Shoe design path

Learn the art of designing shoes by hand and digitally, create your own shoe collections by analyzing the market and trends.

This course will help you become a shoe designer by combining creativity and technique to teach you how to design shoes and soles, from precise sketches to the development of complete collections. Gain the skills you need to turn your ideas into market-ready shoe designs.

Key features of the shoe design course

  • Traditional and Digital Drawing: Master shoe and sole design through hand drawing, digital and 3D modelling techniques.
  • Moodboard and Research Skills: Create impactful moodboards to guide and inspire your designs.
  • Collection Planning: Master the process of designing balanced and strategically targeted shoe collections.

What you will learn:

  • Shoe design classes – 5 weeks: drawing shoes and soles by hand and with the use of Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, focusing on proportions, functionality and aesthetics: a journey through women’s, men’s and sneaker styles such as pumps and straps, derby and oxford, moccasins, boots and sneakers.
  • Shoe and outsole 3D design – 4 weeks: transform your digital drawings into 3D models with iCad3D+, design captivating outsoles with Rhinoceros and make photorealistic renderings with the use of state-of-the-art technologies such as PBR materials and material scanning.
  • Collection design classes – 6 weeks: plan a footwear collection, defining its style, target market, and storytelling; gain knowledge and perspective on marketing as it analyzes customers, brand values, brand positioning, products and trends. Develop moodboards to inspire and structure your creative process.
A student showcasing his footwear collection at the end of the course

Studying at Arsutoria School, the Shoe Design School in Italy, allows you to acquire practical and theoretical skills to create original footwear collections, with a curriculum focused on innovation, trend research and real-world applications in design.

If you wish, you can also attend one or more of the modules that make up the Shoe design path individually:

Shoe hand sketching, digital design and AI tools

Students learn to master the art of sketching footwear, starting from the basics of correct proportions and the intricacies of drawing shoe lasts. This segment emphasizes diverse illustration techniques tailored to various shoe styles, including luxury, mainstream, and sneakers.

Shoe 3D design course

This module introduces students to powerful software like iCAD3D+ and Rhinoceros, both essential tools in the modern footwear industry. The curriculum covers various applications of 3D modelling, enabling students to create detailed virtual prototypes that closely resemble their physical counterparts.

Shoe collection development course

The Branding and Collection Development module tackles design from a strategic marketing perspective. Here, students engage in deep analysis of customer demographics, brand values, and product positioning. This comprehensive approach is reinforced by collaboration with the editorial team of Arsutoria magazine, ensuring that the students’ training keeps pace with the latest industry trends. Throughout this module, students draw inspiration from current fashion trends, which is crucial for initiating their collection development process. The highlight of this segment is the culmination of their efforts in a final presentation of a personalized shoe collection, where mentors guide them step by step to refine their concepts and realize their visions.

Tuition

€ 5,500

Intakes

  • October 6 – November 14, 2025
  • February 9 – March 20, 2026
  • May 25 – July 3, 2026
  • October 5 – November 13, 2026

Testimonials

  • I studied industrial design and I chose industrial design because of Footwear but industrial design is very broad (...) I think that Arsutoria program will help me become just the best designer that I can be whether I do go a development round or I just stick to being a footwear designer or maybe even as a technician for a few years just to have the background knowledge

    Yan Fonseca

    Shoe one-year diploma student

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