Uploaded September 2026 | Updated September 2026, 16 hours ago
When I started making my own shoes after learning and working in Italy, I had a very simple goal: to create what I wanted with what I had in my hands.
I didn't have a big budget, a large studio, or access to perfect materials.
I started in a small room in my apartment and learned how to work with what I could afford and source locally — from leather and heels to shoe lasts and other materials.
And this is exactly the knowledge I want to give you.
Recently, one of my students from South Africa wanted to start making a minimalistic line of men's boots. His problem was the leather available to him. It was very thin and delicate — excellent for some women's footwear, but not what he wanted for men's boots.
So I told him to do what we teach in my courses: reinforce and double the leather, using fabric or leather, so he could turn the material he already had into something suitable for his project.
This is the freedom I want you to have.
You don't have to wait until you find the "perfect" leather.
You don't have to buy every material specifically made for shoemaking.
You can work with leather or cardboard for insoles. You can make heels from stacked leather or wood, and create platforms and wedges with EVA foam.
And the same principle applies to tools.
Across my 26 courses, we work with more or less the same basic shoemaking tools. You don't need a big studio full of machinery to start.
I went from that small room in my apartment to manufacturing footwear lines, exhibiting at shoe fairs, and selling shoes to stores.
The point is not simply to minimize your expenses.
The point is to understand what you have — and what you can do with it.
That's what gives you the freedom to make the shoes you want.
Beginners in Shoemaking Tools and Materials Definitive Guide 2026
shoemakingcoursesonline.com/beginners-shoemaking-tools-and-materials
👉 Ready to learn from the basics to advanced? Check out my 1-Year Pro Program:
shoemakingcoursesonline.com/on-line-courses/1-year-pro
When I started making my own shoes after learning and working in Italy, I had a very simple goal: to create what I wanted with what I had in my hands.
I didn't have a big budget, a large studio, or access to perfect materials.
I started in a small room in my apartment and learned how to work with what I could afford and source locally — from leather and heels to shoe lasts and other materials.
And this is exactly the knowledge I want to give you.
Recently, one of my students from South Africa wanted to start making a minimalistic line of men's boots. His problem was the leather available to him. It was very thin and delicate — excellent for some women's footwear, but not what he wanted for men's boots.
So I told him to do what we teach in my courses: reinforce and double the leather, using fabric or leather, so he could turn the material he already had into something suitable for his project.
This is the freedom I want you to have.
You don't have to wait until you find the "perfect" leather.
You don't have to buy every material specifically made for shoemaking.
You can work with leather or cardboard for insoles. You can make heels from stacked leather or wood, and create platforms and wedges with EVA foam.
And the same principle applies to tools.
Across my 26 courses, we work with more or less the same basic shoemaking tools. You don't need a big studio full of machinery to start.
I went from that small room in my apartment to manufacturing footwear lines, exhibiting at shoe fairs, and selling shoes to stores.
The point is not simply to minimize your expenses.
The point is to understand what you have — and what you can do with it.
That's what gives you the freedom to make the shoes you want.
Beginners in Shoemaking Tools and Materials Definitive Guide 2026
shoemakingcoursesonline.com/beginners-shoemaking-tools-and-materials
👉 Ready to learn from the basics to advanced? Check out my 1-Year Pro Program:
shoemakingcoursesonline.com/on-line-courses/1-year-pro
