Every month I create shoemkaing tutorials for you, my dear subscribers and shoemaking students. So you can imagine how many shoe making tutorials are out there. First of all to make it easier on you, each year I choose my top shoe making tutorials to give you the best results. Each year a new tutorial is added, so here you can find the best shoemaking tutorials for each year.
2021 gave me the opportunity to create many shoemaking tutorials for you. This year I focused a lot on the beginners in shoemaking to help you get started.
In today's post, I want to focus on my 5 most important shoemaking tutorials that you need to focus on if you want to make shoes.For additional insights and techniques I've developed over the years, refer to this article: "How to Make Shoes - Best Free Shoe Making Tips and Tutorials for Beginners".
Every one of them is super important and if you have missed them ( or forgot ) during this long year, this is your opportunity.
My Top 5 shoemaking tutorials of 2021
#1
Lasting shoes? Start here! [Shoemaking Tutorial 2021]
Lasting shoes is one of the most exacting steps in shoemaking because you finally will see how your shoe will look getting the needed shape on the shoe last. This process consists of different steps that have the exact order you need to follow but no matter in which step you are there is a proper way how to pull the edges of the shoe upper and lining and attach them to the insole.
In this shoemaking tutorial, I teach exactly how to pull the upper and lining especially in the toe area to avoid the creation of the folds in the feather line of the shoe last.
Also, I have a few posts where I explain different steps of a lasting process working with different materials:
#2
Shoes with Dremel [Smart shoemaking]
In making shoes there are a few steps where industrial machines are required but we know how to overcome this problem with a smart approach. One of them is to use alternative tools that can replace machinery and do the job in the same manner but at home with the minimum working space.
For example, there is non-traditional shoemaking tool that actually became traditional already 🙂 that can replace a big professional sanding machine. I am talking about the Dremel drill.
You can use this tool in many steps and in this post "Dremel drill: 8 Ways to Use This Shoemaking Tool" I explain where to use it and how. Also, you can watch an upgraded video tutorial with a full explanation.
#3
How to make Sockliner [ Simple shoemaking tutorial]
Sockliner is the inner shoe detail that we place at the final step of making shoes. Usually, this detail is underestimated but it actually can upgrade the look of your shoes or make them look worse. The sock liner must complete the entire design of your shoes and that's why it could have many different styles.
The secret is that when you know how to make the simple, let's say classic sockliner pattern, you can change it and make a lot of other different styles suitable for your footwear type.
In this post "Sockliner In A Shoe – The Ultimate Guide" you can learn more about different types of sockliner and in the tutorial below you can watch the entire process of making a simple pattern of the sockliner.
#4
Designing Wedge Sandals
In shoe designing, there are a lot of components you can use to emphasize the main idea of your shoe design. For example, wedge heels especially with the front platform can give you extra design possibilities in making any footwear type.
In this shoemaking tutorial that you can watch below, I give you different ideas on how to use wedge heels in sandal designing.
Note: In the tutorial, I use cork wedge that we made in my wedge sandals course and you can learn more about the uses of cork in this post "Cork in Shoe making"
#5
How we make shoes Perforation
Perforation is a shoe detail that you can insert in the design of any footwear type. Let's say you already made simple, classic flat ballets shoes, so you already have a good, correct shoe pattern. Now, you can use this pattern again and make new flat ballet shoes with different designs by upgrading this pattern in seconds. I am talking about adding the perforation in your flat ballet shoes which you can do in many ways.
-How to upgrade the design of any footwear type with the use of perforation,
-How to make a pattern with the perforation,
-How to cut, sew and make perforation in shoe upper-
All this I teach in my shoemaking tutorial that consists of two parts.
My Top 5 shoemaking tutorials of 2020 [choose yours]
#1
How to Measure Your Feet Size[ Order the right shoe last]
You probably want to make comfortable shoes for you that will fit your feet perfectly. There is confusion in an understanding of the shoe last sizes and many of you probably wear wrong shoe size. So there is a proper way to measure your feet parameters and then to choose the right shoe last size accordingly.
