The design of these elegant, handcrafted shoes with embossed oak-leaf print was inspired by the Russian fairy tale of Tsar Saltan. The heels, in the form of carved squirrels, were designed by Elisabeth and sculpted by professional woodcarvers.
© Tonje Kornelie
© All rights reserved
© Tonje Kornelie
© All rights reserved
© All rights reserved
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Elisabeth Thorsen
- Shoemaker
- Vardø, Norway
- Rising Star
Contact
Norwegian, English
Address:
Vinkelgata 6, 9950 Vardø, Norway
Vinkelgata 6, 9950 Vardø, Norway
Hours:
By appointment only
By appointment only
Phone:
+47 90569624
+47 90569624
© Tonje Kornelie
Handmade shoes with a unique twist
- • Elisabeth's shoes are a combination of art, craft and sculpture
- • She mixes old and new techniques with second-hand materials
- • She is very interested in the symbolism of shoes
Elisabeth Thorsen does not simply make shoes: she makes art. Each pair is unique, creative and original, just like their maker. She likes to craft her shoes by experimenting with unusual materials that are not commonly used in traditional shoemaking. She mixes leather with recycled materials derived from furniture, carpets and curtains, as well as using unconventional materials such as ice, sugar and sports tape. Her designs are inspired by folklore, fairytales, nature, art, 70s movies and the Sami culture. “After all these years working with shoes, I still feel like a beginner,” she says. “Shoes are very complicated to make and there is so much to learn, but it’s always fun!”
Read the full interviewWorks
Photo: © Tonje Kornelie
Tsar Saltan
Photo: © Tonje Kornelie
Cold feet
Elisabeth added artificially grown crystals to these handcrafted shoes to give them a frost-like trim. The blue and light-pink tones, together with the snowflake patterns, further contribute to the winter feel and evoke the world of fairy tales, which fascinates Elisabeth.
Photo: © Tonje Kornelie
Inside-outside
The colourful hand-embroidered pattern on these high-heeled shoes is just as intricate and neat on the inside as it is on the outside. The heels are made from recycled chair legs.
Photo: © Tonje Kornelie
Draw me a pair of shoes
The soles and heels of these handcrafted leather shoes have been created from coloured pencils, which were grouped and glued together before being cut into their final shape. The seams on the shoes were hand-painted.
Photo: © Tonje Kornelie
Marbled
These handcrafted leather boots are made from vegetable-tanned leather, which has been marbled with a green and white pattern.
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