44 Craft Centre Zlín
The last vocational school of shoemaking in Zlín was closed in 2022 and it seemed that the training of young shoemakers in the city would disappear completely. But those, who are involved in the craft that made Zlín famous around the world, know that there are not enough young shoemakers. That is why the Craft Centre with a shoemaker's workshop was established in the 44th building of the factory complex in Zlín. It should be the meeting place and the return of shoemaking craft back to Zlín.
"I couldn't bear the idea of shoemaking disappearing from Zlín completely," explains Alois Langer, one of the founders, as to why the Craft Centre was founded. "Together with Václav Talaš and Vojta Ocelka we moved the equipment from the closing vocational school here and we started working. We are now opening a Craft Centre with a shoemaker's workshop to continue the tradition of shoemaking in Zlín and to show anyone, who is interested, that it is a creative and beautiful craft."
Thanks to this, a workshop was created in Zlín, which occupies half of the factory building floor and is open to adults and children, shoemakers, curious people and artists. Building No 44 has already hosted several performances and concerts by the Zvěřinec group from Zlín, as well as regular workshops and seminars for children, suburban camps, excursions and retraining. A creative digital workshop Robota run by the Tomas Bata University in Zlín is also based here. The premises are often used for jam sessions or theatre performances.
You can visit the Centre within Zlín Zone guided tours as one of them will take you not only to the factory complex, but also right into the building No 44.
Interesting facts
Although it might seem that shoemaking has already disappeared from Zlín, the opposite is true. In the factory complex you can find a number of skilled shoemakers who produce under their own brand or sell their products all over the world. Many others work in the surrounding villages. They often still use the original factory machines. What the industry lacks, however, are young shoemakers who will be passionate about the craftsmanship and will be able to carry this beautiful tradition forward in the new millennium. This is what the new Craft Centre should help with.
