Description
Don't have a clue where to start? start here!
What if you could download the same shoemaking books used to train the staff of the world’s top shoe brands. TODAY.
Would you be interested to know these same books have been translated and are used by Spanish, Chinese, and Vietnamese speaking shoemakers?
What if you could learn about shoe design and the shoe business from an actual working footwear professional?
Do you want to see how the big brands make shoes? Now you can!
More than just a tour through a sneaker factory, How Shoes are Made will show you how modern shoes come to life!
From drawing shoe designs to sample development and footwear manufacturing you will see how it’s done.
Written by veteran shoemaking pros, How Shoes are Made will give you a look inside the REAL world of shoe design, development, and mass production.
26 chapters explaining shoe design, shoe pattern making, sample development, footwear materials, stitching, outsole and tooling design, EVA forming, final assembly, shoe lasts, shoe factory prices, quality control, shoemaking equipment, starting your own shoe brand, and much more!
Jump-Start your career in the shoe Business
THE SHOE DESIGN PROCESS
Start with a footwear design brief
Turn your sketch into a rendering
Make a shoe design pattern
Find the right shoe last
FOOTWEAR DEVELOPMENT
Step by step Transform your design
Outsole tooling mold design
Footwear pre-production process
Shoe material preparations
FOOTWEAR PRODUCTION
Learn how are factory makes shoes
Upper stitching operations
Outsole rubber pressing
EVA midsole forming
The shoe assembly line
MAKE FOOTWEAR SPECIFICATIONS
Learn to create your specifications
What does a factory need to make your design
How to read an outsole blueprint
SHOE MATERIAL SELECTION
Create Logo designs for shoes
Pick the best leather for shoes
Design textiles for shoes
How to use synthetics for shoes
Foam for shoes
THE SHOE BUSINESS
The shoe designers tools you need
Find your job in the shoe trade
What is footwear quality control
Life working at a shoe factory
26 Chapters packed with shoemaking information
1 :THE SHOE DESIGN PROCESS
The shoe design process
Two types of design briefs
Get started drawing shoes
2 : FOOTWEAR SPECIFICATION DRAWINGS
How to make a factory ready specification drawing
What to include in a specification
3 : MAKING FOOTWEAR PATTERNS
Shoe designer vs. pattern maker
The pattern maker’s challenge
4 : SHOE SPECIFICATION DOCUMENTS
Parts of a shoe spec
How to detail a spec sheet
5 : OUTSOLE TOOLING DESIGN
Footwear outsole types
Outsole blue prints
Footwear tooling development
6 : FOOTWEAR DEVELOPMENT PROCESS
Footwear sample making
Development sample phases
7 : FOOTWEAR PRE-PRODUCTION
Production size grade
Production cutting equipment
8 : SHOE MATERIAL PREPARATION
Material cutting
Logo printing and preparations
9 : UPPER STITCHING OPERATION
The stitching room
Stitching order of operations
10 : OUTSOLE RUBBER PRESSING
Mixing rubber materials
Rubber molds and pressing
11 : EVA MIDSOLE FORMING
What is EVA made of?
EVA pressing operations
12 : THE SHOE ASSEMBLY LINE
Cold cement shoe construction
Vulcanized shoe construction
13 : THE SHOE LAST
Shoe last shapes
How lasts are made
Metal, plastic, and wood lasts
14 : FOOTWEAR COSTING
Where does the money go?
Reading a factory cost sheet
Shoe part costs
15 : LOGO DESIGN FOR SHOES
What is the right logo for your shoe?
Shoe logo constructions
16 :LEATHER FOR SHOES
Leather basics
Common leather for shoes
17 : TEXTILES FOR SHOES
Fabric weaves vs. fabric knits
Backing and surface treatments
18 : SYNTHETICS FOR SHOES
Synthetic material types
Synthetic applications on shoes
19 : FOAM FOR SHOES
Foam types
Open cell vs. closed cell foam
20 : KNOW YOUR FOOTBEDS
Footbed parts
Material types for shoes
21 : FOOTWEAR MATERIAL SUPPLIERS
Working with material suppliers
List of top shoe material suppliers
22 : SHOE DESIGNERS TOOLS
The Pantone™ color system
Common tools of the shoe trades
23 : JOBS IN THE SHOE TRADE
Getting started in the shoe trades
There is a job for you
24 : QUALITY CONTROL
How to grade shoe quality?
