Footwear designer-maker
Footwear designer-makers produce, design and manufacture men's, women's and children's footwear.
Also known as: Shoemaker, footwear manufacturing worker
- Starter salary£24,000 a year
- Experienced£40,000 a year
- Typical hours37 to 42 a week
What you'll do
As a footwear designer-maker in the design stage, you could:
- research ideas, materials and fashion trends
- create designs using software tools and hand-drawn sketches
- make product samples and prototypes
- present your ideas to the management team
- work to budgets and timescales
- develop instructions for manufacturers to follow during production
- check the quality of finished products
During manufacturing, you could:
- cut leather or fabric pieces from patterns
- stitch together individual pieces to complete the ‘upper' section
- mould uppers into their final shape on a wooden or metal mould
- attach soles with adhesives or by stitching
- stain soles, heels and edges before waxing and polishing
- inspect for quality and package up products
Working environment
You could work in a creative studio, in a workshop, in a factory or from home.
Skills and knowledge you'll need
You'll need:
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- design skills and knowledge
- the ability to come up with new ways of doing things
- the ability to use your initiative
- knowledge of manufacturing production and processes
- to be flexible and open to change
- the ability to work well with your hands
- the ability to organise your time and workload
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently
How to become a footwear designer-maker
You can get into this job through:
- a university course
- an apprenticeship
- working towards this role
- applying directly
University
You could study for a degree in footwear design, or a fashion design qualification that includes footwear options.
You should look for courses that teach both the design and technical skills needed by the industry.
The British Fashion Council is a good place to start looking for courses.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- a foundation diploma in art and design
- 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
Apprenticeship
You could apply to do a Footwear Manufacturer Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship with a footwear company.
If you want to work in footwear design, you could do a Fashion and Textiles Product Technologist Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship.
These typically take around 2 years to complete and combine workplace training and study off site.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship
Work
You could start as an assistant in a design studio or manufacturing company and learn on the job. With further training, you could begin to produce your own designs.
Direct application
You could apply directly to employers for a trainee position.
You will need to show that you have good practical skills and the ability to follow instructions and job specifications. Experience in shoe repair, textile production or leatherwork could be helpful.
Career path and progression
With experience in a footwear company, you could progress to senior designer, head of department or manufacturing production manager.
You could specialise in custom-made products, like luxury bespoke shoes, orthopaedic footwear, or historical and theatrical costume footwear.
You might also become a freelance designer, employed by companies to work on specific projects, or become self-employed and launch your own collections.
Career tips
It's important to put together a portfolio of your work that you can take to employers. This can include designs, technical drawings and mood boards that showcase your creative talents.
Guides for this industry
Related roles
- Job roleFashion designer
- Job roleLeather craftworker
- Job rolePattern cutter
- Job roleFashion design assistant
- Job roleProduction manager (manufacturing)
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