Workshops

Learn to make shoes and all of their pieces

Upcoming Workshops

None currently scheduled

See list below for workshop details and pricing

Shoe Design and Pattern Making


*This workshop is part of a series of shoemaking workshops. Take all the workshops and learn how to make shoes from start to finish, or just the one(s) that interest you.

This course is an introduction to shoe design and pattern making. You will learn the basics of drawing footwear designs and how to turn those designs into patterns. We’ll cover the names of shoe parts, elements of design and techniques for creating designs based on lasts. Patterns for the upper are based on the last itself. You will learn how to make profiles from lasts and create pattern templates from the profiles. We will draw and cut the patterns from paper. Cutting and sewing leather (known in the trade as clicking and closing) is covered in the Clicking and Closing workshop.

The techniques covered here are not only suitable for making your own shoes, they are in principle the standard methods used everywhere – from small shops like mine to large production factories. Please bring your own last if you have one, otherwise one will be provided.

Duration: 8 hours
Cost: $275.00

Cement Construction


*This workshop is part of a series of shoemaking workshops. Take all the workshops and learn how to make shoes from start to finish, or just the one(s) that interest you.

There are many different types of shoe construction, the most common of which is using adhesives to bond the upper to the sole (and sometimes also to the insole. Known in the trade as “cement construction,” this course teaches how to make shoes by bonding the upper to the insole and the whole works to the sole. You will learn how to form a shoe upper around a last (lasting), how to make and last the supporting components like heel counters and toe puffs, how to attach it all to the insole, and finally attach unit soles with integrated heel. Most shoes in production today are made this way.

If you took the classes on upper making and pattern design, you can use that to make your shoes, otherwise an upper will be provided.

Duration: 3 Days
Cost: $850.00

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