The Daniel Charkow Emerging Sole Award

The Daniel Charkow Emerging Sole Award is an annual award launched in 2026 with the Cordwainers Footwear Awards to celebrate the legacy of Daniel Charkow. The winner receives an award of £1500 from the Charkow family.

ABOUT DANIEL

Daniel was a young, visionary shoe designer and prolific skilled shoemaker whose creativity, curiosity, and inventive use of materials reflected a deep respect for craftsmanship.

Daniel graduated from the BA Cordwainers Footwear course at London College of Fashion in 2023 with a First and won both the Cordwainers’ Jimmy Choo award and the Cordwainers’ Cup for Excellence. He handmade shoes for private clients and major fashion week shows and was a member of world-renowned shoe designer Sophia Webster’s team. Tragically, Daniel passed away in 2024.

ABOUT THE AWARD

This award recognises a rising talent in shoe design and/or making who embodies the qualities that defined Daniel’s work and carries forward the values Daniel championed – creative courage, meticulous craft, and a deep respect for the art of shoemaking.

Applicants are invited to explore Daniel’s body of work, his philosophy, and his dedication to the craft of shoemaking on Instagram @shoe_man_dan and in the Virtual Shoe Museum

HOW TO ENTER – Entries are currently closed

The award is open to entrants of the Craft of Shoemaking Award and the Footwear Design Awards (i.e. you cannot enter the Daniel Charkow award on its own).

If you would like to be considered for this award, please include in your submission video/written statement an additional 30 seconds/250 words explaining what it is about shoe design and making that excites and inspires you, reflecting on Daniel’s principles of design and craftmanship.

The winner of the Daniel Charkow Emerging Sole Award will be chosen by the Charkow family, from a shortlist of entries proposed by the Footwear and Craft of Shoemaking Award judges.

Good luck!