Cordwainers Footwear Awards 2023

Judith Millidge's Photo

‘The awards are always a riot of colour, innovation and excellence and I can’t wait to see what our students produce this year’, said John Peal, Master of the Worshipful Company of Cordwainers. ‘We are proud to embrace initiatives that will engage the top designers of tomorrow.’

New award categories

We have introduced two new award categories to the Cordwainers Footwear Awards for 2023.

The Sue Saunders Award for Excellence will be awarded by nomination to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the footwear trade. Sue Saunders was an inspiring teacher and mentor, a shining light of the footwear world and this special award honours her memory.

The Sneaker/Athleisure Award recognises the innovative design work in this area of iconic footwear.

Student entrants compete for four prizes worth a total of £8,000, alongside the opportunity to benefit from mentorship from industry professionals.

Judging team

We are delighted to welcome Joanne Jorgensen, Materials Design Director (Footwear) at Nike to the judging team. She joins Cordwainers Katie Greenyer, Joachim Sedelmeier and Charlotte Olympia Dellal. Joanna will also be giving the key note address and said, ‘I feel very privileged to have been invited to judge the incredible work of so many talented students who have participated in the Cordwainer Footwear Awards 2023’.

Awards Night

We can’t wait to see the winner revealed on 7 June at Merchant Taylors Hall and wish all our finalists the best of luck.