Footwear plays a significant role in enhancing the overall appearance-
as such it has great impact in the field of fashion. It symbolizes not
only one's fashion statement, but also personal taste as well as sense
of comfort.
The overall increase in the demand for accessories, has led to
a rapid
growth in the number of companies including some international
players dealing with footwear production and export in India. The
country ranks second among the footwear- producing
nations. Besides being a fashion statement, footwear has also become a
matter of health and comfort. Huge research is going on in the
Orthopaedic footwear segment due to the increase in various foot
related ailments. As a result the
scope for a career in the field has increased rapidly.
Designing footwear
requires a blend of artistic talent and creativity. Footwear technology has come a long way from traditional shoemakers cutting and stitching leather, to specialised professionals utilising modern technology, working at high tech laboratories, on sophisticated machines,
experimenting with a varied range of materials, from leather, plastic,
canvas, jute, rubber and even
cloth.
Footwear Designers create new styles of footwear, keeping in
mind the popular demand in the markets and also the demands of
individual
clients. They also design footwear collections for leading footwear
companies. Patterns are made and graded by them, according to which
companies produce samples. Computer aided design
(CAD) systems have now made the entire process mechanised.
The footwear industry has a range of jobs and skills comprising of research
and development, design, manufacturing operations, sales and marketing,
quality control and management. While designers design the product,
experienced technicians are required to operate the machines for manufacturing
the product. Marketing involvesretail buying and selling of products to
the various retail channels. To begin a career in the field, one must
have at least a Diploma or a Certificate qualification in footwear design/
leather technology. However, for high profile positions, candidates must
possess advanced qualifications such as graduation, post graduation or
doctoral degree in footwear designing and leather technology.
