For Alex Blust, making shoes is a tradition that lasts
While some people are picky about their footwear, most of us don’t spend much time considering how our shoes are constructed, or the history of their designs. Craftsperson and Cook County resident Alex Blust is an exception to that.
Blust told WTIP that while she has built up knowledge and skills in a handful of different types of craft, shoemaking in particular has captured her interest. She made her first pair of shoes in 2018, and since then made about 10 pairs. Specifically, she makes lasted shoes, or shoes that have been made using a mold to create the shape. This summer she will spend five weeks in Norway learning about traditional shoe-making in that country, with grant support from the American Scandinavian Foundation.
The grant Blust was awarded enables American craftspeople to travel to Scandinavia to work with a mentor and learn about a traditional craft, then bring those skills and knowledge back to their communities.
Blust will be working with Norwegian shoemaker Jan Myhre to learn about how Aurlandsko are made. Aurlandsko, or penny loafers, were designed by Norwegian Nils Tveranger in 1926 after he spent time in the United States. Tveranger was inspired in part by Iroquois moccasins, and melded the design of those softer shoes with the highly structured Scandinavian shoes of his time.
Myhre will teach Blust about the Aurlandsko using an original “last,” or shoe mold, from the factory that first produced them. The pair will also travel to the only factory that still makes the shoes by hand in Norway.
Upon her return, Blust will share her knowledge with the community, though she said she has not settled yet on what form that might take.
WTIP’s Kirsten Wisniewski spoke with Alex Blust about her upcoming trip and the shoe she will study. Audio of that interview is below.
Kirsten Wisniewski April 29, 2026
