Why Footwear Design Courses are The most Trending Thing Now?

 Footwears like other fashion apparel transcend their necessity of protecting feet and are a part and parcel of the complete fashion statement now. There is also cultural importance of wearing good footwear, as they are the ones which establish the class of people. The modern world dwells in appearances and is looking for new styles to fashion themselves, each passing day. This upward trend of people to style themselves distinctly from head-to-toe has seen the stark growth in demands of designer footwear. The market now requires skilled and innovative footwear designers more than ever.

 

As a career option, footwear designing is a booming field and has a lot to offer in coming years with the dynamic market scenario adjusting itself to the cultural need of fashion entering the day-to-day life of common people. The past five decades in this field have seen tremendous changes. Each day sees some new design laced with new technology coming into the market, different types of footwear coming into fashion, making footwear design the new sought out after field for artistic individuals with a technical bent of mind.

 

The promising career options that footwear designing allows make the footwear design courses sought after education field. Of the ever-growing fashion industry, footwear design is the most dynamic professional choice.

 

The role and responsibilities of a footwear designer include the ideation of design, understanding of materials and their properties, understanding the retail market and establishing communication with customers and suppliers, devising new strategies for the product, and analyzing the requirements and trends of the market. Thus, a footwear designer is a mix of an artist by passion and technical craftsmen by professional standards.

 

The career options that lie ahead of a footwear designer after getting graduation or diploma from the footwear design course of a reputed institute are getting a job in some renowned footwear brand, or in some high-end footwear store, or working as an expert in fashion houses, or catalogue companies, or manufacturing specialist. Last but not least Footwear Design program inculcate entrepreneurial accumen.

 

Thus your love and passion for designing should be turned into reality by taking a footwear designing course and being a part of expanding footwear industry. In India, courses are offered at graduate, post-graduate levels from government institutes such as Footwear design and development institute (FDDI), Central footwear training institute (CFTI), and private institutes such as BD Somani Institute of Art and Fashion technology and, Hamstech Institute of fashion and Interior design.

 

In India, the scene of the leather and footwear industry has changed a lot. India is the second-largest exporter of footwear in the world and estimates are that this sector would have a compound annual growth of 12.6 per cent. The footwear industry in India is currently valued at 7,525 million US dollars and is expected to grow to 12,117 million US dollars by the end of 2023, as per reports from Statista.  Leading first-world countries like the UK, USA, Italy, Germany try to place their manufacturing base in India. These changes in the field would open up new avenues of work opportunities to young Indian professionals.

 

Thus, this is the perfect moment for young individuals to jump into the wagon of upcoming lucrative fields and break off with the overburdened, less-rewarding traditional fields.

 

Footwear Design: Types of Footwear Designers

 

People who are keen to take up a career in the footwear industry must acquaint themselves with the type of works they might have to do and make an informed decision. The changes in the footwear industry in recent years have opened up lucrative career avenues and are to be taken seriously.

 

After doing a course in footwear design, you might get the opportunity to don different roles, and you may choose the kind of footwear designer you want to be according to your personal preference.

 

Product developers - After completing the footwear design course one may want to work as a footwear product developer, working closely with shoe designers and manufacturers to smoothen the launch of design and also manage the collaboration between material suppliers, agents and factories.

Trade analyst - A footwear trade analyst is an experienced professional in the footwear industry who analyzes the trend of the market and run marketing campaigns according to their report.

Retail store managers - As a retail store manager, you’ve to oversee the products sale, arrivals and upcoming trendy footwear in the market. It demands skilled and sharp judgement.

Technicians - As a footwear technician your role is to ensure the quality of the product and make the final product meet the desired standard of the prototype.

Merchandisers - As a footwear merchandiser, you have to plan the life-cycle of footwear in online businesses as well as retail stores.

 

Footwear Design: Skills required

 

If you possess these qualities, a career in the footwear industry would be highly rewarding for you and a footwear design course would help you land a lucrative job.

 

You should be well versed in sketching, have a creative eye for things, understand feet anatomy, ability to measure precisely, have a fashion sense and understanding of the trends that come and go.

 

Footwear Design: Courses and Colleges

 

In India, there are various A-rated colleges that offer Footwear design courses at various levels such as - Undergraduate, Post-graduate and Diploma courses. The footwear design course at the UG level is of 4 years and have 8 semesters and of 2 years and 4 semesters at PG level. Apart from these, there are various certification and diploma courses of short durations such as a Basic course in footwear designing (2 months), and Advanced course in footwear designing (4 months), Certificate course in Manufacturing technology (1 month).

 

Top colleges in India that offer these courses in footwear designing are: -

1.      Footwear Design and Development Institute (FDDI)

2.      National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Delhi

3.      A.P.Government Institute Of Leather Technology, Hyderabad

4.      National Institute of Fashion Technology, Bangalore

5.      BD Somani Institute of Art and Fashion Technology, Mumbai

6.      Hamstech Institute of Fashion & Interior Design, Hyderabad

7.      Shri Balaji Institute, Pune

8.      P.C.M. S.D. College for Women, Jalandhar

9.      Kashmir Government Polytechnic College, Srinagar

10. Inter National Institute of Fashion and Interior Design, Hyderabad

11. Central Footwear Training Institute, Agra

12. Shri Vishwakarma Skill University, Gurgaon

13. Government Polytechnic, Mumbai

14. Alagappa Institute of Technology (AIT), Chennai

15. Central Footwear Training Institute (CFTI), Chennai

16. Pannache – International School of Design, Mumbai

17. JD Institute of Fashion Technology, Pathankot