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Footwear design

Sharp Pencil Design Studio

What is Footwear design


Footwear design deals with the designing of footwear and the study of materials used. It involves creative concepts, sketching design, manufacturing, and skills in the latest technology and modern practices. It is one of the most demanding professions in the fashion industry. Over the years, footwear designing has bloomed to its peak and it has become the leading career option. Some of the degrees to be pursued if a candidate is interested in footwear designing are B.Des., M.Des. B.Tech. or M.Tech.


The footwear profession is for everyone creative, open-minded, and for those interested in new designs and fashion. Candidates who pursue footwear design courses can find lucrative job opportunities in fashion houses, footwear brands, manufacturing units, and many more. 

Also Read: Design Course




Degree

B.Des, M.Des, B.Sc, M.Sc


Duration

B.Des (4 years)

M.Des (2 years)

B.Sc. (3 years)

M.Sc. (2 years)


Eligibility

B.Des and B.Sc. (10+2 any specialisation)

M.Des and M.Sc (Bachelor's degree)


Admission Process

B.Des and B.Sc. (Entrance test / Cut off)

M.Des and M.Sc (Entrance test / Cut off)


Top Entrance Exams

UCEED, SEED, NID DAT, CEED, AIEED


Course Fees

B. Tech (Rs 51,000 to Rs 8,00,000)

B.Des ( Rs 1,35,000 to Rs 6,28,000)

M. Tech (Rs 50,000 to Rs 3,20,000)

M.Des  (Rs 50,000 to Rs 5,08,000)


Top Colleges

LPU, FDDI, Dayalbagh Educational Institute, Anna University,

AVI School of Fashion and Shoe Technology


Career Options


  • Retail Store Manager

  • Footwear Product Developer

  • Footwear Technician

  • Footwear Merchandiser


Average Salary

Rs. 3.2 Lakhs to 9 Lakhs


Recruiting Companies

Puma, Adidas, Reebok, Converse, Woodland, Bata,

Lee Cooper, Crocs, Skechers


Eligibility Criteria (UG & PG) of Footwear design


In this section, we have mentioned the eligibility criteria of Footwear Design. For admissions, students must ensure the eligibility requirements for the admissions. You will get into the most prestigious colleges and universities if you meet the requirements. The eligibility criteria of UG and PG courses are listed below.




Eligibility Criteria UG Courses


Candidates who are interested in pursuing a bachelor’s in footwear design should have completed 10+2 and meet the guidelines of the colleges. Check below the important guidelines to remember for eligibility.


  • Students must complete 10+2 in any stream from a recognized board.

  • Each college/ university has its cutoff percentile. The applicant must score at least 50% in the 10+2 to get admission to their preferred college.

  • Candidates need to appear for the entrance examination.


Top Entrance Exams for UG Courses


JEE Main: For admission to top colleges in India, candidates who want to pursue a bachelor’s degree in footwear technology must clear the JEE Main examination. Candidates can find all the related information about JEE Main below:


JEE Advanced: Students who have cleared JEE Mains and have an aggregate 75% in 10+2 or equivalent with the recognized board in PhysicsChemistryMathematics can appear for JEE Advanced.  Below are all the details required for candidates to know about the prestigious exam.


FDDI AIST: Footwear Design and Development Institute (FDDI) conducts all India Selection Test separately for professional programs. Candidates who want to pursue a bachelor’s in footwear technology in FDDI must qualify for AIST. 


Eligibility Criteria for PG Courses


Aspirants who are interested in pursuing a master’s in footwear design should fulfill the following requirements to get admission. We have mentioned below the important points. 

  • Applicants need to complete graduation from a recognized college.

  • Candidate must fulfil the college/ university required percentage criteria

  • Candidates need to appear for the entrance examination.


Top Entrance Exams for PG Courses


GATE: Candidates who are interested in post-graduation in footwear engineering are required to qualify GATE for admission to Alagappa College of Technology and other colleges. Candidates can check all the details regarding GATE below:




Specialization or Similar Ones 


The students may choose their best option from a variety of specializations including designing, production, researcher, manager, and many more. Some of the footwear design specializations are listed below:



Top Footwear Design Colleges in India


There are several colleges in India offering footwear design courses. The designing institutes offer admission through both merit and entrance-based examinations. The fee structure varies from college to college. Below, we have mentioned the top Indian designing colleges: 




Top Government Footwear Design Colleges in India 

There are many government footwear design colleges in India. The government-run colleges charge a lesser amount as compared to private institutions. Below, we have mentioned some top government colleges:


  • Footwear Design and Development Institute, Chandigarh - Rs. 623,100

  • Central Footwear Training Institute, Chennai - Rs. 312,000

  • Footwear Design and Development Institute, Chennai - Rs. 623,100

  • Footwear Design and Development Institute, Guna - Rs. 836,500

  • Footwear Design and Development Institute, Jodhpur - Rs. 623,100


Scope of Footwear design in India and Abroad

Footwear Design is one of the demanding professions. Over the years, the footwear industry has grown a lot. There is a significant rise in demand and an extensive amount of choices in the footwear industry. A person with a decent understanding of footwear design and the materials used like leather, rubber, plastic, canvas, and others can apply for jobs in fashion houses, footwear brands, catalog companies, and manufacturing units. A person’s average salary should be in the range of Rs. 3 to 9 lakhs depending on the city, years of experience, role. 


