Shoemaking is the process of making footwear. Shoemaking isn’t as difficult as it looks, but it does require some skill and patience to create the perfect product.  There are a few simple steps that everyone can follow to make their own shoes. Here are 10 free courses that will help you up your shoe-making skills

Footwear Design School: Learn how to be a footwear designer

This program is geared toward beginners and aspiring designers. Knowledge of Photoshop is a requirement for the course. Topics covered include how to choose leather for shoes, the anatomy of a shoe, design development, and much more. The course is not free but includes a 30-day trial.

Making a Wedge Heel Shoe in Gumpaste

This is a step-by-step instructional video on how to make a wedge-heel shoe. You will be given full instructions on how to create your pair of shoes. In the course of the training, you will learn how to use accessories and colors for shoe design.

Sandal-Making 101

This skillshare course is beginner friendly. You will learn how to make sandals from start to finish. This course will leave you with the foundation necessary to make great shoes. You can access the course for free with the Skillshare 7-day free trial.

DIY: How To Make The Butterfly Heels

This YouTube tutorial teaches you how to make a high heel shoe with a butterfly design. The tutorial is simple and easy to implement, as are the materials for making the heels.

Introduction to Shoe Making

With over 40 minutes worth of content, this free introductory course will give you the basic knowledge you need for your shoe-making journey. To access the course, simply sign up for the newsletter on the website.

Sneaker Factory Online Shoe School

This website has an online curriculum of shoemaking articles for beginners. These articles will take you from the basics of shoe design and shoemaking to advanced material selection topics. Step-by-step instructions will be provided to teach you how to design shoes. You can subscribe to the newsletter to get a free ebook on sneaker construction.

Shoemaking Process

This is a step-by-step guide on how to make quality shoes. With this comprehensive guide, you’ll find information on measuring, choosing styles, and finishing shoes.

Shoe-Making lessons 1-13

You don’t need to be a professional shoemaker to create beautiful shoes. This YouTube series will teach you how to make a pair of derby shoes. It provides comprehensive information covering every aspect of the craft from start to finish. Upon completion of this course, you’ll be able to create professional-looking shoes.

Best Leather types for beginners in shoemaking

This tutorial teaches you the best shoe leathers you can work with as a beginner. You will learn how to select the best leathers to work with and the ones to avoid. The tutorial includes videos and complete materials for each step of the process.

How to Become a Shoe Designer and How to Make Designer Shoes

This is a comprehensive course for aspiring shoe designers. If you are looking to start your shoe-making journey professionally, you’ll benefit from this course. Important topics like how to build your resume and how to render your services online are also covered in the course. (This course is not free but includes a 30-day free trial.