Turn your interest in footwear into professional skills and real opportunity with Shoemakers Academy. Our online courses are designed for aspiring shoe designers, footwear developers, entrepreneurs, brand founders, and career changers who want to understand how the footwear industry really works.
Get complete access to 195 shoemaking lessons and more than 60 hours of expert video instruction covering shoe design, development, materials, manufacturing, costing, sourcing, factory communication, and shoe business start-up.
Whether your goal is to advance your footwear career or launch your own shoe company, the All Access Pass gives you a practical path from industry knowledge to professional capability.
Learn the industry. Build the skills. Launch your future in footwear.
What people are saying
Feedback
"Everything you'll ever need in one stop! Better than going to school and I'm enjoying how practical it is for a visual person like me. Also, I don't feel alone now that I have a friend in Wade for guidance and support on this journey. I'm truly grateful!!!"
Refelwe T.
Brand Builder
“Wade is a great teacher. The courses are easy to understand and he delivers his deep shoemaking knowledge with interesting personal anecdotes.”
Jose R.
Footwear Developer
"The Shoe Dog and his team helped us launch our sandal brand in 2020. We went from an idea to actual samples in 6 weeks. We shipped our first ocean container after only 5 months and our brand is a huge hit and growing bigger every year.”
Andrea S.
Brand Owner
“I finally understand how all the pieces of shoemaking come together – it’s like I was right inside the shoe factory."
Jim R.
Future Shoe Designer
"I've read your content and it's fantastic. It's for sure the most thorough content on footwear creation, it's very applicable and it's very exciting that you are developing videos from it."
Dan C.
Founder, Laceless Design
Wade Motawi
Meet Our Founder and Lead Instructor
"The Shoe Dog"
Wade Motawi, a veteran shoe designer with 30 years of experience, began his career in 1995 by traveling to shoe factories in Asia to study and document shoemaking techniques. He later led teams of footwear designers and developers on training missions to these same factories.
Throughout his career, he has held various roles including designer, developer, product line manager, development manager, advanced technology group manager, footwear buyer, business development manager, sourcing manager, and consultant. He has also lived and worked extensively in the far east.
In addition to designing shoes, Wade has also written several highly rated books on the subject of modern shoemaking and founded Shoemakers Academy to share his expertise with others.
Wade Motawi
The Top Dog & Your InstructorCorporate Training
Our modern footwear courses provide your team with in-depth instruction detailing the Shoemaking Process from Design to Development to Mass Production.
Your team can choose OnDemand Video Lectures, Live Zoom Sessions or Schedule In-person instruction with our teachers.
The Shoemakers Academy offers everything you need to jump start your shoemaking education. Text books, hand tools and shoe materials for our students are in-stock now.
Expert Footwear Training, Coaching & Consulting
Build stronger footwear skills, solve manufacturing challenges, and bring better products to market with guidance from Wade Motawi, The Shoe Dog.
Our courses and coaching provide your team with in-depth instruction detailing shoemaking from design to development to mass production.
Coaching for professionals, executives, and footwear entrepreneurs who want individual instruction, accelerated learning, and feedback tailored to their needs.
We help solve a specific footwear product, sourcing, quality, or business challenge.
Shoemaking Textbooks & Tools
Shoemaking Store
Ready to kickstart your footwear business journey? Look no further than the Pro-pack! The ultimate resource to break through barriers to your success in the industry. Get ready to demolish the roadblocks holding you back. The Pro-Pack delivers the critical information you need. Bundle up and save big.
- Sale!
How Shoes are Made
Price range: $29.99 through $59.99 - Sale!
Footwear Pattern Making and Last Design
Price range: $29.99 through $59.99 - Sale!
Shoe Material Design Guide
Price range: $29.99 through $59.99 - Sale!
Start Your Own Shoe Company
Price range: $29.99 through $59.99 - Sale!
Footwear Tooling Design Guide
Price range: $49 through $115 - Sale!
How To Spot Fake Sneakers
Price range: $29.99 through $59.99 - Sale!
Shoemakers Academy Pro Pack Bundle
Price range: $125 through $249 - Sale!
