Footwear Product Manager Career Profile, Salary & Job Outlook
What does a Footwear Product Manager do?
Footwear Product Managers are responsible for the strategic planning, development, and execution of a specific plan in order to achieve and exceed the assigned sales growth targets for sneakers. They own the footwear roadmap for a company. In addition, Footwear Product Managers define product requirements. This includes available markets, pricing, features, performance goals, as well as identifying product positioning, creative assets, and member-facing specifications.
How much does a Footwear Product Manager make?
According to Glassdoor, Footwear Product Managers make a national average of $111,610 or $53.66 an hour. In general, entry-level footwear product coordinators make around $48,803 annually, with senior-level footwear product managers making $177,000 a year.
What impact does this career have towards the sneaker industry?
Footwear Product Managers are the voice of the customer, working to develop and launch footwear that will delight a sneaker company’s audience and enhance their brand experience. They also bring their expertise and research to oversee each sneaker through the development process — from ideation to end of life, ensuring it will bring satisfaction for a sneaker consumer.
What is the job outlook for a Footwear Product Manager?
The footwear market is expected to grow annually by 3.25% through 2028. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), job growth in the fashion design industry (including Footwear Product Managers) is projected to grow one percent by 2028.
How to kick-off your career:
- Stay up to date on sneaker releases and design trends.
- Collect inspiration of most sought-out or grailed sneakers.
- Learn about the sneaker manufacturing process.
- Download our Ultimate Sneaker Career Guide to understand the pathway into this career.
- Explore our Sneaker Essentials online course to understand the Manufacturing & Production process.
Learn from:
Jon Tang
Sneaker Essentials contributor, Fronteer
Experiences: Founder & Creative Director, Fronteer
Senior Designer, Collaborations & Special Projects, K-Swiss
Related Careers:
Business Development Manager | Product Line Manager | Product Developer
