Who will be the new generation of shoe designers in the Netherlands? The first batch of shoe developers from the Dutch Shoe Academy in Utrecht have just graduated - and are ready to introduce their ideas to the world. They have big dreams: from their own department store that offers a complete package for couples, to giving a modern twist to a classic men's shoe brand. FashionUnited spoke with Liesel Swart, teacher at the Dutch Shoe Academy and two recently graduated 'shoe developers' about their experiences and future plans.

Swart has been a teacher in shoe technology at the Dutch Shoe Academy in Utrecht since 2001. She graduated from the Utrecht School of the Arts (HKU) in 1992 and followed a shoe training course in Den Bosch, which she believes was the predecessor of the current vocational training course Shoe Developer.