Shoemaking Courses Online

If shoemaking is just a casual way to pass the time... you can keep scrolling. 🛑

But if you want to craft custom shoes that actually fit, or if you are ready to build your own bespoke footwear business, listen up.

Shoemaking isn’t rocket science, but it is highly technical. The small details will make or break your final pair:

🔨 Nail Placement: Place a nail too far from the edge during lasting? You’ll get a weak glue connection and a compromised shoe.
🤌 Lasting Technique: Stop using brute strength! Proper pincer technique saves your hands from pain and perfectly shapes the leather.
🔪 Proper Skiving: Put down the cheap "potato peeler" skivers! They stretch your leather and ruin the fit. You have to learn how to use a traditional shoemaking knife.

There is no "one-size-fits-all" approach to this craft. For example, a Loafer and a Moccasin might look similar to a beginner, but they require entirely different construction methods.

Stop guessing and start mastering the craft.

My 2-Year Shoemaking Program gives you nearly 600 hours of step-by-step tutorials PLUS my direct, personal mentorship to guide you, correct your mistakes, and ensure you are building real skills.

Ready to step up your craft and make great shoes together?

👇 Explore the 2-Year Program here:

https://www.shoemakingcoursesonline.com/on-line-courses/1-year-pro/

Mistakes are part of the process. What matters is having someone there to help you overcome them. 👞🛠️
I spend a lot of time and effort making sure my courses are incredibly detailed. That’s why each lesson is between 45 minutes to an hour and a half long. I explain every step and every detail—including the why behind the process—so you don't just blindly follow along, but actually understand what you are doing.
But even then, there is always room for mistakes. And that’s okay, because you are learning!

I don't have a pre-written "library of mistakes" to just hand out to students, but I can definitely help you figure out what happened and find a way to solve your specific issue, no matter what it is.

Recently, a student working on his Dr. Martens boots sent me a few pictures of his work in progress, asking what went wrong. He followed everything, and it should have been fine, but there was a mistake. And just by looking at a picture, it isn't always obvious because there are so many different things that can go wrong!

What happened? Well, it could be that he was trying to save some leather and, despite the instructions, used the wrong stretch direction—a small choice that can ruin the entire shoe and cost even more time. Or, he could have just missed one tiny detail in the pattern, which can also completely derail the boots.

This is exactly what my experience and skills bring to the table. My job isn't just to give you instructions; it’s to help you investigate, understand exactly what you did wrong, and learn how to fix it. By explaining the root of the problem—beyond just a simple "do this instead"—I help you actually grow as a shoemaker.

Doing it right comes with experience. So learn from a professional, do the work, and I am here to help you through the rest.

Ready to truly understand the craft? Join the 2-Year Pro Program:

https://www.shoemakingcoursesonline.com/on-line-courses/1-year-pro/

Shoe Last Customization: The "Golden Rule" You Need to Know! 📏👞
A great question came up recently from a student regarding the "0.8 cm" rule when customizing shoe lasts to match specific foot measurements. It’s a perfect topic to review because this simple rule actually applies to two very different (and critical) areas of your construction!

Before Tell you what's important.... bespoke customization:
Bespoke Derby & Opanka Course

https://www.shoemakingcoursesonline.com/on-line-courses/bespoke-derby-handsewn-opanka-shoes-course/

Authentic Cowboy Boot Making Course

https://www.shoemakingcoursesonline.com/authentic-cowboy-boot-making-course/

Now......

When you are modifying your shoe lasts, you have to consider two distinct factors:
The Length Allowance: Your last must be longer than your actual foot to accommodate your toes and create a beautiful shape.
The Girth Fit: Your last’s circumference around the joints needs to be slightly smaller than your actual foot measurement to ensure the leather hugs the foot snugly.
Getting these adjustments right is the difference between a shoe that fits like a glove and one that feels sloppy. But here is the catch: The approach changes depending on the style of the shoe!
The way we customize a last for a sleek, Hand-sewn Opanka shoe or a Bespoke Derby is quite different from how we approach the robust, structured shape required for an Authentic Cowboy Boot. Each construction has its own set of rules for how the leather should sit and how the last should be balanced.
I’ve been teaching these variations to my students across my specialized courses, and it’s fascinating to see how the same principles of anatomy apply differently to each style.

Are you making shoes? Know This -Every pair of shoes is a completely new technical challenge!
One of the biggest misconceptions in shoemaking is thinking that once you learn the steps, you can repeat them exactly the same way for every shoe.
The truth is very different.
Yes, the general process remains similar. We create a pattern, cut the leather, sew the upper, last the shoe, and build the sole. These stages repeat in almost every footwear type.
But the technical approach changes constantly.
Why?
Because every shoe is made from different materials. Different leathers. Different stiffeners. Different linings. Different sole constructions.
And each material demands its own method.
For example, in the loafer lessons from my Men's Shoemaking Bundle, I teach how to shape and hammer the toe when working with leather stiffeners. But would I use exactly the same technique with a thermoplastic stiffener? Or with a non-woven chemical reinforcement? Or when making a shoe without stiffeners at all?
Absolutely not.
The goal may be the same, but the technique must adapt to the material.
This is what separates following instructions from truly understanding shoemaking.
Many beginners focus only on what to do.
Professional shoemakers focus on why they do it.
When you understand the behavior of materials, you stop copying steps blindly. You learn how to adjust your approach, solve problems, and achieve consistent results regardless of the materials in front of you.
That's why learning shoemaking is not about memorizing techniques.
It's about understanding the logic behind them.
Because once you understand the materials, you can create almost any shoe you can imagine.

2 spoons of skill and 1kg of knowledge! 🥄🧠
Repetition brings you to a great level of perfection, but if you just don't know what you are doing wrong, it is completely useless!
You can try over and over again and still not know what the heck is going wrong with your sandals. It is incredibly frustrating. I am a bespoke shoemaker, and I see these same errors repeating themselves all the time because people just don't understand the basics of footwear construction. These specific mistakes will completely ruin how your sandals look and how comfortable they feel.
I want to save you that frustration. I just published a short YouTube tutorial revealing the 3 Most Common Mistakes In Sandal Making, and I know many of you will have a massive "Aha!" moment! 💡
👇 If you want to watch the full tutorial, comment
"SANDALS"

Watch the full tutorial:
https://youtu.be/JtqkNVN8xq4

Don't forget to comment on the video and let me know—have you had this experience? Tell me what other problems you have encountered, because I am sure you did!

Lasting a shoe is never just pulling leather! 🗜️👞

People think lasting is always the same process—just pull the front, pull the sides, and you are done. But not really! Proper lasting changes entirely depend on three major things: your footwear construction, your specific shoe last, and the leather you are using.

The main goal is always to stretch the upper tightly to the last using pincers—never by hand! You need zero gaps so the leather sits flawlessly before you even think about attaching the sole.

But the technique completely changes depending on what you are building. Lasting a classic shoe in a beginner's program requires a totally different approach and tension than the heavy, structured pull needed for the traditional Hand-Welted construction in authentic Cowboy boots. Working over a specialized western last with heavy leathers demands an entirely different set of rules than basic cemented shoes. Every construction demands its own method.

The first thing I am is a footwear designer and a bespoke shoemaker. I make shoes, and my real, hands-on knowledge is exactly what I share with my students. If you want to learn the proper way to make shoes, learn from people who actually make shoes!

Master proper lasting across different constructions here:
Beginner Programs:

https://www.shoemakingcoursesonline.com/on-line-courses/beginner-programs-sale/

Men's Shoes Bundle:

https://www.shoemakingcoursesonline.com/on-line-courses/how-to-make-mens-shoes-bundle/