#2
Perfect Shoe Last To Learn Shoemaking [1 Shoe Last = 10 Shoe Types]
After you will know your shoe last size, it is a time to choose the right shoe last.
This is the first thing you need to source before you start making shoes. There are many shoe lasts types but there is the optimal shoe last type you need, to make many different footwear types.
![10-Shoe-types-with-ONE-SHOE-LAST-[Smart-Shoemaking-]](https://www.shoemakingcoursesonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/10-Shoe-types-with-ONE-SHOE-LAST-Smart-Shoemaking-.jpg "10-Shoe-types-with-ONE-SHOE-LAST-[Smart-Shoemaking-]")
#3
Making Shoes with Basic Pattern
A basic shoe pattern is your starting point. In general, there are 2 different types of basic patterns :
Basic shoe pattern for pumps, flat ballets shoes and basic pattern for all other court shoe types including boots.
There is an easy method to make this basic shoe pattern that every beginner in shoemaking can follow.
So grab your shoe last, take a masking tape, utility knife, measurement tape, and pencil. Click play and watch this one of the most useful shoemaking tutorials of 2020.
#4
Making Flat Ballet Shoes[ Unlimited Designs]
The next step after learning to make basic pattern is to make flat ballet shoes. Yes, there is a certain order to learn shoemaking if you want to achieve the best results.
One of the main mistakes beginners do in making flat ballet shoes is to make not identical throat lines. The main reason is that you make your mistake during lasting.
#5
Best Leather Types For-Beginners in Shoemaking
To source shoemaking tools and materials is one of the hardest things to do when you start learning shoemaking or making your own shoes. I want you to know that there is minimum amount of shoemaking tools and materials you can start working with and making your shoes and here is a post where I share such a useful information for you "Beginners Shoemaking Tools and Materials: The Definitive Guide 2019".
There are so many different materials you can work with ...but there is one excellent material that you, a beginner in shoemaking, can start working with and make shoes already in the upcoming 2021 year. I am talking about Vegetable-tanned leather. It is one of the easiest materials to source and it is the best material to use in making your shoes because from this material you can make many different shoe parts: insoles, counters, shoe outsoles, and heels. That is why I chose this shoemaking tutorial and placed it in my 5 best tutorials of 2020.
7 Best Shoemaking Tutorials of 2019
During this year 2019, I made a lot of shoemaking tutorials for you, my dear readers! Among all these tutorials there are a few most important, in my opinion, that will be very useful to you in your shoemaking craft no matter if you’re a beginner in shoemaking or have some experience already. So I chose the 7 best shoemaking tutorials of 2019 that you need to pay attention on during your shoemaking learning!
If you missed some of them, now you have a good chance to learn them in detail with me again.
So let’s dive into my 7 Best Shoemaking tutorials of 2019.
1.Alternative cork solution or How to make shoes with minimum supplies
Cork is one of the most important natural materials in shoemaking. It has a wide range of usage and in this post ‘’Cork in shoe making’’ you can learn more about this material.
What I want to talk with right now is about alternative cork solutions or how you can replace the cork with another material, if you can’t find it. This approach is useful only in the step of shoe bottom flattening where we prepare the shoe bottom before the shoe sole attaching.
So if you want to make shoes and don’t have all the needed shoemaking suppliers (like cork), you can use some piece of leather, for example, a piece from your old leather coat. In this post, ‘’How To Make Shoes With Bad Shoe Making Supplies’’ you will find a full shoemaking tutorial on how to flatten the shoe bottom working with leather instead of cork.
The important message here is that you can make shoes despite all the lack of shoemaking materials and tools!
