Next Generation Of Shoe Designers To Shine At Top UK Show

Talk about putting your best foot forward- six Footwear Design students from De Montfort University in Leicester have been selected to showcase their innovative shoe designs at the UK’s largest fashion trade show this month.

The students are understandably chuffed to have the chance to show their talent to thousands of industry professionals. DMU has teamed up with MODA Footwear for ‘History in the Making’, a project which challenged final year footwear design students to create shoes that bring the rich heritage of the footwear industry into the 21st century. They really are getting their foot in the door aren’t they!

Chelsea Yu-Chin Liu and Toby Chih-Hao Lo; Sam Pearce; David Mawdsley; Bethan Horn; and Beth Cassie were the lucky 6 chosen by a panel of industry experts to display their shoe designs at the MODA Footwear show on 21 — 23 February at the NEC in Birmingham. Their designs will also feature in the UK’s leading trade magazine Fashion Extras. Fancy =)

Inspirations ranged from the Victorian era, the Chinese circus and the Japanese kimono, to the Delorean car, the film Tron and the Cobra Mustang Shelby 1968 fastback. Footwear designs included a high- fashion boot, a slouch ankle boot and Victorian- themed stilettos.

Moda Footwear event director Sean O’Connor said: “Students from last year’s footwear design course were invited to present their designs at the August 09 show and we were blown away by the creativity on display.”

Personally, I am a firm believer that shoes (along with wine and Sex & The City of course) make the world go round, and in celebration of these students achieving this success, I suggest that you go out and buy some pretty new shoes. I know I am.