Andrew McDonald Shoemaker, Sydney, NSW

For almost three decades, Andrew McDonald has been handcrafting beautiful shoes. One of just a handful of shoemakers remaining in Australia, Andrew is committed to designing and constructing supportive footwear that will last a lifetime. Vehemently opposed to the millions of poor quality shoes produced and discarded into landfill each year, Andrew seeks to create a product that is timeless in design and wear. In 1996 Andrew was a recipient of the Churchill Fellowship, an award which enabled him to study traditional footwear techniques in the United Kingdom and France. Studying under master craftsmen the likes of John Lobb and Paul Harnden Shoemakers, Andrew developed a complex and considered practice. In approaching a new design, Andrew draws inspiration from the street, from nature and from the arts. With the end product always in sight, he seeks to make shoes with the strength to transform; footwear that is designed to reflect and become an extension of the wearer's character.