
Seeing the workshop in action and understanding
that you would learn the art of shoe
making from start to finish in a real hands on
environment (from day 10) with direct
contact with the teacher (classes usually have 4 or
less people at a time which means you
have great level of personal interaction with Olivier,
the master, himself.
- How did completing your first pair of footwear
make you feel?
Awesome! Very proud. My shoes came out better
than expected and I wear them to work
regularly. My co-worker, friends and family can’t
believe I made them.
- Did you (or do you plan to) go on to continue
learning these skills?
Yes, I have already started the boot class after my
shoe class and signed up for
workshop time as well.
- Do you feel that the episode “empowered” you in
any way? In other words, even if you do not choose
to make shoes for a living, did you learn something
about the power of self-determination?
Absolutely. Olivier is passionate shoemaker but is
also a passionate believer in the human potential. He
is one of the most creative people I have ever met
and his enthusiasm and belief in uplifting and
empowering oneself is infectious. The lessons
learned can far exceed the craft of shoemaking.
- Would you recommend to a Friend to take a class
that teaches the utilization of skills and imagination
to create personal income and assist their
community?
Absolutely. This skills taught are tangible, hands on,
practical and real. With minimal investment and some
practice, Olivier’s students can and do embark on
new ventures for themselves whether as a business
or hobby.
Mitchell Hoffmeister, NY
