Abstract: The present invention provides a method of moulding a mouldable reinforcing element of an item of footwear. The method comprises the steps of: providing a microwave heatable mouldable reinforcing element and locating said element at an appropriate location as part of an item of footwear; positioning the item of footwear on a last to hold the item of footwear in an appropriate shape; locating the item of footwear in a microwave field within a microwave chamber that contains the microwave field and thereby heating the mouldable reinforcing element to a temperature at which it is mouldable; and moving the appropriate location of the item of footwear relative to the microwave field during said heating. The method is particularly advantageous over prior art microwave methods for moulding footwear in that it does not require specific control of the microwave field and it does not require the use of external moulds.