The Complete Footwear Short Course
Course description
Under the guidance of specialist footwear tutors Nafi Mustafa and design by Havva Mustafa, The Complete Footwear is a 20-week short course.
You’ll start the course with an introduction to footwear pattern cutting, including foot anatomy, size fitting systems and measurements using a range of contemporary methods. You’ll then, through a series of practical demonstrations and hands-on workshops, make three pairs of shoes. Throughout the course you’ll build up a comprehensive set of reference notes and supporting patterns for all your shoes, cover information on suppliers and tools, and learn how to create and complete a sample specification to industry standard.
The design section of the course will teach you the fundamentals of drawing lasts (shoe shapes), heels and other components to bring your ideas to life. Using your own mood boards and colour boards to inform your designs, as well as shoe design theories, you’ll learn how to draw from various and footwear styles.
Students have access to the full range of industrial standard machines used in the shoe-making process. You’ll learn how to click (cut your leather by hand) and how to prepare and fit the many components involved in shoes such as linings, insoles, stiffeners, and heel coverings.
Who is The Complete Shoe Design Short Course for?
This is a beginner's course aimed at designers, creatives, managers and entrepreneurs in the creative industries interested in footwear. It's also an excellent fit for individuals who are new to the creative sector or who aspire to work in it, and want to learn more about footwear and design.
Course outcomes
By the end of this course students should:
- Understand the history and context of the footwear industry
- Learnt the practical aspects of shoe pattern cutting
- Learnt the practical aspects of shoe-making
- Have created a shoe production specification sheet
- Learnt basic shoe and footwear drawing skills and how to develop ideas on paper
- Have created their own mood boards and colour boards to show their design concepts
- Have created three pairs of shoes
Clear, easy to understand lessons:
- Our tutors will explain things in easy to understand, accessible English. If they need to use any special terminology they will make sure they explain what they mean.
- New methods will be shown to students through live demonstrations.
Experience life on campus
- Network and share ideas with students from across the globe
- Access the technology and materials relevant to your discipline
- Shop in our college shops for any materials you might need
- Ask questions of your tutor in real time
- Receive feedback and critique on your assignments
- Experience the many sights of London on your down time
A certificate of completion:
- You've put the work in so we want to make sure you have something to show for it!
- As long as you attend a minimum of 80% of your classes, we will provide you with a certificate of attendance
- We always recommend you attend all of the classes so that you get the most out of the experience!
- Certificates are great to complement your CV
Important information for international students
International students must ensure their visa, short term or otherwise, is valid for the full duration of their course. Please visit out frequently asked questions for any questions about Standard visitor visa you may have. For instructions on how to apply for a Standard visitor visa and everything you need to know before and after receiving your visa please visit UAL website. Alternatively you can read our full guide on immigration.
Payment plans
The Complete Footwear Short Course is eligible for a payment plan and must fit the following criteria to request:
- The course start date must be at least 4 months away from booking
- The course fee must be paid in full 4 weeks before course start date
A 50% deposit is due at the time of booking. The remaining balance is divided into 3 monthly payments, payable via Flywire.
The course fee is £4,950, 50% of this is due upon booking (£2,475), followed by 3 monthly instalments of £825 per month.
Normal UAL Short Course T&Cs apply.
Contact ualshortcourses@arts.ac.uk for more information.
Available dates
Details
Topics to be covered:
- Footwear theory
- How shoes are made
- Pattern Cutting basics
- Pattern Cutting for a court shoe, loafer and sandal
- Clicking and Closing technique of a court shoe, loafer and sandal
- The making process of a court shoe, loafer and sandal
- How to draw basics for footwear – lasts (shoe shapes) and heels
- How to draw a court shoe court shoe, loafer and sandal
- How to create a moodboard and a colour board
Break down of shoe-making exercises
The Court Shoe:
Your first making project will be a pair of high heel court shoes, or the flat albert style slipper, which offers the best introduction to footwear pattern cutting, closing and shoe making. You'll be sketching your design onto the last and making your pattern.
You'll be guided through the different types of leather suitable for your design before moving onto the making process. The tutor will demonstrate the skills needed to identify the different upper materials and hand cutting techniques involved in cutting. You'll also be shown different types of edge treatments.
The Loafer:
You'll create a loafer that can be a high heel or a flat shoe, learning the base of the design so you can adapt it to your own style using various treatments such as a fringe, tassel, or a trim. This stye allows you to learn different pattern cutting and making techniques to the court shoe.
Flat Sandal/High Heel:
For your third and final project you will have the choice to make a flat sandal or a high heel sandal. You will design and cut your own patterns and investigate different styles including, slotted, skeleton and thong (sandals). You will move onto constructing the shoe, stitching the components together and attaching your sole and heels.
Materials
In order to get the most out of this course you should bring the following materials to your first session:
- A notebook
- A pen
- A mobile phone with camera
- A pencil and rubber
- A4 sketchbook
Meet the Tutor
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