Career as a footwear designer

If you are fond of designing stylish shoes, sandals, sneakers, customised footwear etc then footwear designing is a fascinating career. Today footwear is a vital part of the fashion industry and is emerging as an exciting career choice.

Skills needed

Passion, creativity, craftsmanship, an eye for detail and the ability to transform ideas into finished products are the most important qualities a footwear designer should have. Ideally one must develop basic footwear-making skills and master knowledge of foot anatomy, and CAD software. The colour, material, and design of footwear, fit, functionality and technicality matter a lot. One must be aware of different materials (fabrics, leather suede, foam, rubber etc) concepts, patterns, embroidery etc.

Designing footwear or shoes goes beyond style, aesthetics, and creativity. A shoe designer is involved right from conception to the final process of shoemaking. Practice and apprenticeship aid a lot.

Footwear has ceased to become just a foot covering. Now it is an important accessory, sometimes treated as an ornament. Brides and fashionistas prefer matching well-designed sole mates.

Besides catering to fashion-conscious customers one can also make customised footwear for clients with special needs or therapeutic needs. People with flat feet, different sizes of both feet, bone problems, polio, diabetes, and bunions need customised shoes. This is not taught in any course. One needs to be aware of the customer’s specific issues, and if need be, seek advice from paediatrician orthopaedics and then design the perfect footwear.

Designers can specialise in designing footwear for women, men, children, and orthopaedic footwear. They must be aware of international fashion trends and be able to conceptualise stylish saleable footwear.

Courses

A professional course in footwear design helps one learn the technical aspects. Many institutes today offer undergraduate, and post-graduate degrees as well as diplomas in footwear designing and technology, it is advisable to acquire a professional degree and then enter the field.

After a course in footwear design or technology, students can pursue careers in various areas depending on their course and interests such as manufacturing and planning, product development, marketing and designing footwear, or merchandising. There are various opportunities for qualified professionals from working in export houses, and international footwear manufacturers to working as freelance designers or even starting their footwear label.

The ever-growing Indian fashion market has given a fillip to the footwear industry. A footwear designer must keep learning about new trends, and constantly keep improving and developing new designs for the ever-expanding market.