How to Become a Shoe Designer?

Designing beautifulshoes represents originality and innovation. It is a work of art and a shoe designer needs to be able to blend not only practical but also creative footwear if they plan to be successful in their career. Fashion is a creative, demanding and very competitive market. Those who decide to take the leap and work in this direction should have a few skills up their sleeves.

Art & Fashion

Like any other area of fashion, shoe designers are required to know how to research, to prepare, to draw, to cut and sew and nowadays, to use design software on the computer. Being creative does not always come naturally. Some designers know that they want to design shoes, but still, need to master the basic skills. With practice, creativity comes more easily. Designers will have a bank of images saved for inspiration. Images they collected from others or designs that they sketched out in their own time.

Technical or Abstract?

Shoe designers must consider which style of shoe and sketching suits them most. For high-end fashion, where the focus of the design is on the materials, colors and overall look of the shoe, designers do not need to be so precise in terms of the foot shape and the actual measurements needed to make the shoe suitable to walk in. Sport shoes, on the other hand, are very technical where each part of the shoe serves a particular purpose in supporting the foot or in managing different terrains.

Networking

It seems that no matter where you go or what you do, you need to know how to network or have a friend who can network for you. It is important to get out there and be seen - have your shoe designs seen. If nobody knows you exist, then nobody will be reminded of you. University is a great place to meet like-minded people who can update you on all the events happening around you. It is true that fashion designers will check which school you went to and if it is reputable.

But don’t let that stop you. If you really love to design shoes, you can succeed no matter what your background. Do your best to go to fashion shows, meetups, classes - any event that is related to your industry. Chances are, you will find people you want to work with or interested in your shoes.

Learn the Business

There is a lot more to the shoe industry than simply designing and networking. You should learn how to do business. Learning or brushing up on your business knowledge will be of great benefit. You need to know how to sell your shoes, negotiate, perhaps set up your own company, protect your intellectual property, develop marketing strategies and branding. There are so many people you can follow online who posts blogs on these topics for free - or ultimately, you can do a course online or at a school near you. Most designers prefer to leave the business side of things to others; however, understanding what is going on around you is always a safe position to be in.

Get an Apprenticeship

As much as everyone likes to reach their goals quickly, getting an apprenticeship from someone you admire can only bring you good. Everyone can have a go at shoe design, but not everyone will invest time in learning more about the craft or develop the required skill set to make a mark in the industry. It is important that a shoe designer has a clear understanding of colors, lines, shapes, textures, and movement, and how these concepts interact with the human body in motion. Who best to learn from but a professional who has been making shoes for years?

Follow a Process

Every project has a process from start to finish. Shoe designers must conceptualize their vision in terms of how the result will look like and behave in reality. The process requires a lot of research, ideation, and prototyping before you can even begin to make the final product. Shoe designers must ask themselves for whom are they designing, their needs and where they will wear the shoes. By analyzing the audience, keywords will pop up and can be used as inspiration for the mood or style of the shoe. Making sure you have thought of all areas before prototyping will ensure that the end result will be one-of-a-kind.

Build a Portfolio

Last but not least, create, add and continue to build a portfolio. The more work you have collected that you are proud of, the more you can show prospective clients or partners. Having a portfolio shows how passionate you are about your work and is a great tool to use for showcasing it. Don’t be shy and be proud of all the work you have done. You will get your shoes out there in no time!