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The Footwear Research Network is a global interdisciplinary space for academics, educators, and professionals with an interest in footwear to share research, connect, and collaborate.
Our primary purpose is to support the development of footwear studies and facilitate the sharing of knowledge between academia and industry, aiming to address current social, cultural, and environmental challenges. We achieve this by providing a platform that features articles, events, and resources produced by researchers and educators worldwide.
Footwear in former colonies: new steps for researching shoes, their meanings and uses in 19th-century Americas (1780-1920)
How can footwear reveal colonial power dynamics? Through examination of shoes in 19th-century Americas, Dr. Cecília Soares explores how shoes reflected both slavery and freedom, industrialisation, and global fashion trends. Drawing on diverse sources from museum collections to period artwork, this study illuminates how footwear embodied both local practices and international influences. (Image: Gabriela Garcia)
Reflections: Global Footwear Future Coalition Launch – London, 9th October 2024
Nearly a week after the launch of the Global Footwear Future Coalition at Havas Village in London's Kings Cross, founding member Alexandra Sherlock reflects on key themes and takeaways for the Footwear Research Network.
Birkenstock’s New Book – the 250-Year History of a Global Brand
Dr. Emily Brayshaw discusses her contributions to Birkenstock's new book, 'Birkenstock: The Evolution of a Universal Purpose and Zeitgeist Brand', which celebrates 250 years of the iconic brand.
Watch Your Step: 3 things the Sneaker Industry Needs To Evolve
Amid almost weekly updates of plummeting profits, unsold stock and layoffs, we asked sneaker expert and educator Sean Williams, co-founder of the SOLEcial Studies Community Academy, what the sneaker industry needs to stay relevant and innovate. His answer? Diversity, a deeper understanding of the social and cultural significance of sneakers and pathways through education.
Rethinking the Sneakersphere: An interview with Woody Wood
What are the key challenges facing the sneaker industry today? Editor-in-Chief and founder of Sneaker Freaker magazine, Woody Wood, provides some valuable insights in this exclusive interview with the Footwear Research Network.
Veganism and footwear - new insights into a growing market.
As veganism continues to grow, Dr. Rachel Lamarche-Beauchesne shares research findings exploring consumer challenges and strategic opportunities.
An Ode to Clogs
Iconic, ancient, unassuming yet loud! British/Swedish poet, writer and lyricist Katt Brown shares a powerfully personal relationship with clogs.
When Shoe Heritage is on Display: The Museums and Archives Directory
Over the last decade, fashion exhibitions have become magnets for visitors. Since the pandemic, virtual exhibitions have experienced a boom. In this article, Charlotte Stachel and Professor Lorenzo Cantoni at the Università della Svizzera Italiana introduce you to a study on shoe museums' web presence and present the Footwear Research Network's Museums and Archives Directory.
Out of step: Why sneakers and sportswear still lag on sustainability
Have you ever wondered what becomes of your old sports shoes? In this article for newswire publisher 360info, Dr Rebecca Van Amber and Dr Alexandra Sherlock examine some of the current sustainability challenges facing the sports and athleisure apparel market.
The Footwear Research Network: a bridge between the footwear industry and academia
Footwear Research Network founding editor, Dr. Alexandra Sherlock, spoke recently with World Footwear about the benefits of Academe-Industry collaboration to address current social, cultural and environmental challenges.
Sneaker Deconstruction as Project-Based Learning
How can sneakers be used to teach high school students about the environmental impacts of fashion and footwear production? This project with students from Melbourne’s St Columba’s College provided an opportunity to find out.
Book review: Future Now: Virtual Sneakers to Cutting-Edge Kicks
As the Bata Shoe Museum’s exhibition Future Now: Virtual Sneakers to Cutting Edge Kicks comes to an end, Alex Sherlock reviews Senior Curator Elizabeth Semmelhack’s important exhibition publication. Whether you’ve seen the exhibition or not, this book is an indispensable resource for anyone interested in transforming the footwear industry for the better.
More From the Footwear Research Network
Meet our internationally acclaimed network of contributors, working within the fields of sociology, anthropology, history, art, curation and fashion.
Keep up to date with footwear events and exhibitions worldwide.
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The Footwear Research Network is an outcome of the ESRC-funded research project If the Shoe Fits: Footwear Identity and Transition at the University of Sheffield (2010-2013).
Learn more here
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Watch the ‘If the Shoe Fits’ documentary to learn more about the research project and the relationship between wearers and their shoes. Filmed and produced by Sheffield Vision.
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Learn more about the ‘If the Shoe Fits’ research team and board of advisors.
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Following the success of the original ITSF project, further funding was secured in 2015 for a follow-on project, ‘If the Shoe Fits: Enabling Patient-Centred Podiatry’.
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A number of papers and publications were produced directly from the ‘If the Shoe Fits’ research and in association with the project. Access the full list here.
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In the interest of expanding and advancing the field of footwear studies, the Footwear Research Network’s contributors have put their heads together to produce a list of recommended past and present academic texts upon which to build future contributions.
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We are compiling a database of footwear-related resources. Please contact us with your suggestions, including (but not limited to):
Publications (particularly journal articles and books)
Documentaries
Footwear courses
Footwear museums and archives
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The Footwear Research Network’s museums and archives directory lists publicly available archives and museums in alphabetical order by country. The resource builds upon a study of shoe museums conducted by Charlotte Stachel and Professor Lorenzo Cantoni at the Università della Svizzera Italiana (Lugano, Switzerland).
Click here to access the Directory.
Read the full article here.
Find out how to become a network member, contributor or partner.