Cordwainers Footwear Awards name 2024 winners

Footwear association The Worshipful Company of Cordwainers has announced the winners of the 2024 Cordwainers Footwear Awards.

Held at the Saddlers' Hall, London, on June 13, this year's awards featured 16 student finalists from the London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London and De Montfort University, who competed to win the Cordwainers Footwear Award Trophy, along with prizes celebrating sustainable development and sneakers.

First prize was awarded to George Nikiforakis from London College of Fashion for his footwear collection inspired by travel, which combined 3D printed uppers with a knitted layered in-sole sock design. As the main winner, he receives 3,000 pounds.

On his win, Nikiforakis said in a statement: “Winning first prize for such a prestigious award is honestly everything to me. It has given me the confidence to really forge forward in an industry that I truly love."

George Nikiforakis wins Cordwainers Footwear Awards 2024

The Runner Up prize, worth 2,000 pounds, went to Ethan Robinson, for his take on the hiking boot featuring an all-terrain traction system, while the Sustainable Development Award was presented to Lu Zhou, both from London College of Fashion. Zhou wins 1,500 pounds.

The Sneaker/Athleisure Award was awarded to Joe Muir from De Montfort University. He wins 1,500 pounds.

There were also commendations for Sophie Perrett from De Montfort University and Therese Frank from London College of Fashion. They both win 500 pounds.

This year's awards were judged by a panel including Katie Greenyer, creative director at Pentland Brands, Joachim Sedelmeier, head of design of shoes at Paul Smith, and international footwear designers Charlotte Olympia Dellal and Joanne Jørgensen.

Cordwainers Footwear Awards celebrates 10th anniversary

In addition, footwear designer Sophia Webster was awarded the Sue Saunders Award for Excellence. The award, named in honour of the late London College of Fashion professor and mentor, was awarded to Webster for her “outstanding contribution to the footwear trade”.

The 2024 Cordwainers Footwear Awards also marks a decade of celebrating up-and-coming talent in the footwear industry. Throughout the 10 years, the organisation has given away more than 100,000 pounds of prize money and promoted the careers of more than 150 students, including sustainable footwear and accessories designer Helen Kirkum, the inaugural winner in 2014.

Judith Millidge, Master of the Worshipful Company of Cordwainers, said: “Through the awards, we have seen the emergence of incredible talent, innovation and excellence over the last ten years, not least our first winner, the sneaker designer Helen Kirkham.

“We are really proud of that legacy and will continue to nurture and celebrate the talents of the next generation of designers with our annual awards. Britain leads the way in footwear design and the industry is worth over 730 million pounds each year in the UK. The Cordwainers are committed to supporting the talent needed to take it forward.”

Commenting on what the win meant to her, Helen Kirkum added: “Without the Cordwainers award, I wouldn’t have got where I am today. After graduating, I wanted to pursue a Master’s at the Royal College of Art, but I had no way of funding it – until I won the award. The prize money set me on my path.”

After completing her Master’s in 2016, Kirkum went to work at Adidas in its German headquarters as an assistant designer on its women’s Originals lifestyle range before launching her own label specialising in producing sustainable sneakers from recycled materials.