Misiu Academy 2023 Recap & Future Updates

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In this article I wanted to take a step back and discuss Misiu Academy, do a recap for 2023 and also see what the future holds.

There will also be an update on content, challenges and of course mentions of The Noble Shoe.

Let’s chat!

Long Deserved Break

For the past 5 years, I wrote weekly on Misiu Academy about a plethora of topics.

It quickly became clear that my passion was shoes, suits, reviews and extended, detailed guides.

Very often people seemed to enjoy my (often brutal) honesty, opinionated nature, details and occasional colorful language.

Writing articles usually takes thought, research and hours of writing and editing.

Especially reviews and more so guides took a tremendous amount of time but thankfully the reception was so good it made them rewarding.

Take a look at the Shoe Leather Guide, the Types of Construction Guide or the fan favorite Best/Worst Dress Shoes Guide.

Misiu Academy is a hobby and something that interests me, but it was imperative that the focus shifted to The Noble Shoe.

The Noble Shoe is my creation, my business and the way I provide food on the table for my family.

With the help of you; and many people around the world, The Noble Shoe keeps growing and is no longer a small business.

It is a serious operation and has a reputation as the go-to online store for certain dress shoe brands.

This means that a ton of effort goes daily into the store around the clock and it certainly is a priority.

On the other hand, it meant that I needed a well-deserved break or more infrequent posting schedule for the blog to recuperate a bit.

Since I mentioned this is a hobby, it has become extremely difficult to purchase items just to review them.

It takes maybe 20 hours just to produce a YouTube video on the side.

I also reached a point where I reviewed most of the important shoe brands out there, leaving little in terms of content.

Working from home in Italy also means that I do not dress up as much as before.

So it did feel good to take a small break and not worry about it too much!

Because writing meaningless or short content is okey occasionally, but not in the long run.

Recap For 2023

So this is pretty much the recap for 2023.

The business continued to show strong growth, despite the world circumstances.

Misiu Academy kept a fairly consistent posting schedule, although some of the content was definitely shorter or filler.

YouTube had to take a hit, but I moved houses and didn’t have a proper setup or time.

Unfortunately this also meant that my shoemaking endeavors came to an end at least for the time being.

On a positive note, the site has barely any ads or annoying pop ups now since I value the experience more than the revenue.

So What’s Next?

Let’s break it down into a few sections so it becomes easier to follow.

1. Misiu Academy

The blog will continue on the same path and I will try to keep a consistent schedule in 2024.

There will be reviews (for example soon I will review Blkbird Shoemaker) when possible.

Editorials, picture heavy presentations, factory visits and news related to the shoe industry.

I will try to focus also on trends and discussions about certain elements of shoes and what is popular.

Lastly, I would really like to manage and write at least 3 great guides this year, if time allows and the topic is right.

It always helps if you leave a comment with what you would like to see or read about.

2. YouTube Channel

This is the year where I hopefully will go back to posting at least once per month on YouTube.

There will be a focus on shorter content rather than 20 minute ramblings however.

It is also a platform where I can reach more people and showcase our newest products and ideas.

Let’s see, I still have a lot of interesting content on the backlog!

3. The Noble Shoe

Most importantly, The Noble Shoe is on an exciting trajectory in 2024.

It’s no secret that I have been developing my own shoe line for a while now and I think this is the year we will be able to showcase it.

We are also looking to add another entry level brand in the shop to make it more accessible to people.

As always, our collaboration with Carlos Santos, Enzo Bonafe and Paolo Scafora is stronger than ever and continuously expanding.

There’s a lot of great and unique models arriving and I am thrilled to share them with you due time.

Other than that, I always work to provide quality of life improvements on the experience both on and off the website.

Let’s Make it A Great Year!

The recap for Misiu Academy and me in 2023 was overwhelmingly positive.

I got a chance to rejuvenate myself, focus on what is important, I got the best cat in the world.

I am also currently brainstorming about a few personal projects that will keep me busy and motivated.

Most importantly, I wanted to thank every one of you that is still here, reading or following in the last 5.5 years.

I will see you soon with a very interesting article about AI and shoes.

Thank you for reading,

Kostas Mandilaris,
Misiu Academy