Shoemakers Academy Six Pack Mega Bundle
Price range: $150 through $305
Shop Shoemaking Supplies & DIY Kits
- Sale!
Leather Crafters Sneaker Kit for Beginners
Price range: $69 through $90 - Sale!
Leather Crafters DIY Shoemaking Boxed Build Kit
Reg. Price – Sale Price$105 - Sale!
Leather Crafters DIY Shoemaking Complete Boxed Build Kit
Reg. Price – Sale Price$195 - Sale!
Beginners Footwear Pattern Making Kit
Reg. Price – Sale Price$150
Quilted Sneaker Kits
Schools Using Our Course Materials
Where to Find Us
Shoemaking Articles
Footwear Business & Shoemaking Blog
⚠️ WARNING: Fake Quilting & Shoemaking Websites Are Scamming Shoppers!
Think you’ve found an amazing deal on quilting supplies or a Shoemakers Academy sneaker kit? Think again! In this video, Wade the Shoe Dog exposes a growing problem: fake online shopping websites targeting quilters, crafters, and shoemakers. These scam websites steal product photos from legitimate retailers, advertise unbelievable discounts, and attempt to trick shoppers into sharing their credit card information. With Black Friday and holiday shopping season approaching, it’s more important than ever to know how to spot these fraudulent stores before you buy. 👟 In this video, you’ll learn: How fake quilting and craft supply websites operate Why a $69 sneaker kit advertised for $30 is a major red flag How scammers steal product photos from legitimate retailers Warning signs to look for on suspicious websites How to use Google’s Gemini AI to help investigate a questionable website Where to report fraudulent online stores What to do if you’ve already entered your credit card information Where to safely purchase genuine Shoemakers Academy products Important Reminder: Just because a website has HTTPS or looks professional doesn’t mean it’s a legitimate retailer. Always double-check before purchasing! Shop Shoemakers Academy with confidence Purchase genuine Shoemakers Academy products through our official website, Etsy shop, or authorized retailers like Quilt in a Day. Official Website: https://shoemakersacademy.com/quilters-sneaker-kits/ Shop on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/HowShoesAreMade Join our email list for exclusive discounts and Black Friday specials: https://shoemakersacademy.com/subscribe/ Found a suspicious website? Report suspected scam websites to Google or visit https://www.netcraft.com to learn about phishing-site reporting. If you’ve already entered payment information on a suspected scam website, contact your bank or credit card issuer immediately. Help protect fellow crafters! Share this video with your quilting friends, sewing groups, and crafting communities. Together, we can help keep shoppers safe and support legitimate small businesses. Stay safe, shop smart, and happy crafting! — Wade the Shoe Dog & Andrea Video Chapters 00:00 – Holiday Shopping Warning: Fake Retail Websites 01:13 – Examples of Suspicious Quilting Websites 01:44 – How Scammers Use Real Product Photos
How to Use AI Technology in Footwear Development
How to Use AI Technology in Footwear Development LIVE Q & A Coaching Session Live on Zoom Hosts: Franck Boistel & Wade Motawi, Date: Thursday, November 19, 2026Time: 6:00 PM PT /
OnDemand Training Courses for Footwear Product Managers
Build Your Footwear Product Management Career Great footwear products don’t happen by accident. They happen when smart product decisions meet great design, efficient manufacturing, and sound business strategy. Welcome to
What kind of shoemaker are you?
A quiz about YOU! To make your shoemaking journey easier, please tell us a bit about YOU and your biggest challenges as a shoemaker. We can help. Take the 30-second About YOU discovery quiz.
Your shoemaking questions answered.
We provide both basic and advanced shoemaking knowledge. Every day we receive shoemaking questions from our friends around the world. Here are our best answers to your most frequently asked shoemaking questions.
Fast Track Shoemaking
Live Events
The Shoemakers Academy hosts live and virtual events to meet Wade Motawi, “The Shoe Dog,” and our other instructors. Our shoemaking events cover footwear design, development, brand building and manufacturing. Bring your questions and challenges! See our schedule of upcoming events.
Upcoming Events
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