Description
Our leather shoemaking course is held in a shoe making workshop. Do you know why?
Because we are definitely convinced that if you want to attend a shoemaker course, the best place to learn this craft is in a real Italian shoe making workshop. You will learn really quickly with intensive lessons.
Behind each made-to-measure shoe there is an in-depth study of the shape of the foot, materials, leathers and the most suitable models to create a shoe that is comfortable but also beautiful to look at.
The master shoemaker will follow you step by step. The workshop is located not far from the historic centre of Florence.
This course is also available on-line for intermediate levels.
Are you looking for long-term courses and for a shoemaking school in Italy?
Check our shoemaking courses at our brand-new shoemaking school!
| Starting dates 2023 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | on request | May | on request | September | on request |
| February | on request | June | on request | October | on request |
| March | on request | July | on request | November | on request |
| April | on request | August | December | on request | |
| The school will be closed on the following national holidays: Epiphany (06/01), Easter Monday, Italy Liberation Day (25/04), Workers' Day (01/05), Republic Day (02/06), Ferragosto (15/08), All Saints (01/11), Immaculate Conception (8/12), Christmas holidays and New Year. | |||||
Damienmarc –
I would like to thank Federica for organising the correspondence and keeping me informed about the course, especially in the beginning.
I had a wonderful experience on the shoe making course with shoe maestro Danielle. He has a very calm and laid back approach to teaching. Usually the classes begin with a demonatration, where you can ask questions and then a do-it-yourself time before continuing to the next step. Initially i thought this process was a bit slow but there is so many small technical steps that in the end this process worked very well.
I did 3 weeks 48 hours, loved it so much and came back for another 48 hours over 3 – 4 weeks.
I was really proud to be able to walk away with a pair of desert boots with a derby clash style in a style that speaks to my personal identity. It is a very satisfying feeling. Not only that but Danielle gifted me a pair of lasts that are my size, which was very kind of him.
I learnt many techniques and feel confident with trying shoe making in my own time.
You’ll learn pattern making, cutting leather, glue the leather and also get experience with sewing on industrial machines and finally fixing the upper to an insole and outsole.
I would recommend to add some sewing exercises for people to familiarise them selves with the machines.
I was lucky because the course was not held in Danielle’s shop but actually in Scuola Academy, a school for leather craft. This was an amazing treat as you are immersed in young learners creating their designs in bag and shoe making. So the environment was really special and everyone very friendly. Infact on my course i was in a group of 4 Italians, who were working on their own courses for the Academy. It was great to be able to watch them design and develop their shoes.
All in all it was a wonderful experience. I stayed at a local hostel down the road called Santa Monica Hostel, it is the cheapest i could find and in the same area as the academy. Easily walking distance.
Thanks so much to Danielle and Federica for makimg this experience possible.
Denise –
A huge thank you thank you thank you to Federica and Daniele for an amazing experience. If you have ever been interested in shoes or want to direct your career or projects towards learning about the shoemaking process, this course is absolutely essentially. I honestly wish I did this earlier than I did, because there’s not really any other reading or pondering about the subject matter that can match hands-on experience from the masters. A note for those that are new — a pair of shoes takes quite a bit of time to make, especially if you are asking questions. Italy also has less heating in general than you might be used to in the States, even indoors, so if you’re coming in the winter, bring clothes as such. If you tend to be more booksmart, it would be useful to read up a little on shoemaking before diving into it head first, it will definitely make a lot more sense as you are in the process and capitalize on your time with Daniele. I am leaving this course transformed in many ways, and I can’t recommend it enough. It is truly such a rare and unique experience at a very reasonable price. Do it!
chen –
I took a 24 hour course of shoemaking, I arrived with no experience at all. Daniel is a charming and pleasant teacher with experience and patience. I recommend the basic learning course even without prior knowledge.
Dor –
Daniel is a legendary teacher!
I took a course with him in zoom because I could not get to him because of the corona virus.
Despite my concerns about a practical online course, Daniel’s patience and professionalism made up for the difficulties. I recommend anyone who wants to enter the field of shoes during such a period to register for the course.
