Derby Shoe Making Workshop at the Rare Trades Centre

Learn to make a pair of custom shoes with Luna Newby.

In this four-day workshop, you will make a pair of shoes for yourself. You can choose to make them more or less decorative by using different leathers, techniques and accents.

You will start by fine-tuning the foot measurements and making any adjustments to the lasts so that a good fit is ensured. You will draw around the pattern pieces, cut the leather, skive and sew up the upper in a particular sequence using electric and hand sewing machines and attaching metal eyelets if required. When the upper is completed the lasting process begins. This involves pulling and stretching the upper over the last with special pliers, glueing and inserting the stiffenings, attaching the randing edge and the sole and heel lifts.

Held at Ballarat’s Australian Centre for Rare Arts and Forgotten Trades, a world-class facility dedicated to learning and preserving Australia’s rare arts and trades through a series of workshops, masterclasses, events, and residencies.