Corporate Training Programs
for Teams and Individuals
Learn Modern Shoemaking with Wade Motawi, “The Shoe Dog.” Wade has trained the staff of Fortune 500 firms and start-ups alike.
He can create a program suited to your corporate needs.
Customizable corporate training is guaranteed to level up the skills you and your employees need to improve the quality of your products.
- Customizable instruction with “The Shoe Dog.” Learn from a pro. Wade wrote the books on shoemaking. Live, Zoom, or recorded sessions are available.
- Tune up your team’s design and development processes to save time and reduce errors.
- Get expert cost-saving techniques and instructions on how the pros perform quality control and footwear inspections.
- Cross-train your buyers, designers, and merchandisers in footwear construction to streamline your procedures.
- Give your team the skills to advance the technical capabilities of your brand.
- Half-day refresher classes or long-term intensive shoemaking courses are available.
- Suitable for all levels: High-School, University, individual start-ups, large or small corporate teams – we have got you covered.
Contact us today to design your custom training.
On-Demand
Training On Your Schedule-
Complete Online Course Program
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One Year All Access Pass
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Lessons On-Demand
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100% Self-Paced Learning
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Textbook PDF's Included
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Program Certificate Included
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For Teams of 5+
On-Demand Plus
Guided Team Training-
Complete Course Program
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Lessons On-Demand
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10-Week Schedule
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Program Certificate Included
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Textbook PDF's Included
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Bonus Features
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Two Year All Access Pass
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Weekly Team Coaching Sessions
With The Shoe Dog -
Weekly Quizzes
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In Person Training Available*
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For Teams of 5+
Custom Curriculum
Live & On-Demand Instruction-
Complete Course Program
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Program Certificate Included
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Two Year All Access Pass
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Weekly Quizzes
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Weekly Team Coaching Sessions
With The Shoe Dog -
In Person Training Available*
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Bonus Features
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Live & On-Demand
Shoemaking Instruction
With The Shoe Dog -
Custom Made Courses
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Custom Scheduling
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Individual Student Check-Ins
Performance Evaluations -
Textbooks Included
(Print and PDF Versions) -
For Teams of 8+
What Corporate Training Clients Have To Say:
“Our intensive Technical Footwear Training with “The Shoe Dog” was an invaluable investment for our company. Our new Technical team has the skills and training to really make our products better and safer at a lower cost for our customers. We highly recommend Wade.” – A.Mendoza
“I’ve been using Wade’s quality control and inspection checklist in many aspects of my job. It’s invaluable.” – J.S.
“Wade is a great teacher – his content is easy to understand, and he delivers the perfect amount of personal antidote along with intense shoemaking knowledge.” -Jose R.
“I finally understand how all the pieces of shoemaking come together – it’s like I was in the shoe factory watching a new style from design to patternmaking, last making, tooling, material selection, cutting, pressing, etc. all the way through detailed specifications and cost sheets.” – Jim
“The Shoe Dog and his team helped us launch our brand. We went from an idea to actual samples in 6 weeks. We shipped our first ocean container after only 5 months, and our product is a huge hit after our first year of sales.” -A.M.
EXECUTIVE TRAINING:
WEEKEND CRASH COUSE
- 1-on-1 mission critical training for executives in need of footwear knowledge
- Footwear business A to Z: design, development, pricing, production, inspection, shipping
- 16 hours live instruction plus access to the Shoe Dog for follow-up problem solving situations
Contact us today to plan your custom executive training.
Currently Available Technical Footwear Training Units
What is shoemaking?
The art and science of footwear
What is a shoe last and why it’s so important?
Basic operations: cutting, stitching, and assembly
Cold cement vs. Vulcanized construction
Lasting types: 4 common types / 5 stitch-down constructions
Footwear patterns: How shoe patterns are made
Shoe parts
Pattern parts
Shoe assembly processes
Quiz topics: Shoe Parts – Lasting operations
A closer look inside many different shoe types
Shoe dissection: cross-section views of popular shoe styles:
Athletic, Men’s Dress, Women’s Flats, Women’s High Heels, Sandals, Kids, etc.