Course Subjects


The course is designed to introduce the students to the world of designing and fashion. The footwear subjects help the students to understand the industry and aspects of design and skills to pursue the career of the designer. We have mentioned semester wise subjects of the course below:


Subjects covered in UG


  • Art,  Design, and Fashion

  • Clicking Technology Pre- Production Technology

  • Closing Technology Design and Pattern Cutting 

  • Hand Shoe Making

  • International Business and Language

  • Quality Assurance and Control

  • Product Knowledge

  • Computer Studies

  • Soft Skill Development Principles of Management 

  • Product Costing Non- Leather Footwear & Product Manufacturing 

  • Garments and Accessories manufacturing Technology

  • Productivity Improvement Techniques

  • Testing and Quality Control with Six Sigma

  • Marketing & Market Research

  • History of Design Leather Studies & Processes

  • Colour Concepts of fashion Pattern Making 

  • Foot Comfort Financial Controls

  • Industrial Engineering Retailing and Merchandising 

  • Marketing Product Sketching & Design 

  • CAD & Pattern Engineering 

  • Pattern Cutting & Product Development 

  • Materials & Testing Closing 

  • Clicking Setting up in Business 


Subjects covered in PG


  • Applied Mathematics for Leather Technology 

  • Advanced Organic & Inorganic Chemistry 

  • Advanced Leather Chemistry 

  • Advanced Leather Biotechnology

  • Advanced Leather Process Technology 

  • Advanced Techniques in Leather Processing

  • Instrumental Methods in Leather Science Elective 1

  • Advanced Chemistry & Technology of Leather Chemicals Elective 2

  • Treatment & Disposal of Tannery Waste Leather

  • Chemicals Instrumental Laboratory 3rd Semester 

  • Environmental Management System Elective 5

  • Elective 3

  • Project Work Phase I

  • Elective 4

  • Project Work Phase 2

  • Advanced Coordination Chemistry 

  • List of Electives Chemistry and Physics of Collagen Science and Technology of Leather Supplements and Synthetics Nano Technology for Leather Colloid and Surface Chemistry

  • Engineering Economics in Leather Production

  • Industrial Safety and Occupational Health Marketing of Leather and Leather Chemicals Energy Management In Leather Industries

  • Eco Labelling for Leather Sector 




Careers in Footwear design

There are various roles in footwear design. A candidate can choose from a variety of career profiles. He or She can join footwear companies, brands, designer labels, buyers, and many more. Below is the list of profiles:Footwear TechnicianFootwear Technician works for the technical development of shoes. He or She is working with the production team so that the samples fit the required standard


Footwear Designer 

Footwear Designer works as a specialist who designs new ideas, samples for companies and addresses technical instructions to manufacturers for the final Product. He or She also remains conscious about efficiency and material integrity Footwear Trade Analyst


Footwear Trade Analyst

manages the research of the national as well as local markets. The analyst also handles the sale and campaigning of the product.  


Retail Store Manager

The major responsibility of the Retail Store Manager is to manage the workflow and schedule of employees. He must be aware of the sale and upcoming promotion of shoes at the store.


The quality and quantity of footwear products have been showing considerable growth. People are becoming more aware of the course and opportunities in the footwear sector. The Indian market size will grow to 796 billion by 2033. With the country becoming more self-sufficient in the footwear sector, the demand for skilled designers has gone up.


Job Profiles and Top Recruiters

There are various recruiting companies that employ candidates who have done footwear design. The companies recruit them for the above-mentioned profiles. Some of the top recruiting companies are: 


  • Crocs 

  • Adidas 

  • Puma

  • Skechers 

  • Bata

  • Reebok

  • Converse

  • Lee Cooper

  • Woodland

  • Nike


Average Salary


After pursuing footwear design, candidates can find lucrative job opportunities in the

best companies. We have discussed some of the profiles with their salaries below:


  • Footwear Designer - Rs. 3.5 to 9 Lakhs 

  • Footwear Technician - Rs. 5 to 8 Lakhs

  • Footwear Trade Analyst - Rs. 3.5 to 8.5 Lakhs

  • Production Manager - Rs. 5 to 16 Lakhs





Required Skillset for Footwear design


Candidates who are interested in pursuing a career in footwear design must possess important skills required for the opportunity in the industry. Students must be aware of the market terminology to have a better understanding of the subject. Here are some of the important skills:


  • Communication Skills Creativity

  • Computer Skills Attention to Detail

  • Time management 

  • Measurement Skills 

  • Sketching Ability

  • Product Knowledge


Course Curriculum for Footwear design


The course helps students to understand the core of footwear designing. The content during the course varies depending on the colleges and universities. It provides students a deep understanding of creativity and product knowledge.


Footwear Design produces new products and services to cater to the customer demands and enhances the organizational performances. It helps them to change the material into a bit of craftsmanship. During the undergraduate or graduate level, students have several goals to achieve in terms of creativity, ability, measurement, sketching.


He or She should have a strong ability to meet the requirements of the industry.With footwear design, students can have a strong understanding of how the color will impact the customer in design.



Footwear design
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