Reimagining the Australian Sheepskin Boot: What happens when industry, education and research meet
In this reflection, Dr Alexandra Sherlock traces the RMIT x EVERAU Student Design Award for Sheepskin Shoemaking, a collaboration that embedded active footwear research directly into the learning of second-year undergraduate fashion design students. Students were asked to engage with the Australian sheepskin boot not simply as a product to restyle, but as a culturally complex object shaped by colonial history, material ethics, and questions of national identity. Four winning designs were announced ahead of Australian Fashion Week, with several progressing into production. The collaboration also highlighted RMIT as a place to develop shoemaking skills alongside fashion design.
Legally, they can’t be called ‘uggs’ outside of Australia – but the name will stick regardless
While environmental sustainability is becoming a priority for brands and the media, cultural sustainability often takes a back seat. In this article for The Conversation AU/NZ, Alexandra Sherlock discusses the ongoing battle between Deckers Brands and Australian manufacturers over the right to use ‘ugg’ to sell quintessentially Australian sheepskin boots outside Australia.
What Kamala Harris’ Converse All-Stars tell us about how shoes shape our identity
Not only do shoes affect how we move through the world physically, but they also shape how we relate to others socially. In this article for The Conversation, Dr. Alexandra Sherlock uses Kamala Harris’ Converse All-Stars to explore how shoes shape our identity and sense of self.
Search the archive for more articles from the Footwear Research Network:
More From the Footwear Research Network…
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![A pair of tan leather Jacoform shoes owned by Footwear Research Network contributor Professor Andrew Groves photographed against a black background.]()
Contributors
Meet our internationally acclaimed network of contributors.
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![A photograph of a shoe gallery at Shoes of No Shoes (SONS), Kruisem, Belgium.]()
Museums & Archives
A list of publicly available museums and archives in alphabetical order by country.
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Reading List
A list of recommended past and present academic texts on footwear.
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![Photograph of shoes on display in 1980s style mock shop front at the Bata Shoe Museum's 'Dressed to Impress' exhibition in Toronto © 2023 Bata Shoe Museum, Toronto, Canada (Photo: Margaret Mulligan)]()
Events
Keep up to date with footwear events and exhibitions worldwide.
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![Collage or different shoes. Artwork by Maximillian Malone for the Footwear Research Network, 2021.]()
Get Involved
Find out how to become a network member, contributor or partner.
If the shoe fits:
FootweaR, Identity & Transition
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 about the project and research outputs here.
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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.