DEADLINE
Please submit your entry no later than 12 noon, WEDNESDAY 22 APRIL 2026
There are two awards to enter this year, the 2026 Craft of Shoemaking Award and the new Daniel Charkow Emerging Sole Award. (Please see below)
2026 Craft of Shoemaking Award
The Craft of Shoemaking Award was developed by Carréducker and the Worshipful Company of Cordwainers to celebrate hand skills and to shine a spotlight on shoemakers in the UK.
Handsewn shoemaking remains on Heritage Crafts’ Endangered Red List.
The award is open to:
Students (either current or recent graduates)
Apprentices
Cobblers and Repairers
Non-professional shoemakers and outworkers (who may work in the trade, but do not sell their shoes at commercial prices / under their own name)
If you are unsure whether you qualify to enter please don’t hesitate to contact us to clarify by email.
Carréducker and the The Worshipful Company of Cordwainers are inclusive organisations and welcome submissions from entrants of all ages, backgrounds, faiths and cultures.
To enter the 2026 award, please REGISTER HERE and we will send you the entry form.
THE PRIZE
The winner will receive a £3000 cash prize from the Worshipful Company of Cordwainers
AND
12-days of handsewn shoemaking training with bespoke shoemakers, Carréducker, at their London studio
THE BRIEF
To produce a PAIR of shoes or boots for men, women or children:
Made using any construction methods
The footwear must be functional AND wearable
Orthopaedic and athletic shoes are welcome
With emphasis placed on hand skills.
MARKING
Entries will be marked out of a maximum of 40 points as follows:
Design & Materials – 5 points
Choice of Last – 5 points
Clicking & Closing (patterns and uppers) – 8 points for techniques / 4 points for execution
Making – 8 points for techniques / 4 points for execution
Finishing – 6 points
Any practical external help will see a point deducted for each section
2026 JUDGING PANEL
Fiona Campbell
Fiona Campbell is a much sought-after bespoke footwear specialist and speaker delivering lectures at the V&A and for LCF/UAL in London, Dubai and Singapore.
Her expertise as a designer and pattern maker has seen her train the design team for Dunhill, Manolo Blahnik, Selfridges and Harrods and UK manufacturers such as Bowhill & Elliott and Alfred Sargent.
In 2008, she received the Leathersellers Guild Award for her research into sustainable materials for footwear.
Today Fiona specialises in bespoke pattern making tutoring and continues to pursue her interest in material development.
Sarah Day
Sarah has enjoyed a prolific commercial footwear design career and academic presence in the trade spanning 37 years. She taught at UAL for 20 years and was Course Leader for the BA Cordwainers Footwear course mentoring students and staff alike.
She is an avid supporter of footwear education and positively encourages the fusion of traditional craft skills with new technology in footwear design.
Sarah is an External Examiner at Capel Manor College, has judged the annual Drapers Footwear Awards and Chairs the Cordwainers Trade & Education Committee.
Caroline Groves
Caroline is passionate about creating handmade, bespoke shoes for women of unparalleled quality, striving to achieve museum-worthy results and delighting her clients.
Her work reflects the finest traditions of British bespoke shoe craftsmanship, blended with the fine needlework of Parisian couture. Her creations are borne from over 30 years of experience across the highly skilled disciplines of saddlery, leathercraft and shoemaking, whilst the sculptural elements of shoemaking, an interest in period costume and her Arts and Crafts heritage are a constant inspiration. (Caroline’s great-grandfather was one of the 150 craftspeople to bring the Guild of Handicraft to Chipping Camden in 1902).
Caroline frequently travels to the USA to meet with private clients. Her bespoke creations are regularly exhibited and showcased in museums and have earned numerous awards.
Michael James
Michael is known as ‘the last man of Northampton’ as director of Spring Line lasts. He has been with the company for over 40 years, having joined on a youth training scheme in 1983. Michael initially worked across all aspects of the factory before specialising in last making.
He is a highly skilled craftsman – a last model maker and a new model developer – and oversees a team of over 20 people making lasts for some of the UK’s biggest names in footwear – Trickers, Cheaney etc. and wooden lasts for bespoke.
Michael sits on the Cordwainers Trade & Education Committee.
SUPPORT FOR MATERIALS
LEATHER
With thanks to A & A Crack and to J & FJ Baker who have generously offered a 20% discount on leather bought to make shoes and boots for the award. (Maximum spend £200).
To receive a discount:
- Email us to register for the award
- We will send you a confirmation email and the entry form
- Contact Crack / Bakers with your order AFTER you have received the confirmation email from us
- Tell them that you are entering the 2026 Craft of Shoemaking Award when you place your order. They will apply the 20% discount. (The discount applies to ONE order only for a maximum of £200)
LASTS
If you would like to borrow a pair of lasts from us, to make your award entry on, please email us to arrange a time to come in or to arrange for us to send a pair to you.
FINANCIAL SUPPORT
The Leathersellers’ Foundation has generously offered up to £100 for those who need additional financial support to help to buy leather and materials. Please download and complete the application form and return it to us cd@carreducker.com
With thanks to
Follow the Worshipful Company of Cordwainers and Carreducker on Instagram
NEW: The Daniel Charkow Emerging Sole Award
The Daniel Charkow Emerging Sole Award launches in 2025-2026 to celebrate the legacy of Daniel Charkow. The winner will receive a £1500 award 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 inaugural award will recognise 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
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!