How and why each shoe type is made
The special last required for each type of shoe
Quiz topics: Matching shoe construction to shoe types
Shoe factory challenges
Subcontracting parts
Shoe factory walkthrough from start to finish
Factory departments
Machinery needed: lasting, toe molding, and heel molding
More important machines: outsole pressing pads and split level tunnels
Quiz topics: shoe factory departments
Basic shoe materials covered in-depth
Leather: how it’s made and how to use it in your shoe designs
Many fabric options
Man-made materials for the modern shoe
Footwear reinforcements to create, support, and fix the shape
Hardware: metal and plastic parts for shoes
Logo applications
Techniques for branding
How to specify foam for your shoes
Midsoles: review 14 different midsoles
Outsoles: study eight different outsole constructions
Footbeds: ten options to study
Material vendor relations: get the most from your material vendors.
Shoe material supply chain sourcing challenges
Quiz topics: Use of specific materials
Read and create footwear specifications
Specification drawings
Factory ready specification details
What to include
Checking a shoe against a spec sheet
Filling in the blanks
Blueprints
Footwear outsole types
Tooling information and development
Quiz topics: Create a basic shoe specification
Photo samples, Sales samples, Confirmation samples, Fitting samples
The sample development timeline
Uppers and outsoles
New development step-by-step
What is a pull over?
Quiz topics: Put development operations into the correct order
Material costing and consumption
How to calculate the cost of shoe components
Consumption: sheets, hides, rolls, parts, meters
Waste: interlock, loss, cutting, quality
The cost of tooling and other equipment
Mold amortization
The cost of everything and everything has a cost.
Quiz topics: Read a costing sheet
Margin building strategies to cut cost and add value
Nomination of suppliers
Material substitutions
Outsole options
A suppliers and B suppliers
Negotiated costs
Tooling and other equipment
Gold plating designs and Christmas trees
Primary elements to focus on
Quiz topics: How to cut costs AND add value
Import Duties and Tariffs: Who pays?
Customs documentation
Footwear Classification Guidelines
Chapter 64: How to read the US HTS
The Materials of the Upper and of the Sole
HTS Terms & Definitions
The chapter headings 6401 to 6406
Let’s play Name That Heading!
Quiz topics: Classify a shoe – Change a shoe to improve the duty classification
Design for quality and Development for quality
Selecting a quality factory
Testing requirements: shoe materials / finished shoes
On the line QC vs. outbound QC vs. inbound QC
Third party QC and dangers of corruption.
Shoe Grading: A grade, B grade, C Grade
How to inspect a shoe in the factory
How to inspect a shoe in the warehouse
Quiz topics: Shoe grades individual vs systematic quality issues
The shoe is a working envelope
Extreme size / Size trials / Fitting test / Wear test
Size grading and grading factors
True to size fitting
“Try on” comfort vs. “long term” comfort
Fitting models: in the factory and in development
Diagnosing fit problems & Fixing fit problems
Quiz topics: How to find and fix fitting problems
Techniques for effective factory communications
Clear and economical communications
Inside large development organizations
How to communicate with overseas factories
Quiz topics: Techniques for effective factory communications
Smart and sustainable shoemaking
Sustainability and costing
Economical earth-friendly strategies
Improved efficiency IS sustainability
How do you design sneakers?
Target market & Target design aesthetics
Customer Demographics
Shoe design process and technique
How to SLAM your design – Silhouette / Logo / Accessories / Materials
Logo Design strategy
Color Design strategy
Shoe Design flaws to avoid
Benchmarking your designs
Dealer Demographics
Getting by the buyer
Footwear price merchandising
Footwear feature merchandising
Footwear design merchandising
98% vs 2%
Halo vs the bad choice
Collaborations vs athletic marketing
Merchandising for dealers vs Customers