Shoemaster vs Icad Universe: Footwear CAD Compared (2026)
Search for "Shoemaster" and you mostly find a Facebook page, a few videos and some scanned course notes. There is very little that explains, in plain language, what the software is and how it sits next to the other footwear CAD you will meet in a factory or a design studio. This article tries to fill that gap with a fair comparison against Icad Universe.
A disclosure first, because it matters. I am Susanna Zampieri: official Icad Universe trainer and direct Brand Ambassador of iCad, and I teach Icad Universe at 3DFootwear Academy. I have a clear preference and a commercial interest. So I compare only what I can state from public sources, and for everything else I give you the questions to put to a Shoemaster reseller instead of guessing.
Key Takeaways
- Shoemaster is a footwear CAD/CAM suite that started inside Clarks and is now part of Italy's Atom Group.
- Icad Universe is the footwear CAD developed by INESCOP in Spain, built around a synchronised 2D pattern and 3D modelling environment.
- Both are vertical footwear systems, not generic 3D tools: the choice is about workflow, ecosystem and where you will work.
- Public information on Shoemaster's current feature set is thin, so a feature table would be guesswork. A checklist for the reseller demo is more useful.
- Pattern engineers in factories should learn what their factory runs; freelancers and students benefit from a 3D-first, synchronised workflow.
What Is Shoemaster?
Shoemaster is a CAD/CAM software suite for the footwear industry, covering design and pattern engineering through to production. It was developed at the shoe company Clarks, later passed to companies outside the Clarks group, and is now owned by Italy's Atom Group (Shoe Intelligence, 2004; Shoe Intelligence, 2016).
What trade press lets me confirm:
- Origin. Clarks developed it internally; Torielli became Clarks' business partner in 1990 and marketed it to other manufacturers.
- Ownership. In June 2016 the Atom Group, an Italian maker of footwear machinery, announced it would take a controlling stake or full ownership of Shoemaster, as part of a strategy toward a more automated shoe factory.
- Installed base. A 2004 trade article reported more than 1,000 installations worldwide. Treat that as a historical figure, not a current one.
I deliberately stop there. Current module names, licensing model and integrations are not documented anywhere I could verify, and you may see names from old course material that no longer match the product. Note also that Shoemaster should not be confused with "ShoeMaker", a different product from Delcam, or with Rhino plugins with similar names.
Where Shoemaster is strong
Even from public information, three things stand out. It has decades of industrial use behind it. It belongs to a group that makes footwear production machinery, which suggests a natural link between pattern data and the factory floor. And in many factories, especially in Italy, familiarity is itself an advantage: operators, patterns and processes are already built around it.
What Is Icad Universe?
Icad Universe is the vertical footwear CAD developed by INESCOP, the Spanish footwear technology centre, that combines 2D pattern making and 3D modelling in one synchronised project file. It was formerly known as iCad3D+, and "iCad" is the name of the company behind it.
The suite includes Icad Discovery (2D pattern making and engineering), Icad Lancer (3D modelling and rendering), Icad Evolve (the two combined, synchronised in both directions) and Icad Workspace (cloud collaboration). I cover the modules in detail in the complete Icad Universe guide.
In the studio, the feature that changes how I work is the bidirectional link: I correct a seam on the flat pattern and the 3D upper updates, or I move a style line on the 3D last and the pattern follows. Automatic flattening of the double-curved upper, size grading and cost calculation sit in the same file, with no export step between them. If you want the mechanics of the 3D-to-2D step, see shoe pattern flattening from 3D to 2D.
Where Icad Universe is weaker
Honestly: it is a specialist tool, so it does not stretch to bags or apparel. It carries a professional licence cost, and good free learning material is scarce, which is why structured training matters. And in a factory that already runs a different CAD with years of archived patterns, switching is a business decision, not a software one.
