Tips to Becoming a Shoe Designer

They say that those who follow their passions in life are truly happy. Do you have a passion to design shoes? As one of the most technically demanding aspects in fashion design, you’ll need more than just a few good ideas. Sure, inspiration and imagination play a large role in this career field, but there’s still a certain amount of schooling and expertise involved as well.

Before you dive into this career field, do a quick assessment of yourself to see if you measure up. The two main characteristics of a good shoe designer are creative thinking and the determination to overcome problems. You must also be a risk-taker, yet have a mind for business. Finally, you’ll need to be willing to embrace technology. If you have these traits, you just might have what it takes to become a shoe designer.

The typical shoe designer has a broad background in such areas as art, CAD (computer-aided design), fine art, graphic design, and even a little bit of anatomy. Along with these, a good designer will have a knack for drawing, model-making and style. You’ll also need to know about different fabrics and fashion. You can get most of the education you need from your local community college. Most employers in field will require an associates or bachelor’s degree, of course to really get ahead you could always apply for one of the more prestigious schools of design.

There are a handful of schools scattered across the world that continually produce outstanding stars in the designer world. The first is Art e School, located in Florence, Italy. They specialize in art, photography and, fine arts. Intensive courses at Art e School can last anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 years. This school can take you from rough drafts to completed projects. Also located in Florence is Polimoda. This world-class footwear and accessory design school has a very good 2 year program. There are several other highly reputable schools located throughout Europe, including the Istituto Europeo di Design, the London College of Fashion and, De Montfort University.

If you’re looking for something closer to home, The Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM) has an excellent Fashion Design curriculum. An advanced portion of this is their 1-year Footwear Design program, which deals exclusively with every aspect of the footwear business. FIDM has several locations scattered throughout California. On the other side of the U.S. is The Fashion Institute of Technology. Located in Manhattan, New York, this giant school offers one-year certificate programs, two-year degrees and bachelor’s degrees in Accessories Design. Not only will you learn about the shoe industry, but also fashion accessories.

Once you have some education under your belt, you’ll find there are two main avenues to work through. You can find employment with either a large label or major shoe or clothing company or you can go out on your own. Working for a big company, you’ll follow the direction of senior leadership and designers, while earning good money and benefits. While you are learning under senior designers, you’ll also be gaining experience and skill. The downside is that your own creativity may be stifled.

Going out on your own means you’ll live or die by your own designs. You will market your shoes through stores, boutiques, or other venues. The experience you’ll gain will come from hard work and trial-and-error. If your designs are poor, you will be to. If you have good fashion sense and a sharp mind for business, you could find yourself at the top of your field one day. You will face uncertainty, low income and high levels of stress for an unforeseen amount of time.

For some folks, all the schooling and training may sound a little too intensive. There are some other ways to break into the industry without doing all that. You can find a few back doors that can get you in the business. There are technical designers, manufacturers and distributors that will take your ideas and turn them into the actual item, and market it for you. Of course, there are fees involved in this.

No matter how you choose to break into the industry, you’ll need drive and determination to succeed. Keep drawing and designing shoes, honing your skills and expanding your knowledge. Gain experience in as many aspects of the business as you can. If your designs are good and you have a little luck, you’ll find yourself finally working in the industry of your dreams.