What does a Design Engineer do?
Footwear Design Engineers continuously seek opportunities to innovate, problem-solve and make better footwear products. They create both in-line and innovation-based samples. Within the sneaker design hierarchy, these designers sit between design, development, and engineering. Although they play an intermediate role, they carry concept creation, design & development, and work with 3D software and programs.
How much does this career make?
According to Comparably, Footwear Design Engineers make a national average of $108,000 annually or $51.92 an hour in 2021. In general, entry-level footwear design engineers make around $86,400 annually, with senior-level footwear designers making $129,600 a year.
What impact does this career have towards the sneaker industry?
Footwear Design Engineers support the development of new technologies for sneaker design by bringing footwear concepts to life. Their role in prototyping a sneaker design gives the possibilities and understanding of the mass production process into the hands of sneaker consumers.
What is the job outlook for a Design Engineer?
The Footwear market is expected to show a volume growth of 4.0% in 2022. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), job growth in the fashion design industry (including Innovation/Designer Engineers, Footwear) is projected to grow one percent during the 2018-2028 decade (www.bls.gov).
Learn from:
Gregg Woodcock
Sneaker Essentials contributor, FIT Faculty
Designer Credits: Mossimo, FILA, FUBU, Phat Farm, Diane von Furstenberg, and Diddy’s footwear operation
Related Careers:
Men’s Footwear Designer | Women’s Footwear Designer | Kid’s Footwear Designer | Footwear Graphic Designer | Product Line Manager | Product Development Manager | Materials Designer | Color Designer | Athletic Footwear Designer | Product Developer | CAD Engineer, Footwear | Pattern Master | Product Manager
