The Cordwainers Footwear Awards 2027

Celebrating Innovation…

We are delighted to announce the launch of the Cordwainers Footwear Awards 2027, comprising both design and shoemaking categories.

This year the design competition has been launched via the Arts Thread digital platform, and applications are online only. Applications for the Craft of Shoemaking Award should be made via Carréducker.

The awards will be presented at a ceremony at Plaisterers’ Hall in the City of London on 10 June 2027.

Design Awards

The design award competition is open to undergraduate and master’s students studying at UK universities or colleges, and also to those who graduated from UK universities or colleges in 2026.

Entrants are asked to produce an innovative and marketable shoe design supported by a body of creative and thoughtful visual research. Any type of footwear may be included; the product genre can be womenswear, menswear or childrenswear. All submissions should reflect the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Entrants are asked to submit a video of up to three minutes that clearly shows their design and explains their rationale and inspiration. A final 15 will be selected.

Deadline for entries

14 April 2027

Prizes

First Prize: £3,000
Second Prize: £2,000
Third Prize: £1,000
Sustainability Prize: £1,500
The Stuart Weitzman Creativity Prize: £1,500
The Daniel Charkow Emerging Sole Award: £1,500
Up to two commendations: £500 each

In addition, prize winners will receive a personal mentoring session from an experienced footwear professional. Participants will be eligible for more than one award, and all those from the final 15 who are unplaced will receive £100.

View the full design brief and enter via Arts Thread

Since the launch of the Cordwainers Footwear Awards in 2014, the Worshipful Company of Cordwainers has been proud to celebrate student innovation and excellence. This is our flagship event and reflects our commitment as a company to support the UK shoe trade and the brilliant designers and makers of the future.

View the work of the 2026 award winners.

Craft of Shoemaking Award 2027

Entries are invited for the Craft of Shoemaking Award 2027, in association with bespoke shoemakers Carréducker. Applications for the award should be made directly with Carréducker.

The Craft of Shoemaking Award was developed by the Worshipful Company of Cordwainers and Carréducker to celebrate hand skills and to shine a spotlight on shoemakers in the UK. Handsewn shoemaking remains on the 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 or under their own name

Deadline for entries

21 April 2027

Prizes

The prizes for the Craft of Shoemaking Award have been increased for 2027, reflecting the growing strength of the award, the standard of competition and the Cordwainers’ determination to support handmade shoemaking in the UK.

First Prize: £3,000, plus 12 days of handsewn shoemaking training with bespoke London shoemakers Carréducker and five days of shoe pattern making and closing with bespoke footwear specialist Fiona Campbell
Second Prize: £2,000
Third Prize: £1,000
Commendation: £500

View full details and find out how to enter via Carréducker

Daniel Charkow Emerging Sole Award

The Daniel Charkow Emerging Sole Award is open to entrants of both the Footwear Design Awards and the Craft of Shoemaking Award.

The award seeks to recognise a rising talent in shoe design and/or making who embodies the qualities that defined Daniel’s work and carries forward the values that he championed: creative courage, meticulous craft, and a deep respect for the art of shoemaking.

The award was introduced in 2026, with Haiyu Bo named as its inaugural recipient. Read more about the award and its first winner.

Prize

The winner will receive a £1,500 award from the Charkow family.

About Daniel

Daniel was a visionary shoe designer and 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 the London College of Fashion in 2023 with First Class Honours, having won both the Dato 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.

Full details of how to enter are contained within the design and craft competition briefs. Please visit Arts Thread or Carréducker for further details.