Language

Spanish

Start date

July 2026

Frequency

Part-time

Fruition

On campus

Duration

2 Weeks

Credits

5

Course Coordination

Bárbara León

Combine your interest in fashion design and the circular economy with a practical and
collaborative course that addresses the entire creative process, from the idea to the
manufacturing of the product.

The Summer Course in Circular Economy and Sports Footwear Design starts from the problem of waste generated by the textile sector, and footwear in particular, to proposing a second life for this type of product. 

This intensive summer training will allow you to analyse the negative impact of current consumption patterns and propose solutions focused on recovering this waste from the commitment to the circular economy. 

During the three-week course, you will go through all the aspects of the process of creating trainers: from the methodology to be used, through the design and planning phase to the practical work.

Information to decide

A course to explore your creativity, combining your passion for fashion design with your commitment to the circular economy.

During the two-week course, you will be fully introduced to the practical development of footwear recovery projects. You will rebuild imaginative models in line with current trends from textile waste.

Following a collaborative methodology, together with other students you will develop each of the phases of actual recovery projects for this type of footwear.

By doing so, you will achieve unique developments in each project and you will learn to cultivate a generation process of ideas, design and manufacturing in which the contribution and creativity of each student plays a relevant role in improving the final result.

This three-week summer course is primarily aimed at people interested in the fields of textile design and product design. It is also intended for people with an interest in design processes linked to the circular economy and the transformation of waste into a resource.

The course in Circular Economy and Sports Footwear Design will enable you to learn about the workshop process involved in disassembling footwear parts (deconstruction) and subsequently assembling them (reconstruction).

Thanks to this three-week training you will understand the mechanisms for recovering textile waste to give it a second life, identify patterns of use, and points to take into account when using and collecting raw material.

You will study at the IED Bilbao headquarters, located in the iconic Papelera Building on the so-called Isla Creativa, where you will share your time with other students interested in the circular economy, fashion design and creativity, and you will come into contact with the sector from a sustainable and future perspective.

Syllabus

An introduction

Practical alternatives to the linear economy.

Representation techniques.

Some practical cases.



Upcycling and craftsmanship techniques

Discarded footwear and material selection.

Assessing the state of the raw material.

The first ideas.

Feasibility analysis.



Methodology and prototyping

Designing the recovery methodology.

Pattern development.

Pre-prototyping at scale.



Development of the comprehensive project

Conceptualisation.

Creating the functional prototype.

Functionality testing.

Feedback and adjustments.



Entrepreneurship

Business models in the circular economy.

The product value proposition.

Adaptation to the market and target audience.

Marketing strategies.



Project presentation and feedback

Faculty

Course Coordinator

Bárbara León

News

Overhead view of a labyrinth of fabric panels and light

10 February 2026

IED Barcelona bathes Llum BCN 26 in warm light

The lighting design installation “Fabric Maze”, a labyrinth of fabrics, lights and shadows inspired by the textile past of the Poblenou neighbourhood, created warm visual compositions with each visitor’s passage.

10 February 2026

Tíscar Espadas, alumni and teacher at IED Madrid, semifinalist of the LVMH Prize for Young Designers

Tíscar Espadas, alumni and teacher at IED Madrid, semifinalist of the LVMH Prize for Young Designers

09 February 2026

Creativity, design and architecture at the Workshop Week 2026

From 2 to 6 February, 430 students at IED Barcelona took part in this annual multidisciplinary academic activity, which offered 25 multidisciplinary workshops inspired by the Barcelona World Capital of Architecture 2026 event. And, for the first time, it included mobility between campuses.

04 February 2026

punto—trama LAB: workshops for young designers

After its first edition, punto—trama continues its journey as a space for dialogue and experimentation dedicated to young designers.

Poster for the Saló Ensenyament 2026 showing two cheerful young people against a blue background

03 February 2026

IED Barcelona at Saló de l’Ensenyament 2026

From 18 to 22 March, attendees at this event focused on educational guidance will have the opportunity to explore the school’s design training programmes at stand D-453, located at the Fira de Barcelona Montjuïc venue.

26 January 2026

IED’s campuses in Madrid, Bilbao and Barcelona are hosting Valor Ancestral, the travelling exhibition by Latam Creative Talent.

The exhibition will debut in Madrid on February 17 as part of the Madrid Design Festival.

16 January 2026

Fashion and Sustainability: a Conversation with Matteo Ward and Sara Sozzani Maino

IED Firenze hosted a conversation with Matteo Ward and Sara Sozzani Maino that invited reflection on the role of sustainability within the contemporary fashion system, bringing together different perspectives.

16 January 2026

IED wins the Progold Design Contest in collaboration with Pomellato

Ikchan Lee, a student at IED Roma, wins the Technical Jury First Prize with the project Milky Way, while Bianca Mesturini, a student at IED Torino, wins the Public First Prize with the project Embrace.

Close-up in black and white of a man's face looking to the right

12 January 2026

Stéphane Rolland’s haute couture at IED Barcelona

The star guest of the 10th Barcelona Bridal Night at Barcelona Bridal Fashion Week 26 visits the school to discover the creations by alumni of the Postgraduate Programme in Wedding and Ceremony Dresses Design, who will open the runway show next 22 April.

Don't miss it

05 February 2026 - 07 March 2026

Madrid

IED Madrid · Official School of the Madrid Design Festival

From 5 February to 7 March, IED Madrid presents a diverse program deeply connected to the city, positioning it as the festival’s largest creative hub.

Projects Presentation

12 February 2026 - 26 February 2026

Bilbao

Naturalezas de Luz

The exhibition offers a journey through three ceramic lighting pieces that explore the relationship between material and light, combining formal experimentation, conceptual sensitivity, and applied design processes. Through both traditional and contemporary techniques, each piece highlights ceramics as a relevant and innovative material within contemporary lighting design.

Exhibitions and Festival

18 March 2026 - 22 March 2026

Barcelona

Saló de l’Ensenyament 2026

From 18 to 22 March, we look forward to welcoming you at stand D-453 at the Montjuïc venue of Fira de Barcelona, where you will be able to discover our educational offer in Design, Fashion, Visual Arts, Marketing and Communication. Come and visit us!