Beginners shoemaking tool kit: We sell a beginners tool kit which includes all of the hard-to-find, essential tools and glue you’ll need to get started. Below we have outlined the key tools and equipment.

Tools & equipment: Paper, Masking tape, Pencil, Eraser, Ruler, Tape measure, Craft knife, Scissors, Silver pen, Heat gun (or hairdryer at hottest setting), Folding Hammer, Safety Beveler/Skiving knife, Awl.

Sewing machine: We use a ‘Janome HD9 Professional‘ sewing machine in our workshop, but many domestic sewing machines will sew through leather as well. We recommend using denim needles and nylon or polyester thread. You can read more about sewing machines for shoemaking in our post here.

Glue: We use Aquilim 315 glue for 90% of the shoemaking process and Klebfest glue (the extra strong stuff) for attaching the soles. You can also source these glues from ‘Algeos’ online in the UK– the strong glue from their website is called ‘Renia Colle de Cologne’.

Other/Optional equipment: Hole punch, Sanding Dremel, Cutting mat. 

Drill, Screwdriver and Screws (only required for attaching high heels).

We have a full international and local suppliers list within our online course. For more information and to book on, click here.

Lasts are shoe-shaped blocks that the shoes are built around. They come in left and right pairs and are normally made of plastic or wood. Lasts will determine the heel height, shape and size of the shoes.

We sell lasts on our online supply shop.

You can also order custom fit lasts from Podohub online.

The ‘insole’ is the heart of the shoe and sits beneath the foot. We sell pairs of customisable shanked insoles for high heeled shoes and Texon board tiles for flat shoes.

‘Uppers’ are the part of the shoe that cover the foot and essentially the part of the shoe that you see. Most uppers are made up of the outer material and a lining material, which are traditionally; leather, leather alternatives or fabric.

Leather: For upper leather you would need to chose something with a slight stretch to it. A thinner leather will give a softer looking shoe and a thicker leather would create a more structured shoe. Our favourite leather shops in London are:

J.T. Batchelor
G.H. Leathers
Walter Reginald

You can purchase leather from G.H.Leathers online and we recommend the Valencia Lamb Nappa for lining. The Calf Suede is also suitable for linings and uppers.

Leather alternatives: There are lots of exciting new vegan materials coming onto the market so we recommend you try out any you can get yours hands on.

Fabric: Most fabrics are suitable for footwear but they will most likely need to be backed with an iron-on interfacing to give them strength.

Traditionally made of leather or thermoplastics, ‘stiffeners’ are inserted within the upper to give shape and structure to the shoes. Depending on the style of shoe, two types of stiffeners can be inserted – the ‘counter’ which cups the back of the heel and the ‘toe puff’ which cups the toe area.

We use thermoplastic toe puff and counter stiffeners and sell them in packs of 5 on our online supply shop.

We like to use ‘Cork filler’ to create a nice flat surface underneath the shoes before the soles are attached. We purchase cork filler from Algeos or Leather & Grindery. Cork filler isn’t always easy to source outside the UK so you can also use patches of leather, foam or felt to fill out the gap.

Horrah! Heels are the trickiest component to find and we’ve got‘em!

Check out our online supply shop to see our selection of heels which fit our lasts perfectly.

When describing the heel as a shoe component this is the block or stilt which holds up the height of the shoe. Heels come in all shapes and sizes and have a huge influence over the style of the shoe.

For the soles we use a thick cow hide leather approximately 3mm thick. You can purchase veg-tan leather for soles from G.H.Leathers online.

We sell sneaker soles, EVA soles and A4 sheets of soling on our online supply shop.

Also known as ‘insocks’, insole socks are an additional piece of material, which is added to the shoe at the very end of the making process. They serve to cover up the insoles and screws/staples that attach the heels. They are also an opportunity to add some padding to the shoes for comfort.

Insole socks are normally made from a soft leather or fabric (often the same material that was used for the lining) and foam padding. We sell insock foam here.

Hardware is the additional components that can be added to footwear such as eyelets, zips, buckles, studs etc. We We have a a few tried and tested component recommendations on our Amazon list. Otherwise Etsy or eBay are great place to find bits like this. We also love London Trimmings for zips and J.T. Batchelor for buckles.

The main difference between sneakers and other styles of footwear is the sole. You can purchase sneaker soles from our online supply shop or Etsy online. To attach the sole you will need a Hole punch, Awl, Speedy Stitcher and strong Waxed Thread (around 1mm thick). We also find using a ‘curved needle’ and ‘crochet hook’ very helpful for some of the fiddly bits.

These materials can be found at a leather supply or ‘shoe findings’ store in most urban areas. If your city has one, they are worth checking out and exploring!
San Francisco/Oakland, CA: O. Baltor & Sons
Los Angeles, CA: Saderma Napa
CA: Hide House Portland, OR: Oregon Leather

If your area doesn’t have one of these stores Tandy Leather (stores and online) sells leather and rubber soling

Brooklyn Shoe Supplies

Kaufman Shoe Supplies

Amazon US and Algeos both operate from the US too and we ship all of our supplies internationally.

We have a full international and local suppliers list within our online course. For more information and to book on click here.