About

Making a pair of shoes is not only a transformative experience, it is a skill that has almost disappeared. Shoe School is changing this by giving you the skills to make your own shoes.
 

Hi, I'm Lou - I launched Shoe School in November 2015 and relocated to Wellington in 2017, where I've helped students create hundreds of shoes of their own custom design.

I first began making shoes in Dunedin 10 years ago. I couldn’t find work and decided this was my chance to learn shoemaking, something I’ve been curious about since a teen, obsessively saving for my 1st pair of Doc Martens.

10 years ago it was pretty hard to study shoemaking in NZ, so with nothing to lose I sold some of my belongings and travelled to Australia to train. I was absolutely determined to set up a studio of my own, so I launched a small business making kids shoes (a simple place to start) and used the profits to buy antique shoemaking equipment. In 2015 and again in 2017 I was invited to intern in Tokyo with a Master shoemaker - a connection I made through a backpacker I met in Dunedin!

I've been extremely fortunate in my quest to learn shoemaking, but I couldn't have done it without some solid day dreaming. Please email me if you have any questions about your own shoe dreams - shoeschoolnz@gmail.com

I look forward to hearing from you!