Reconstruct Your Sneakers (2-Day Intensive)

Join us for a 2-Day sneaker upcyling intensive where students will deconstruct and rebuild a sneaker from recycled and upcycled materials!

Saturday, March 21 - Sunday March 22, 2026 | 11:00am - 5:00pm

What You'll Learn

Over 2 days, students will learn how to deconstruct old, tired sneakers, and transform them into new, wearable pieces of art. The course will include discussion about color and material theory, and how to design and sew a custom shoe upper! While a base level of recycled material will be provided by the teacher, students are encouraged to bring their own shoes or textile items to take apart and reuse.

Day 1

We will go over color and material theory, and deconstruct, select, and clean material for the sneakers. Students will end the day with a design and layout for their custom upper.

Day 2

Students will construct the sneaker upper, learning how to work from scratch to build a new silhouette from the ground up.

What You'll Take Home

A totally unique pair of sneakers designed and built by you!

What to Bring

Bring a pair of old sneakers with pieces you want to deconstruct and use.

About Your Instructor

Elijah Dalley is an artist focusing on Waste Aesthetics, which has culminated in an ongoing body of work reconstructed from recycled and upcycled materials. These works are mostly sneakers, examples of which can be found on https://www.ghostboy.design/

Also check out other Arts events in Oakland, Workshops in Oakland.