2. What you need to know in sandal making
In this tutorial ‘’Want To Learn This Sandal Making Technique?’’ I teach, in my opinion, one of the most important shoemaking techniques you need to know to make shoes with open details, to make sandals. If you're planning to create sandals or shoes with open designs, be sure not to skip this 2nd tutorial from my "7 Best Shoemaking Tutorials of 2019" list. You can find it, along with many other shoemaking guides, in this article: "How to make shoes-Best Free Shoe Making Tips And Tutorials For Beginners".
The fact is that you need to make one extra pattern of the insole that will contain the marks of the shoe upper. Without such an important pattern, you can’t make your sandals or shoes correctly. So pin this tutorial and place it in your shoemaking arsenal for sure!
3.How to Skive Leather in making shoes?!
Yes, skiving is the number one shoemaking skill you need to master. I know it is difficult, especially at the beginning, but it is possible.
There are many different shoe-making knives for this purpose, but I actually use this one.
Because It has a curved blade that is super comfortable in the process of skiving.
Anyway, if you can’t find any knife, use a utility knife and use this approach of skiving that I teach in my 3rd shoemaking tutorial ’’How to Skive Leather in Shoemaking?!”.
4.Shoe Designing 100% Working Approach [Make Any Shoes]
In this shoemaking tutorial, I show one of the pattern-making techniques that I developed and use instantly in my work.It is a part of my Freehand pattern techniques from the Footwear design course that I shared with you in this post “Shoe Designing 100% Working Approach [Make Any Shoes]”
In this tutorial, I show how you can use the pump last and make a boot pattern in less than 5 minutes! Oh, yes, dear reader, it is pretty is: follow this tutorial and make your boot pattern in 5 minutes.
It is only the tip of the iceberg, the whole idea of my Freehand pattern technique is to make any shoe design easy and fast but you already can start to make shoes using this pattern-making technique!
Also, if you want to learn 4 Design Solutions That Will Make Your Shoes Look Better, don't miss this article too.
5. How to fold a shoe upper tutorial
Folding is your next skill after skiving that you need to acquire.
There are a few important steps that you need to follow to make it like a pro and to have a great shoe upper.
In this tutorial “How to fold a shoe upper” I teach it to step by step! So if you want to make beautiful shoes with thin and well-done top lines don’t miss this shoemaking tutorial!
6.How to find a joint line tutorial.
The joint line is one of the most important lines in shoe pattern making, in shoemaking. It passes in the balls and to find it correctly on the shoe last you need to know the exact approach.
BTW You will need to know where this line is not only on the shoe last but on your feet as well in the process of feet measurements and the last customization. In this post "How to Measure Your Feet Size[ Order the right shoe last]" you can learn on how to measure your feet.
But first, you need it in pattern making of any shoe type to make comfortable and beautiful shoes!
So learn it properly in this tutorial “How to find joint line in shoemaking”
Finally the 7-th tutorial from my 7 Best shoemaking tutorials of 2019:
7. How to sharpen your knife
In this tutorial, I teach how to sharpen the blade of a utility knife BUT. You should use this approach in sharpening your shoemaking knife as well!
On the net there are so many different tutorials on how to sharpen knives and all of them can work but you really need to follow all the steps and to have all these special stones!
Many beginners in shoemaking have this difficulty sharpening a knife, and they are right because there so many approaches. So I chose for you the easiest one, that will work for 100% and you don’t need to have any special stone! You need to have only sanding paper and some wooden sticks. To learn more about many other shoemaking steps, make sure to read this article: "How to make shoes".
With all these being said, follow this tutorial “How to sharpen knife” , sharpen your knives and make your shoes in the upcoming 2020 Year!
That’s it. These were my 7 best shoemaking tutorials of 2019 that I collected for you!
Dear friend, I wish you and your family all the best in the New Year!
Talk to you next year!
Cheers,
Sveta
Hello
I hope your well, I am trying to make a pattern for an old pair of shoes, they were one of the first shoes made about 5000 years ago, one shoe was found in a cave in Armenia, and were made from one piece of leather, any help would be appreciated. Thanks for your time and consideration.
Kind regards
Steve