Alongside our regulars, Bespoke Shoe of the month, In the Workshop and Tool of the month, in this issue we’re

• Celebrating shoe design talent at the 2024 Cordwainer Awards

• Off to the country to showcase the endangered handsewn craft at Craft Festival Bovey Tracey

• Interviewed on not one, but two podcasts

  Enjoy!

  Deborah & James

Now in its 10th year, the Cordwainers Footwear Awards has become one of the UK shoe industry highlights for students and universities alike.

Entries are open to students from the UK’s three leading undergraduate footwear design courses at De Montfort University, the University of Northampton and LCF (London College of Fashion).

Alongside prizes totalling £8000, the high profile awards offer an exciting opportunity for students to launch their careers and to take that first step into the industry, attracting extensive media coverage and receiving mentoring and guidance from established footwear professionals.

Sue Saunders Award for Excellence

It was wonderful to see entrepreneur and shoe designer, Sophie Webster, yes she of the butterfly wing shoes, receive the 2024 Sue Saunders Award for Excellence. The Award is given to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the footwear trade.

A fitting recipient as a graduate of the Cordwainers course at the London College of Fashion.

The Judges

This year’s judging panel assessing the portfolio submissions for strong design, material use, sustainability and innovation were: (left to right)

Charlotte Olympia Dellal, Cordwainer Freeman and international footwear and accessories designer

Katie Greenyer, Cordwainer Warden and Creative Director of Pentland Brands

Joanne Jorgensen, Materials Design Director (Footwear) at Nike

Joachim Sedelmeier, Cordwainer Freeman and Head of Design, Shoes, at Paul Smith

The Winners

LCF dominated the podium. The winner and recipient of the Cordwainers Footwear Award Trophy, was George Nikiforakis from LCF for his footwear collection inspired by travel, which combined 3D printed uppers with a knitted layered in-sole sock design.

Runner Up (also from LCF) was Ethan Robinson, for his take on the hiking boot featuring an all-terrain traction system. LCF student, Lu Zhou received the Sustainable Development Award and Therese Frank received commendation.

De Montford took the Sneaker/Athleisure Award, awarded to Joe Muir and commendation for Sophie Perrett.

It was lovely to have the chance to celebrate our shared anniversary, with Craft Festival’s Sarah James as we both turned 20 this year, Sarah with a well-deserved MBE under her belt!

Founded in 2004, Craft Festival has grown into a big deal.

The original event in the small, picturesque town of Bovey Tracey, has become on of the most prestigious and much loved craft events in Europe. It welcomes thousands of enthusiastic collectors, browsers and workshoppers and has grown to add Craft Festival Cheltenham and Craft Festival Wales to the family.

It was great to have the opportunity to showcase the endangered heritage craft - cordwaining - and to preview our heritage clog kickstarter to visitors. With old friends from Heritage Craft, Cockpit Arts and QEST there, it felt home from home. And the sun shone.

If you haven’t been, go.

Last call for our new Closing Class.

Three students over three days learning about clicking & closing leather; finessing all those fiddly seams, skived and folded edges to launch you on your way to making professionally finished uppers.

Remember if you’re a Carreducker alumni/student you get a discount.

29 - 31 JULY 3-day COURSE FEE £1386 / £1108 to Carreducker students

This month we’re doing a deep dive into…

THE PITFIELD TASSEL LOAFER

These are a pair of Bespoke Manufactured loafers, hand lasted in-house and finished at our specialist cobblers.

LASTS

The client chose bespoke lasts with a softly rounded toe shape and a deep toe box, that complemented a broader foot with slight joint issues caused by a lifetime working on her feet.

STYLE

This is a wholecut tassel loafer with a single seam at the heel; a style that is elegant, timeless and comfortable. The tongue gives the shoe a more comfortable fit over the instep, enhancing the grip.

LEATHER

The leather is a soft and supple burnish calf. A warm rich, dark brown with reddish hints. It’s easy to maintain, and its natural beauty is enhanced with a simple polish.

The tassel is made from the same leather and is fitted between the lining and the upper;

The lining has a reverse heel counter to grip the heel;

and the lining and footbed are in natural vegetable tanned leather to wick moisture away and to keep the foot comfortable.

MAKING

The Pitfield is made with the following features:

• 1” heel height

• Close sole, no welt

• Blake stitched sole

• Dark brown finish throughout

• Matching rubber sticker heel and sole to protect stitches, for grip and cushioning

Bespoke shoemaking is rarely straightforward but one of the most critical things, to get right at the start, is the measurements.

This is how we take measurements. It’s not very graceful; it’s a test of the knees and eyesight; and neither low cut tops or low rise jeans are recommended!

We’d love to have the client standing higher up so that we can sit on a stool comfortably to take the drawings and measurements.

What cunning stool, step or table do you use / have you seen to take client measurements that isn’t on the floor?

We’d love to see what you use or your ideas for one! There might even be a prize for the best suggestion.

Sleeking Bone

Offer

To enjoy a 10% discount on a Carreducker sleeking bone, hit the Buy Now button and enter the code SB10 at checkout

Reading: Foot Work; what your shoes tell you about globalisation

Watching: We’re not! It’s too sunny, so we’re out and about in the evenings. Maybe a bit of football!

Listening to: Carreducker, yes it’s us…

Chatting with the lovely Sarmilla on menSwear by a Woman on Apple Podcast

AND

watch and listen as we chat with Mark and Dan, Trade Legends on YouTube

If you know someone who would enjoy The Journal please copy and share the link below with them.

We promise to publish once a month, not to share your details with anyone and to try to make sure that there’s something of interest for you whether it’s new shoes, tools, materials, events or projects.

And if there’s something you’d like us to include, please email us with your suggestions [email protected]…what would you like to hear about?

Many thanks

Deborah & James