Shoemaster vs Icad Universe: What We Can Compare
Feature-by-feature tables between footwear CADs are usually marketing, because vendors publish different things. I compare only the dimensions that can be stated openly.
| Dimension | Shoemaster | Icad Universe |
|---|---|---|
| Origin | Developed at Clarks, a shoe manufacturer | Developed by INESCOP, a footwear research and technology centre |
| Current owner | Atom Group (Italy), since around 2016 | INESCOP (Spain); "iCad" is the company name |
| History | Marketed to other manufacturers from 1990; 1,000+ installations reported in 2004 | Formerly iCad3D+, rebranded as Icad Universe |
| Positioning | CAD/CAM inside a group that makes footwear machinery | Design-to-pattern workflow with 3D and 2D synchronised in one file |
| Core idea | Industrial continuity from design to production | Change the flat pattern or the 3D upper and the other updates |
| Modules | Ask the reseller (see below) | Discovery, Lancer, Evolve, Workspace |
| Where it is strongest | Factories already built around it | Design offices, brands, schools and freelancers working 3D-first |
If a dimension is missing, it is because I would be guessing. Absence from this table does not mean a feature does not exist.
What to ask a Shoemaster reseller before buying
For anything the public record does not cover, ask for answers in writing and a demo on your own model:
- Which modules do I need for 2D patterns, 3D modelling and grading, and what does each cost?
- Is the 2D pattern linked to the 3D model, and in which direction does a change propagate?
- How is the double-curved upper flattened, and how accurate is it on my last?
- Which file formats can I import and export for lasts, surfaces and patterns?
- What rendering and material options are included?
- What is the licensing model, and which operating systems are supported?
- What training, documentation and local support exist in my language?
- How do the patterns connect to cutting machines and production?
Put the same eight questions to any vendor, Icad Universe included. The answers matter more than any brochure.
Which One Should You Learn?
The honest answer depends on your role, not on which software is "better".
Pattern engineer in a factory
Learn what your factory runs. If the production floor, the cutting dies and the archive of patterns are tied to one system, that system is your tool. Where Shoemaster is installed, it is a legitimate skill to build, and its link to a production-oriented group is a real point in its favour. If you are deciding for a new department, run the same shoe through both systems and measure the time from last to graded, cutting-ready patterns.
Freelance designer
You usually cannot choose your clients' system, but you can choose what you offer. A 3D-first workflow where the upper is built on the last, flattened automatically and graded in the same file is very efficient for fast sample development and presentation renders. That is the reason I teach Icad Universe, and I would say the same even without the disclosure above. Before committing, check which system your target brands actually use.
Student
Pick the system with accessible learning material and a clear route to work. Icad Universe is used in several schools and has structured courses; for Shoemaster, I found little public training material. Whichever you choose, the concepts transfer: lasts, lasting allowance, grading, pattern logic. Learning one footwear CAD properly makes the second much easier. Our guides on how to learn 3D shoe design and how to choose a footwear design course go deeper.
What About Rhino, CLO3D and Blender?
They answer a different question. Shoemaster and Icad Universe are footwear-specific systems with pattern engineering built in. Rhino, CLO3D and Blender are general tools that need workarounds for patterns. For that broader comparison, see best software for shoe design. For the pattern side itself, start with shoe pattern making.
FAQ
What is Shoemaster used for?
Shoemaster is a CAD/CAM suite used in footwear manufacturing, from design and pattern engineering to production. For the exact modules and functions, use the checklist above with a reseller.
Who owns Shoemaster?
Shoemaster is part of Italy's Atom Group, which announced in June 2016 that it would acquire a controlling interest or full ownership (Shoe Intelligence). The software originated at Clarks.
Is Shoemaster better than Icad Universe?
Neither is better in general. Shoemaster has long industrial use and a production-oriented owner; Icad Universe offers synchronised 2D and 3D in one file and is developed by a footwear research institute. The right choice depends on your factory, clients and role.
Can Shoemaster and Icad Universe work together?
Both are footwear CAD systems, and lasts and surfaces can usually be exchanged in standard formats. Icad Universe imports formats such as STL, IGS and OBJ. Ask a Shoemaster reseller which exchange formats it supports, and test your own files before relying on it.
Is Shoemaster the same as the Rhino plugin 3DShoemaker?
No. 3DShoemaker is a Rhino plugin, and ShoeMaker is a separate Delcam product. Shoemaster is the CAD/CAM suite that originated at Clarks.
Which should a beginner learn first?
Start from the system you will have access to at work or at school, and from good training. If you are starting independently, I suggest Icad Universe and a structured course, with the disclosure above in mind.
Choosing Your Footwear CAD
If you want to see how a synchronised last-to-pattern-to-render workflow feels in practice, the 3D Footwear Design course walks through it step by step with Icad Universe. And if your factory runs Shoemaster, the pattern logic you learn there will still carry over.