ARS SUTORIA footwear design | 23 january 2010 As some of you know I'm currently in Italy taking classes at Ars Sutoria school. Two weeks are behind me and I can only say it was a very good decision. I wish I could have done this course many years ago when I first started designing. It would have helped so much. I think it is crucial for any footwear designer to fully understand shoe making process. From the sketch, then to pattern and sample making up to the production. How much more input you can have by knowing all this? In these days you can design functional shoes without biomechanic background, without knowledge how the shell pattern is made or why one last is better then the other. Why? Because other people know how to do it. People in the factory in Asia know it. You don't have to so why bothering? To me there is one good reason for it. Because if you know... maybe you can do it better. and at the end something pretty interesting - you can do an anodized finish on the outsole. Prialpas can do it.