Today, shoes play an important role in Fashion Design. Women are often stereotyped as
being shoe addicts. Many women do buy a lot of trendy shoes, to the point that
they have several pairs spilling out of their closets.
Footwear designers develop several different types of footwear. Many
shoe designers specialize in designing certain types of footwear, such as
boots, athletic shoes, dress shoes or sandals. A few shoe designers may also
design footwear specifically for women, men, or children.
Footwear designers must be aware of current fashion trends just like
other professionals in the industry. Some shoe designs, such as black pumps,
are considered to be classic but designers should be able to adapt to the customer’s
needs.
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| Footwear Institute |
In order to come up with a particular design, a shoe designer will
sometimes work alone, or work with a small team, trading concepts and ideas. If
a shoe designer is creating a new shoe for a client or employer, he or she must
also be open to outside ideas and specifications. A shoe designer, when coming
up with a new shoe design,will consider the comfort, support, safety,
practicality and durability of the shoe.
The next step in the design process involves creating a visual plan. A
shoe designer will make several quick sketches of his/her design. After the
idea has been perfected, more detailed designs will be made. These detailed
designs are sometimes created with traditional art supplies, such as pencils
and markers. With the advancement of modern technology, the use of computer
design software is becoming more common.
Once a design has been completed, a shoe designer will have a pattern made.
Some designers are capable of performing this task themselves. Others, may
enlist the help of a patternmaker. Once the pattern has been completed, a
prototype of the shoe is made. If the prototype is acceptable to the designer,
or approved by the employer or client, the shoes are then mass produced and
marketed to the public.
In some cases, shoe designers may choose to design, create, market and
sell their own footwear designs. Only the most talented shoe designers can
build a successful career doing this, since the fashion industry is constantly
changing and extremely competitive.
Aspiring footwear designers have to be very creative individuals with a
broad imagination. They should also be interested in keep themselves informed
of the current fashion trends. They also need to have good drawing and computer
skills.
