Learn About Shoe-making

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If you are seriously interested in designing shoes, making shoes, selling shoes or just understanding the shoe industry, our school offers an authentic introduction. 

Next class: Monday, March 10th  thru Tuesday, March 25, 2025

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   Although Leon is Mexico’s fourth largest municipality, it is not a renowned tourist attraction. Rather it is a serious, hardworking, industrial city.  Shoe-making is part of a centuries old culture in Leon. Leon is not just the largest center for shoe-making in the Spanish speaking world, it is also the source for all those components that go into making shoes, from machinery and a variety of leathers to soles and shoelaces.  

  We are located in the colonial center of the city, an area dotted with tanneries and shoe-making shops, mixed in with the homes of workers and owners. Our shoe-making workshop is attached to the former residence of a tannery owner. This beautiful old building is now our school and design center.

    Around the corner, there is a large plaza, ”Jardin Allende”, with a market, restaurants, and two 19th century churches. Our location is seven blocks from Leon’s historic center, the grand “Plaza Fundadoras.”         

Visits to shoe factories, tanneries and suppliers compliment daily workshop activities in which each student will design and makes a pair of shoes. The program includes ground transportation, lodging at Entre Patios Hotel Boutique), supplies and daily breakfast. Students are responsible for air transportation to Leon (BJX airport) and evening meals. Program cost is U.S. $1,700

For additional information about our program, please take a look at our Shoe-making Course Outline and application. Please feel free to contact us with your questions.