With ‘Shoenatomy’, Footwearology has unveiled the successor to its flagship course ‘Making: The Future of Footwear’. According to the organisers, the programme is set to become the platform’s central continuing professional development offering for the coming years – for the entire industry: ‘We dare say that this is the re-education programme that all footwear professionals need’, they state at the launch.
The focus is on the question of how shoes can be developed that last through multiple lifecycles and can ultimately be fully recycled or broken down. “We are all aware that we need to create shoes that can have multiple lifespans and can eventually be fully recycled or broken down, but how do we achieve that?”, the organisers pose as the central question. The ‘Shoenatomy’ approach: a longer lifespan requires an optimised fit as well as the physical separation of aesthetics and structure.
This calls for a significantly different approach to shoe manufacturing. This transformation is made possible by the now wide range of innovative, automated manufacturing methods and the associated materials.
Programme overview:
Modular structure comprising five modules, which can be booked individually or as a package
Duration: six months, starting on 26 October
Weekly video classes, expert interviews and a weekly live Q&A
Target audience: designers, suppliers and manufacturers, product managers, developers, sustainability managers, innovators and recyclers
In terms of content, the programme covers both the development of new footwear and the handling of models already on the market that are to be given a second life or recycled. According to the provider, participants can use the programme to tweak individual aspects – or to completely overhaul their design and manufacturing approach.
A one-off early-bird rate is available in August only; payment in ten instalments is also possible. Meanwhile, registration for the summer edition of the ‘AI Augmented Footwear Designer’ course remains open until 31 August. This budget option does not include live classes: the video lessons can be accessed in one go, with support available via the online community. Access is valid for one year; unlike the regular course, AI updates are not included.
