Lesson series

INTRODUCTION TO SHOEMAKING

This introductory course will help you kick-off your shoemaking endeavor on the right foot👣 and learn the Shoe Lingo, Importance of lasts and how to measure your feet to be prepared to choose the right last for your shoemaking project.
Let your shoemaking journey begin!

What's included?

  • 6 Sections + list of stores
  • Class Handouts
  • Feet Measuring templates
  • 23 Videos

Know your feet

You will learn the shoe lingo, and how to measure your feet and compare with lasts, so you can prepare for your shoemaking project.

Find the right last!

With the knowledge you have, find the right lasts for you! See you in class!
Meet the instructor

Keiko Hirosue

Keiko Hirosue





Keiko first became intrigued by shoemaking when she was in college when her own shoes never seemed to fit her the right way—she thought she had unique feet–and yes, each pair of feet are unique and different! 

She began making shoes in 2003 through independent studies with different teachers and makers, Emily Putterman, Eustace Robinson, Dani Zambrano, Chris Coulthrust, Marcell Mrsan, Dominic Casey, Steven Lowe, Faye Sevilla-Smith. Constantly seeking out instructors to teach her new skills, she began to recognize the need for a central hub that would encompass all-things shoemaking—an opportunity to learn from different instructors and makers while practicing her craft; a space where she and others could make big messes without messing up their tiny NYC apartments. That is how Brooklyn Shoe Space was born. There, she kept learning from other makers who came to the space, like Yuji Okura, Rebecca Heykes, Elizabeth Dunn, and Mar Espanol, and many more makers, always exchanging tips and tricks.

She is a firm believer in spreading the love of shoemaking and the knowledge to the world, and for consumers and students to understand their feet and their shoes better. Wouldn't it be so nice if there's a local shoemaker in your own city that you can go to to make your shoes?