The Parachute Collective Shoe Making Workshop

I recently completed Thomas' 5-Day Derby course and had a fantastic time. Thomas is an excellent and patient teacher with a wealth of knowledge to share. I'm really pleased with the shoes that I made and would 100% recommend the course to anyone interested in shoemaking.

I’ve just finished a bespoke boot course with Thomas and I am so proud of the outcome! The course was so detailed and completely tailored to what I wanted to make. He has a great causal approach that is matched to each student in content and pace. I learnt so much and had a go at every step which is something I found hard to find from other courses. looking forward to the next pair.

I recently did the 5-day derby course and I definitely recommend it. The course is really hands-on and I learned a lot.Thomas is an excellent teacher. He's very knowledgeable and guides you patiently through every step of the process. Loved the shoes.

I have had the privilege of being taught by Thomas making a pair of size 16 (EU49) mens hand welted brogues, that my friend said were very comfortable. Thomas is a very patient teacher with years of knowledge and the first to teach me the importance of a mock up shoe. I would highly recommend

I did the five day derby course. Brilliant week. Loved the shoes. Thomas is an excellent teacher, very patient and with an eye for detail. He gives you lots of ideas to adapt techniques where possible and advice on progression. Thomas clearly explains the reasons and the rationale behind each step so you can see how things link together. I would recommend this course without hesitation to anyone wanting to learn how to make shoes, whether you are new or experienced.

I have completed a total of 3 courses with Thomas at his studio in the last 4 months (Storm welted boots, a pair of Derby and a pair of fiddle waisted spat boots.) I can't recommend any of these course enough - Thomas is very knowledgeable, patience and a great tutor that one could hope for.I walked away not just with better appreciation of shoes but also the important know-how of shoe construction. The courses themselves are great and were flexible to accommodate my own designs. Each procedures (and there are at least 200+ stages per each pair of shoes!) were explained with details and there are plenty of hands on time. What's is even more useful is that there is a mock-up shoe that you get to make, by yourself, to get an advanced look before the final design and opportunities to adjust the finer details for the actual shoes prior to final construction.I have enjoyed the courses immensely and would recommend anyone who are interested in shoe making, whatever their levels maybe, to enroll in one of Thomas' courses.

I recently completed a boot making course with Thomas, it was the best thing I've ever done!Thomas is an excellent teacher with a relaxed, casual approach to his teaching. I chose to do my course with Thomas because he was very flexible with course dates, teaches in small groups allowing for more guidance throughout the course and I liked the style of shoes he made. If your thinking of doing a shoe making course I highly recommend Thomas, worth every penny!

I did a course with Thomas, he taught me how to handmake sneakers. And now I rent a space at The Parachute Collective so I can continue making footwear here. Thomas is a great teacher and always goes that extra mile to ensure the design you're looking to create is what you want. I weighed up a lot of options for courses in London, and this one was really tailored to exactly what I needed — 1 on 1 time with experienced cordwainer, flexibility in the shoe you're trying to create, experimental with options to explore your design. Highly recommend!

I definitely recommend taking a course with Thomas. I did the 10 day traditional bespoke class and I was impress and proud of the beautiful pair of shoes I made. The class is very hands-on, which I really enjoyed and made me learn a lot. He is very a knowledgeable and patient teacher, available to answer all my questions and guide me through all the steps involved in handmade shoemaking. It was totally worth the trip to England from Canada! I’d totally come back and do another course with him!

Just today l finished making my first pair of uncle boots with Thomas at the ParachuteCollective. I totally recommend taking up a course,no matter what your level of experience might be. I had zero, i signed up atracted to the idea of making a pair of nicely fitted shoes to my non standard sized feet.I was taken all the way from the very beginning on how to measure feet and make a unique pattern right to the end carefully step by step.Thomas is a great teacher, very inspiring and has an unlimited amount of patience that will make your time at the ParachuteCollective a great opportunity to learn all about the trade and haveva trully great time.