Denise Buckley (verified owner) –
I loved the shoe making course. Daniele was knowledgeable and patient with us. Two weeks was enough time to learn the process and leave with a unique pair of shoes. My only suggestion is for those who are based in Frienze the fabulous art city, that the class be from 9 -1 daily so that we could have explored the city more fully. The shop was a 40 minute bus ride from our housing which we found an interesting and enjoyable ride. The 3 hour break from 12:30-3:30 was had to fill., as everything in the neighborhood was closed. The apartment was in a perfect spot 2 blocks from the Pitti Palace…we felt like natives. The once in a lifetime experience was fabulous and I would highly recommend this for anyone willing to learn and enjoy a fun filled holiday in Italia.
josefina –
Me encantó la experiencia.
Para personas que ya saben de calzado y quieren profundizar en la técnica de armado artesanal lo recomiendo mucho.
Yo lleve mis propias capelladas ya aparadas porque fui poco tiempo (solo dos semanas) y quería aprovechar el tiempo y armar el par completo. Usamos una horma que tenia Daniele que iba perfecto por suerte, pero quizás estaría bueno avisar que vas a necesitar para ver si lo tienen.
Hicimos las plantillas de armado en suela, el armado del zapato, la suela y su terminación.
Además aprendí algunos secretos de moldería para hacer ajustes de las capelladas en cuanto a calce.
Un lujo.
Aproveché para comprar algunas herramientas también.
Me quedé con ganas de armar un par mas para practicar lo aprendido, pero tenía que volverme.
Lo super recomiendo!
En cuanto a Federica, también muy amable y muy presente siempre.
Mucha gracias por todo!
soledad –
El curso fue muy bueno, mi profesor fue Daniele.
Debo agradecerle su paciencia y pasion por enseñar tan bien este maravilloso oficio, explicandome cada detalle paso a paso una, dos y hasta 3 veces para que yo quedara completamente entendida en el tema. Realmente para mí fué muy importante ya que me transmitió demasiados conocimientos, detalles mínimos que jamas imaginé, me hizo valorar y comprender lo dificil y hermoso que es este oficio.
Gracias además a Federica por toda su ayuda y orientación.
Sandra –
El curso exelente Daniel fue paciente al enseñarme pues yo no sabia nada ,adaptó las lecciones a mis necesidades y se preocupo por explicarme los detalles y la importancia de cada paso,exelente lo recomiendo .
El hospedaje con Maria y Paolo fue una gran exeperiencia son muy amables y exelentes Anfitriones ademas que la convivencia nos ayudó a entender y disfrutar mas de nuestra estancia ,la cultura y el estilo de vida en florencia.
Lo disfrutamos en verdad..
Gracias a todo el eqyipo de studiaenitalia por su apoyo y otientacion .
magda –
El curso fue una experiencia inolvidable! Realmente iniciar en la técnica italiana es mucho más complejo de lo que imaginaba. Gracias a la paciencia y asistencia de Daniele, pude introducirme en este arte.
Me hubiese encantado quedarme por lo menos 3 meses y lograr hacer un par de zapatos.
Quisiera recomendar al que no sabe nada de este tema que dos semanas es muy poco tiempo para profundizar en el tema. También recomiendo que para tomar este curso y aprovechar mucho mejor todos los conocimientos del instructor, se deben tener conocimientos del idioma italiano.
También quisiera mencionar que el hospedaje estuvo muy bien, me sentí como en la casa con mucha hospitalidad y confianza.
Gracias por toda la asistencia y actividades extra que estuvieron geniales de parte de la Escuela.
Para el que quiera hacer zapatos de verdad, este es el lugar!
Esoero volver pronto!
Sonia –
Firstly I would like to thank Federica and Lara for your assistance in enrolling in both the Italian Language course and shoe making course, you were very professional and provided me with support and excellent service.
On the first day I attended the Italian language course I was placed with a group of about eight students, but unfortunately for me, all of the other students already spoke some Italian and I was the only absolute beginner. It was clear during the first lesson that this class was not suitable, and I was offered individual, one on one classes instead. Unfortunately for me I was not able to practice my Italian speaking during the day and this meant that I did not retain as much of the information as I would have liked.
