What Does a Shoe Designer Do?

Shoe designers develop several different types of footwear. Many shoe designers will specialize in designing certain types of footwear, such as boots, athletic shoes, dress shoes, or sandals. A few shoe designers may also design footwear specifically for women, men, or children.

Like other professionals in the fashion industry, shoe designers must be aware of current fashion trends. Although some shoe designs, such as black pumps, are considered to be classic, fads come and go, and designers must be able to adapt to the fickle mentality of consumers.

In order to come up with a particular design, a shoe designer will sometimes work alone, but he may also work with a small team, trading concepts and ideas. If a shoe designer is creating a new shoe for a client or employer, he must also be open to outside ideas and specifications. Some things that a shoe designer may consider when coming up with a new shoe design include aesthetics, comfort, support, safety, practicality, and durability.

The next step in the show design process involves creating a visual plan. During the initial planning stages, a shoe designer will usually make several quick sketches of his design. After he has perfected his idea, he will then start making more detailed designs. These detailed designs are sometimes created with traditional art supplies, such as pencils and markers. With the advancement of modern technology, however, the use of computer design software for shoe design is becoming more and more commonplace.

Once a design has been completed, a shoe designer will then need to have a pattern made. Some designers are perfectly capable and comfortable performing this task themselves. Others, however, may enlist the help of a patternmaker. Once the pattern has been completed, a prototype of the shoe needs to be made. If the prototype is acceptable to the designer, or approved by the employer or client, the shoes will then be mass produced and marketed to the public.