#HTE

Want to Design Footwear? Register Now for PENSOLE’s International Master Class

If you want to study footwear design, the PENSOLE Footwear Design Academy should be one of your go-to’s. But they’re based in Portland, Oregon, making it tough for those east of the Atlantic to get there. Thus last year Pensole began offering a version of their course in Denmark, called iPENSOLE (the “i” is for “international”), and it was a rousing success. They’re doing it again this year, and registration is now open to applicants from all countries.

“[iPENSOLE is a] hands-on, five-week, intensive footwear design master class that will pair aspiring designers with projects from Danish footwear and materials manufacturer ECCO, to create new designs from idea to finished concept,” writes PENSOLE founder D'Wayne Edwards. “ECCO’s dedication to education and sharing its knowledge of shoemaking provides European PENSOLE students with a master-class learning experience not found anywhere else.”

For those of you who are students at the Kolding School of Design, where the course will be held from September 22nd to October 26th, tuition is free. For all others it runs USD $2,500 (about €2,257 at press time).

Of course, just having the money doesn’t mean you’ll be admitted; Pensole is seeking “higher-quality design students,” and you’ll need to apply by both submitting an original design—"either a footwear sketch or a color-and-material mood board"—as well as a self-shot YouTube video where you discuss your submitted design and explain why you’d like to take the course.

Should you gain admission, here’s what you’ll be in for:

PENSOLE’s “learn by doing” curriculum introduces students to the product creation process in four distinct aspects of the business:

Footwear design: Consumer profiling, storytelling, sketching, branding

CMF (color, materials and finishes): Leadership, terminologies, storytelling, palette development, and presentation

Business of design: Industry trends, product briefs, strategic thinking

Professionalism: Branding, portfolio development, communication, and time management 

[Additionally], iPENSOLE Students will visit ECCO’s headquarters and learn from professionals ranging from design directors, designers, developers, engineers and PENSOLE staff, all there to share knowledge to inspire, guide and challenge the next generation of footwear designers.

The deadline for application is 11:59 p.m. PDT, Sunday, August 7th. Selected students will be notified on August 15th, and you’ve got to be at least 18 years old to apply. Get started here.