Foot Anatomy and Minimal Shoe Design Considerations

Foot Anatomy and Minimal Shoe Design Considerations

Payson Muller Wednesday, 1 September 2021

This is a 23 minute conversation with Payson Muller, the co-founder of The Last Shoemaker, a small footwear company based in the North of England. Payson is an ex-stonemason who transferred his skills to creating bespoke lasts that adhere to a minimalist shoe design. Though keen not to give health advice, Payson being very interested in the "health" of the foot, shared his knowledge of how our feet can change shape depending on the shoes we wear. In order to provide his children with both comfort and a connection to nature via the feet, as well as professionals who like barefoot shoes yet need to dress formally for work, The Last Shoemaker preserves traditional craftsmanship in modern pared back designs.

In this lesson, learn interesting anatomical details to spur you into thinking beyond appearances for your product, understand how to really look at the details and materials of your shoes, and recognise what you should and should not remove from your designs for your customer to be comfortable.

Thumbnail: Bespoke last from The Last Shoemaker


In this lesson you will learn:

  • The ethos and conception behind The Last Shoemaker
  • What 'barefoot' shoes are, how they differ from other footwear, and the reasons behind this design choice
  • How a traditional approach to footwear design can be beneficial
  • Ideal material choices and sustainable options for this type of footwear
  • Advice on starting a bespoke footwear line

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