The shoe making course was absolutely wonderful. I took the 48 hour class, with 3 hours per day for 4 days per week for 4 weeks. I studied in Florence, and my instructor was Daniele. He was an excellent tutor, he trained for 2 years full time and has been an artisan shoe maker for 15 years. He was very thorough in his tuition, making sure I understood the process correctly and why things were done in a particular way. He made sure I understood the important steps in making a model from the last, and the pattern making process. We made several different patterns over the 4 weeks. Some important things for potential students to be aware of:
There are no written materials or manuals provided, you will need to write your own notes. I took extensive photographs of the important steps in the pattern making process.
The artisan you work with will probably be running a business and you may be interrupted by customers during your lessons.
Having been provided with no information about the budget required for equipment and materials, I would recommend approximately 200 euros if you are making a pair of shoes. This includes equipment such as a cutting mat, scalpel, metal ruler, paper, pencils, customised shoe last, leather for the upper and lining, and heels.
Daniele did not own a regular sewing machine to sew the leather, the pieces were sent to a contractor for a price of 35 euros. I am not sure of the correct order in which these pieces were sewn and will need to buy a shoe making text book to assist me with this stage when I make another pair of shoes.
Shoe making is a very precise and lengthy process – be prepared to spend a minimum of 15 – 20 hours to make one pair of shoes (or more if you are a beginner).
I am absolutely thrilled with my new, completely unique, artisan shoes, and I now own a set of lasts to make as many pairs as I wish, with many design options available. I would definitely recommend this course, and if you are able to study for more than 48 hours then you should do so.
I studied in Florence, and this city is known for it’s leather products. If you happen to study there I would recommend a visit to the Salvatore Ferragamo Museum which has hundreds of shoes on display by this famous designer, and has free entry on the first Sunday of each month.
I hope this information has been helpful
Kind regards
Sonia (from Australia)
Dana –
I would like to thank both the course organisers, Federica and Lara, and my teacher Danielle for a wonderful and enlightening experience. I absolutely loved the course and would have loved to stay longer and learn more. Danielle was really professional, dedicated and patient. He made me learn a lot about shoes in two weeks. My only suggestion is to have a more concentrated module for short courses as its not possible to properly learn the whole process in a short period of time, especially given that we’re leaning from artisans who already have a job to attend to at the same time. One possibility would be to send teaching material prior to the start of the course.
If you’re looking for a hands-on shoemaking experience, I would highly recommend it.
Dana, Bahrain
Steven –
I really enjoyed everything very much. Laura was a great host and she really went above and beyond to ensure I was comfortable. As for shoemaking, I had an absolutely wonderful time with Francesco, Valerio and Anna – they really took me in and made my entire trip. Valerio took me around to his favorite restaurants, Anna cooked for me and Francesco provided the entertainment making me laugh 24/7. I really feel like I made some really great friends. Oh yes, and I did learn to make sandals! It was a great experience and very much my style. The only thing I could say that someone may not like is that if they are looking for a shoe course that is very structured, organized and step by step instructional, then this is not the right course for them. It is very hands on and you just learn as you go – this is probably why I liked it so much as I prefer more hands on. Also, I think that Valerio really is just such a great person that if is hard not to enjoy the time you spend in the shop.
If you have any questions or want to know more, let me know. Thanks for coordinating everything for me. I’m planning on visiting again and would like to take a couple of cooking classes while I’m there.
Paula –
Tuvimos un comienzo un poco dudoso pero Helen, Valerio y Naoko hicieron de nuestra estancia una experiencia enriquecedora. Sentimos que nos vamos con el aprendizaje necesario para empezar nuestra marca. Agradecemos con mucho cariño lo pendientes que estuvieron de nosotros. Esperamos poder volver en cualquier momento y de pronto continuar con otras cosas que quisiéramos aprender pero para eso nos mantendremos en contacto.
Un abrazo inmenso, felices fiestas!
Muchas bendiciones en esta Navidad y Año Nuevo…
Con cariño,
Paula y Alexandra