Shoemaking Schools in Europe 1. Accademia Riaci – Shoemaking Location: Florence, Italy Address: Via dei Conti 4, 50123 Firenze FI, Italy Duration: 4 weeks to 1 year, short summer/winter intensives Cost: €1,980 (4 weeks) – €11,000 (12 weeks) Website: accademiariaci.info 2. Stefano Bemer School […]
A Retro Showdown with Modern Shoe Design Lessons We haven’t done a shoe review in a while—between tariff chaos, client work, and factory visits in China and Ecuador, it’s been a packed season. But now we’re back with a head-to-head: the Nike Daybreak vs. the […]
DIY Sneaker Kite Reviewed If you’ve ever dreamed of designing your own sneakers from scratch, a sneaker making kit might be the perfect place to start. In this comprehensive review, we tested and compared the two best sneaker making kits available to help you find […]
Shoemaking Supply Websites Finding quality shoemaking materials can be a challenge, especially if you don’t live near a major city with access to cobbler supply distributors. In many areas, local options are limited or nonexistent, making it necessary to turn to online sources for essential […]
Coming March 15th! Pre-Order Now How to Make Quilted Sneakers How to Make Quilted Sneakers is a comprehensive, step-by-step guide for sewists and quilters ready to expand their skills into footwear construction. 72 Full color pages and over 150 photos Reserve Your Copy Today! How […]
5 Things Footwear Product Managers Can Do to Weather the Tariff Storms In today’s unstable trade environment, footwear product managers are at the epicenter of the industry’s most urgent challenges. Sudden tariff increases, shifting international alliances, and fragmented supply chains are forcing brands to adapt […]
Shoemakers Academy Frontline Footwear Sourcing Report I recently spent three weeks in China, engaging with clients and factories who are grappling with the challenges of serving customers in the current, unpredictable tariff environment. The situation in footwear sourcing is exceptionally challenging, with many industry professionals […]
Wade Motawi Shoemaking Expert, Author & Founder Shoemakers Academy Wade Motawi, affectionately known as “The Shoe Dog,” is a veteran footwear designer, developer, and educator with over 30 years of experience in the global shoe industry. Holding an Industrial Design degree from the University of […]
Addressing the Current Footwear Tariff Impact The global footwear sourcing landscape is undergoing rapid and disruptive changes due to evolving tariff policies. With tariffs already imposed on footwear imported from China—and similar measures now targeting Mexico—two of the industry’s most established and cost-efficient manufacturing bases […]
Board Lasting Part 2: Outsole bonding https://vimeo.com/1061409928 The outsole bonding process, commonly referred to as “outsole cementing,” is a crucial step in shoemaking that involves attaching the shoe’s upper to its outsole using adhesives. This method is widely used due to its efficiency and the […]