It’s pretty hard to not be a bit impressed with the work of artisanal shoemaker (more specifically known as a cordwainer) Matea Gluščević, who says she’s had a love for fashion – although she also has experience with sculpture, visual art and even as a dentist technician.

We sat down to talk to Matea about her creative process and inspirations, as well as what it was like crafting some bespoke football boots for AFLW players.

Hi Matea! Please tell us about yourself. Hi! I’m a shoemaker who designs and handcrafts footwear in Naarm/Melbourne. I come from a Croatian background but grew up here in Australia, and I love dried mango and making things!

When did you first become interested in fashion, and why did you choose to work with shoes specifically? I became interested in fashion in high school. I discovered it to be a great way that I could express myself easily, and I really valued finally having a way to do that. From there I did some internships, studied visual art and product design at uni, footwear at TAFE and I made a lot of clothes and random things during that time too. I’ve been settled on shoes for the last few years because they’re a format where I can express my creativity, but they still have a very clear purpose and need to be functional. I also enjoy the scale, they’re not too small and not too big!

Talk to us about your creative process. How do you come up with your designs? I have two different ways that I approach my creativity. One is just letting my brain do its thing – I can naturally combine materials and processes in my mind in interesting ways and then present them to me as new shoe ideas. This isn’t necessarily reliable though, as this only exists in my head and they need to be tested in reality first. The other way is a kind of collage method where I make a brief full of a selection of materials as well as a deadline. This is probably my favourite way to come up with ideas. I really enjoy the time constraints and it helps me discern which ideas have value much more easily. I am also generally just inspired by nature and rich textures.

What are some of the biggest challenges with being a shoemaker? Being a shoemaker in Australia is fairly challenging due to the industry being so small, with suppliers and materials not being as readily available as they are overseas. So, there’s a bit of making do with substitutes, a lot of research and lots of international postage fees. Aside from that, I would say it’s the physical toll – shoemaking is of course a trade, and there are hours of standing at grinders, cutting the same things over again and pulling and hammering.

How do you incorporate sustainability into your work? A lot of the leathers I use are ‘end of job’ leathers, so while they’re still high-quality leathers, they’re essentially waste from other businesses. I also use vegetable-tanned leathers as uppers and linings in a few of my styles, as well as soles on all my footwear – these are tanned only with bark tannins so they’re way better for the environment than ‘normal’ chrome-tanned leathers. Finally, all my footwear is made locally, which minimises the manufacturing carbon footprint.

You’ve recently collaborated with Johnnie Walker and the AFLW to create four individually handcrafted football boots. What was this experience like for you? Yes! I was really proud to partner with Johnnie Walker to take part in an initiative that tells the stories of progress from the AFLW’s trailblazers, past and present. Being able to contribute in a meaningful way with the individually handcrafted boots, was honestly really exciting and I’m so grateful for the experience. In terms of the actual process, it was an interesting new way to collaborate from afar with a team of creatives, but it was also a bit daunting being filmed!

What inspired you to make these bespoke football boots? The bespoke football boots I created were crafted from boots already worn by the original trailblazers and then gifted back as brand-new boots to players changing the game today. The inspiration was to create boots that would symbolise the bold steps taken by pioneering athletes, while also inspiring today’s players to Keep Walking Boldly. Aesthetically, the idea of traditional/historic VS new/modern was quite central to helping create designs that were unique and eye-catching.

What was the reaction of the AFLW players? I wasn’t personally there when the AFLW players saw the handcrafted boots for the first time, however, I have heard that they absolutely loved them! Which was really great to hear.

Who would you love to collaborate with next? Oohhhh. That’s a tough one! If I was off in fantasy land, I’d say John Galliano. But more realistically, I’d love to work with anyone on a project that is equally inspiring and that promotes something meaningful to me.

Is anything coming up we should keep an eye out for? Mmmm… A few things! I’ll be releasing my first proper made-to-order range around December or January, with what I’m calling an ‘Ocean Girl 3000’ theme. I’ll also be designing and handcrafting footwear for Nicol & Ford for the third time, for next year’s Australian Fashion Week!