Crushed sneakers and heels from McDonald's waste: meet the first batch of graduates of the Dutch Shoe Academy

Who will be the new generation of shoe designers in the Netherlands? The first batch of shoe developers from the Dutch Shoe Academy in Utrecht have just graduated - and are ready to introduce their ideas to the world. They have big dreams: from their own department store that offers a complete package for couples, to giving a modern twist to a classic men's shoe brand. FashionUnited spoke with Liesel Swart, teacher at the Dutch Shoe Academy and two recently graduated 'shoe developers' about their experiences and future plans.

Swart has been a teacher in shoe technology at the Dutch Shoe Academy in Utrecht since 2001. She graduated from the Utrecht School of the Arts (HKU) in 1992 and followed a shoe training course in Den Bosch, which she believes was the predecessor of the current vocational training course Shoe Developer.

Swart saw the need to make a link between students who follow an education in shoe technology and the business world. This was the idea behind the course Industrial Footwear Design, which Swart initially founded. "At one point there were plenty of designers, but few people who understood how a design is made or translated into a spec sheet," Swart said. "The industry was asking for people who also understood materials, machines and anatomy - but who could also read a design and write it properly to a manufacturer." Therefore, Swart consulted the industry, consulted with various educational experts and a qualification file was created. This is how the current Shoe Developers course came into being in 2018, which has been running for four years. The first batch has just graduated and four of the eleven students have already been offered a job during their internship. "This shows that what we had in mind works. I knew exactly what was needed because I have contact with the industry and I am very happy with the result” Swart shares.

Complete study programme prepares students for development

What makes this course unique? According to Swart, Shoe Developer is a complete study because of the unique range of lessons. "Technique, design and both the making and the repair of shoes are covered. You can’t find this combination anywhere else in The Netherlands. At ArtEZ University of the Arts, you can graduate in Shoe Design, but then you miss out on the technical and medical knowledge. At art academies you mainly learn about design, without the technical knowledge. According to Swart, even university studies do not offer such a complete range of subjects as this programme does. Thanks to their specialised knowledge, Swart says the students can 'go anywhere' after their training: the cultural sector (museums & musicals), fashion world or orthopaedic shoe technology are all possibilities.

The students work on various group assignments, of which Swart tries to complete at least four for the industry. One example is the assignment in cooperation with the circular company Fast Feet Grinded, which recycles used sports shoes. The idea is that students use the ground-up trainers provided to them to create something new. According to Swart, this type of assignment helps them build up a realistic portfolio.

They also often work with themes. For example, a few years ago there was an assignment for sportswear brand Fila with Halloween as the theme. The students then get to work with mood boards and try to push the boundaries within the criteria provided - something that, according to Swart, can often be translated into something commercial.

During the study programme, attention is also paid to anatomy lessons. These consist of medical knowledge, with a little biomechanics. All animal and synthetic materials are covered. Students also learn to use digital techniques, and work on the international market and set up their own label. Fashion is also an important part of the programme: students have to learn how to make an assignment fit the target group and the segment in which a brand operates.

Finally, students are also assigned real-life projects, which are called 'education in operation' assignments. Because the Dutch Shoe Academy has connections with the theatre world, they often receive a new batch of damaged shoes after a musical has been performed in London, which all have to be repaired. These shoes are then reused for musicals in the Netherlands, such as in Tina Turner and Aladdin.

Following in Louboutin's footsteps

Shoe developer Benyamin Apoo (30) fled Syria to the Netherlands six years ago. His focus is on high heels and for his final collection he made satin shoes for his bride. He even managed to make heels out of waste for a sustainability assignment for the Academy. For this, he reused plastic waste from his part-time job at McDonald's.

Apoo would recommend other people to take this course if they are interested in shoes. "You work with your hands, learn shoemaking and design, build your network, visit many companies and learn to think creatively."

His dream? To start his own label with exclusive high-heeled women's shoes or an 'all-in-one' department store for (married) couples, he told FashionUnited during a phone interview. Because there are not a lot of footwear companies in the Netherlands that focus exclusively on high heels. Louboutin fan Apoo is already exploring the possibilities in countries like Italy, England, Dubai and Turkey. He says his design style doesn't quite fit in with the sneaker-dominated street scene in the Netherlands. "But when ladies want to dress elegantly, heels do come out of the closet," he says. "High heels are not going away."

From guinea pig to designer at Brands-360

Wout de Groot (28) had tried several courses until he discovered, via a job coach, that he needed to do something with his hands.

De Groot is generally positive about the Shoe Developer course, despite the fact that he feels the current graduates are 'guinea pigs'. "There is a lot of focus on students, their choices and specific direction," says de Groot. He started the course with a classical approach: the goal was to make men's shoes by hand. By learning what he is good at, he now works as a designer at Brands-360, which falls under the Unlimited Footwear Group umbrella. Here he designs for brands such as Björn Borg, G-star and Gaastra, among others. In his opinion, only the theoretical part of the training could be more personal, because many different age groups follow the same courses.

De Groot is attracted to shoes in particular because "they’re something we've always needed and will always need. "A white shoe can be made in all sorts of ways, whereas a white T-shirt is often the same," he adds. He is inspired by Spanish designer Manolo Blahnik, who also makes his own shoes by hand. De Groot also admires the work of Ralph Lauren, who "created a brand and gave it an identity without losing sight of quality".

The best assignment took place during De Groot's graduation, at the time he worked three days a week mainly at Gaastra, at Brands-360. Then he designed a collection together with a colleague, which is now in the showrooms and being sold to platforms like Nelson, Zalando and Omoda. After his internship at Brands-360, de Groot was offered a contract.

The ideal clients of de Groot are established brands like boat shoes brand Sperry or Barbour. The idea is to give these brands a modern twist. The 'heritage' aspect is one of the reasons he enjoys working for the Gaastra brand, which was founded in 1897 as a sail-making company. "As a designer, it's great fun to use the past as inspiration and incorporate it into new designs."

De Groot is far from finished at Brands-360, but says he would also enjoy working abroad in the future for a more classic men's brand, such as Velasca Milano or British Clarks. One thing is for sure: de Groot wants to keep making shoes with his hands, which after all was a big part of his study.

The future plans of the Dutch Shoe Academy

Looking to the future, what are the plans of the Dutch Shoe Academy? Teacher Liesel Swart thinks it's particularly important that new colleagues also work in the industry and that people from the field preferably give a guest lecture every term. "So far there have been lectures on trends by Jan Agelink and the zips of YKK, the world's largest producer of zips. In addition, our students have been to the Durea shoe factory and have been on several excursions at home and abroad, such as a trip to the materials fair in Milan."

Swart expects that in the future similar courses will focus more and more on sustainability. "The shoe industry is very dirty, a lot of material is discarded. Recycling, reusing or working with biodegradable materials is becoming more and more important. In doing so, educating big brands like Nike and Birkenstock will be a challenge, but it is important to choose sustainable shoes that last if we want to preserve the planet."

Dutch Shoe Academy is part of MBO (the abbreviation for secondary vocational education in Dutch) Amersfoort, The Netherlands.

This article was originally published on FashionUnited.NL. Translation and editing into English: Veerle Versteeg.