Standard shoe inspection procedure
25 : LIFE AT A SHOE FACTORY
Look inside a real factory
Common shoe factory working conditions
26 : SHOE MAKING DICTIONARY
Shoe making terms you should know
Shoe parts diagram
Series: How Shoes are Made (Book 1)
Paperback: 220 pages
Publisher: Wade’s Place; 3rd edition (April 5, 2018)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1519389574
ISBN-13: 978-1519389572
Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 0.5 x 11 inches
Nigel Keen (verified owner) –
As a design student, and now job seeker, “How Shoes are Made” has given me incredibly valuable insights into the shoe business! This book has equipped me with the vocabulary and insights into production, design, and business in a way that’s allowed me to have deeper conversations with industry professionals and mentors. I’m planning on getting the rest of the book series to go even deeper! I’m truly grateful for resources like this to make my vision of a future into footwear much more tangible!
Many thanks! N. Keen
Jean (verified owner) –
J’enseigne la cordonnerie et je suis chausseur depuis 30 ans. Vos livres restent une véritable source de découverte et d’efficacité!
Jean-Luc
(I teach shoemaking and have been a shoemaker for 30 years. Your books remain a real source of discovery and efficiency!)
Stephanie –
This was a gift to a family member that has an interest in sneakers. Very well written and understandable.
Vaibhav –
Excellent resource to learn about the shoe industry.
This book provides an excellent overview of the shoe industry starting from design phase to materials selection to commercial production/commercial supply chain. The information in all chapters is presented in a easy-to-read format with plenty of pictures of the actual factories and manufacturing/testing equipment, tooling, intermediate and final product etc. The book focuses more on real-world operations of the shoe industry and less on theoretical/ academic aspects of design, materials and manufacturing. For e.g. there is a chapter on shoe assembly line which discuss different types of shoe constructions commonly used in the industry by heavy use of pictures of the shoe construction process and actual pictures of assembly lines from the factories in Asia where majority of shoes are made. There are also contacts of different suppliers of materials (e.g. foam, leather etc.) used in shoe making. The contents are particularly helpful to people who are new to shoe industry and are interested to learn about the day-to-day functioning of this industry.
The author demonstrates strong knowledge and experience of the shoe business. Details of shoe design development process, selection of different materials used in making shoes, and different processes followed by suppliers/ manufacturers are described in right amount of details. I also have to note that I corresponded with the author- Wade M regarding a few questions after reading his books. Author was prompt to respond and eager to help with my questions. During my correspondence, I greatly appreciated not only his technical expertise but also his humility and willingness to help!
I also purchased the other two books by the same author – “How to Start Your Own Shoe Company” and “Shoe Material Design Guide” and must say they complement each other well. I’d highly recommend all three books for someone who is pursuing entrepreneurial opportunities in the shoe industry and wishes to know the inner workings of this footwear development, manufacturing and global supply chain process.
Overall, I found this book to be a great read; I’d highly recommend it.
G.C. –
Awesome book! Best book if you are starting. Great information to begin making your shoes. Definitely worth the money. ! Ty. Gl
Silvertip –
Takes the mystery out of the shoe industry.
As an owner of a small US made shoe company, I have been frustrated at the last of educational materials on how shoes are made. We have unique products and have developed a lot of our own methods, which is fine, but there are times when we needed to know how certain things are done. This book helped us bridge that gap and also gave us some great leads on suppliers and others in the industry. If you’re just looking to try to make your own pair of shoes once, then there are other resources better suited for you. However, if you’re interested in seriously entering the shoe design/manufacturing market then this is a great starting place.
MR AO OSOKOYA –
Part of a Great Series of Books.
I have purchased all 3 of these books and they are a wealth of insight and information. Furthermore, I have been able to email Wade and received helpful responses from him. Really recommended.
M.A. –
I found troves of useful information. I bought all 3 books from this series.
Very informative. I am working on developing my own shoe line. I found troves of useful information. I bought all 3 books from this author!
Matthew H. –
If you are interested in designing shoes, read this book. If you want to start and own a shoe company, read this book. If you already have a brand and are interested in adding shoes to your lineup, read this book. Plainly said, this book will save you time and frustration assessing the footwear industry and if it’s something for you. If you’re thinking of participating in the shoe game in any way, the contents of this book will add significant value to your vision, plans, business, etc. How Shoes are Made is a goldmine of useful information that you can immediately integrate into your footwear dreams, I highly recommend it.
Rene C –
Great book for the non-sneaker industry veteran.
While people working within the shoe industry may be able to pick at various aspects of the book (I see other reviewers having done this), to someone without an industry background, this book is full of helpful information on the contemporary sneaker production process – information that isn’t easy to acquire in one consolidated place otherwise. I greatly appreciate all the knowledge shared in this book and would highly recommend it to anyone (like myself) that is looking for some foundational insight into the many facets of sneaker production.
D. West –
I love this book!!
I bought it as a coffee table book for our home because my husband is a novice designer and loves this stuff but came to find out that it has something for everyone to learn from. It is so interesting to delve into a world you know nothing about and learn so much!! Mr Motawi is a great author and i hope he writes other informational books!! thank you!