The production of uppers for custom-made orthopaedic shoes is actually one of the core skills of an orthopaedic shoemaker. However, there are fewer and fewer opportunities in companies to learn this aspect of the profession. The Praeparatio e.V. association has now closed this gap with an international socket course that took place at the Landshut training center in August.
The participants of the Praeparatio international shaft course with the lecturers.
"The workshop was a trial run for us," explains association chairman Franz Fischer. "We organized the course together with Austria, Switzerland and Germany." Isabell Kropf from Switzerland and Peter Weiß - principal of the master school for orthopaedic footwear technology in Landshut - were responsible for running the course. The participants were a diverse group with different levels of previous knowledge. To prepare for the course, they had the opportunity to prepare for the workshop with the help of Praeparatio's new e-learning platform. A total of 6 tutorials were made available online for the participants.
The participants were shown different ways of working to produce an upper using the last copy. Isabelle Kropf favors the method of drawing the model on the last and transferring it to the base model with the help of transparent foils - a very practical method to ensure a good fit. Peter Weiß takes a different approach to last copying. In the first step, a last copy is created using paper or foil. Using auxiliary lines from the angle system method, the models can be transferred directly to the basic construction.
In addition to the construction of the upper model, the participants were also introduced to the machines. The upper sewing machine and the sharpening machine were explained in detail before the participants were prepared for practical work on the upper with the help of sewing samples. The models used were a Derby and a U-cut. The model for the U-cut shank was created on the computer using Corel Draw software to show the participants the new possibilities in shank construction. The classic blade cut as a full brogue was explained with the help of the Praeparatio socket book. Each participant also made a pair of shafts for their own last.
Both theory and practice were taught in the shaft construction course.
In the first workshop, only the basics of socket production could be taught. The participants can continue practicing the various models with the help of the Praeparatio e-learning platform. With the help of the socket book, the different basic models can be practiced in detail and the correctness can be checked with the worksheets.
At the end of the workshop, Franz Fischer was able to draw a positive conclusion: "It was a good workshop, everyone was committed and interested in new knowledge." A wide range of possibilities and approaches were conveyed. And it was shown how important it is to pass on the knowledge of shaft construction to the next generation in order to secure the existing knowledge in the trade for the future.
To be continued
The second workshop "Socket construction in orthopaedics" is planned for early 2026. After the basics, the focus will be on the difficulty of taking into account the differences in orthopaedics between left and right, inside and outside in the basic model and detailing them accordingly.
If there is sufficient demand, Praeparatio e.V. is holding out the prospect of offering the first shaft construction course again. Anyone interested can contact Franz Fischer at info@praeparatio.com.
