COURSE @ OUR NEW LOCATION IN ALICANTE!
Factory Forward:
design for manufacturing in the EU
JULY 21 - 25, 2025
As the footwear industry faces rising tariffs, environmental pressure, and growing demand for transparency, the need to bring manufacturing closer to home has never been more urgent. Yet most footwear professionals lack the practical knowledge needed to design products that can actually be made outside of Asia, at scale, for a commercial price and margin, and without waste.
This course bridges that gap: giving designers, developers, and innovators direct access to European factories, and the tools to create factory-ready, sustainable concepts that fit today’s shifting industry realities.
There is a special early bird rate of 750 euros until May 10.
There is a special early bird rate of 750 euros until May 10.
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Who is this course for?
- Designers tired of creating beautiful prototypes that are impossible to make at scale
- Product developers who want to understand factories, not just email them
- Consultants, educators, or changemakers who believe sustainability starts with practical knowledge
- Entrepreneurs hoping to build locally or reshape existing factory relationships
It is especially valuable for those seeking to reshore or nearshore footwear production to Europe, whether for reasons of:
Tariffs and trade disruption
Environmental and social sustainability
Shorter lead times and supply chain transparency
You don’t need in-depth technical manufacturing knowledge to participate—just a strong design or innovation background and a desire to understand how to make better shoes by designing for the factory floor. The types of factories that we visit will be based on the needs of the participants.
Tariffs and trade disruption
Environmental and social sustainability
Shorter lead times and supply chain transparency
You don’t need in-depth technical manufacturing knowledge to participate—just a strong design or innovation background and a desire to understand how to make better shoes by designing for the factory floor. The types of factories that we visit will be based on the needs of the participants.
Manufacturing in Alicante
Simplicity Works
Studio Ilana
Course Schedule
Day 1: Context and Foundations
- Theme: How European footwear manufacturing actually works—and why it matters now more than ever.
- Introduction to the course and fellow participants
- Deep dive into the realities of local production: tech, labor, sustainability, waste
- Case studies of factory bottlenecks and innovation potential
- How can we redesign existing shoes made in Asia for production in Europe?
- Introduction to the factories that we will be visiting the next day
Day 2: Factory Field Trips
Theme: Reality check—what production looks like on the ground.
Guided visits to three factories in the Alicante region, based upon the needs of the course participants
Guided visits to three factories in the Alicante region, based upon the needs of the course participants
- Group observation: technology, materials, waste streams, workflow
- On-site analysis: What challenges do they face? Where is the innovation potential?
- Group debrief: Map out each factory’s challenges and opportunities
Day 3: Concept Ideation
Theme: From problem to concept—using creativity to drive change.
- Guided ideation session using the Footwearology Future Footwear Card Game
- Brainstorm ideas: new technologies, material reuse, improved workflows
- Participants each select one idea to develop based on peer ranking
- Footwearology mentors guide concept framing and direction
Day 4: Concept development
Theme: Sharpen your idea into a professional concept.
- 1:1 and small group mentoring with Footwearology
- Refine your concept: market logic, factory integration, material strategy
- Create your final visual presentation with key messaging and factory alignment
Day 5: Presentation Day
Theme: From idea to impact.
- Morning: Finalize presentations, rehearse, refine
- Afternoon: Factory owners return for pitch presentations (under NDA)
- Feedback session with factories and Footwearology team
- Certificate ceremony + closing drinks
Factory Forward: designing for manufacturing in the EU
Enroll now to enjoy the early bird rate!
Footwearology is the only academy for footwear professionals. We enable you to gain the knowledge that will get you, and the companies you work for, ready to create and embrace a better future. All our courses take place online and/or in our LAB in Barcelona, Spain.
Besides teaching, we do research and consulting, focusing on redesigning the entire footwear supply chain by directly connecting technology suppliers, creatives and social media platforms.
Besides teaching, we do research and consulting, focusing on redesigning the entire footwear supply chain by directly connecting technology suppliers, creatives and social media platforms.
