The Academy is the result of a project by Canadian designer and shoemaker Jennifer Allison and was founded in 2014 with the goal “to make shoemaking accessible to a general audience”.

Anyone can participate in the classes and workshops as the only condition is to have an interest in footwear and wanting to make shoes by hand without any industrial machinery. Within each workshop students will be guided through the design process from start to finish and will learn how to design footwear from both a creative and technical perspective.

Several workshops are available from sandal, ballerina or moccasin making to baby booties and high heels manufacturing.

Jennifer Allison studied Fashion Design at Ryerson University in Toronto, Canada and after travelling across Canada, US, South America, Asia and Europe while working for various footwear companies she settled in Toronto.

For more information about the Art & Sole Academy please refer to their website.