What does a Men’s Footwear Designer do?
Men’s Footwear Designers create innovative, unique footwear styles and colorways that reflect a sneaker brand’s aesthetic. Furthermore, they bring innovation and move the business forward in a trend-relevant manner. They take into consideration aesthetics, comfort, support, safety, practicality, and durability to create the most functional and appealing sneaker. Men’s Footwear Designers design layouts, models, and depictions of what will eventually emerge within the men’s sneaker market. Usually working primarily with a team, a Men’s Footwear Designer is responsible for concept creation using CAD, design research and trends, presenting collections, comprehensive design rendering, and assessing new technologies in materials and textile processing.
How much does a Men’s Footwear Designer make?
According to Glassdoor, Footwear Designers make a national average of $74,414 annually or $35.78 an hour. In addition, entry-level footwear designers make around $46,000 annually, with senior-level footwear designers making $112,000 a year.
What impact does this career have towards the sneaker industry?
Though footwear is popular among both men and women, it is the former gender that is driving the market growth. Making Men’s Footwear Designers an important asset to the sneaker industry. Moreover, Men’s Footwear Designers determine what the men’s consumer markets will wear on their feet, innovate sneaker technology, and impact sneaker trends.
What is the job outlook for a Men’s Footwear Designer?
The Footwear market is expected to show a volume growth of 4.0%. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), job growth in the fashion design industry (including Men’s Footwear Designers) is projected to grow one percent during the 2018-2028 decade.
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:
Women’s Footwear Designer | Kid’s Footwear Designer | Footwear Graphic Designer | Materials Designer | Creative Director, Footwear | Design Engineer | Color Designer | Athletic Footwear Designer | Sneaker Customizer | CAD Engineer, Footwear | Pattern Master
