Footwear
designing technology is a lucrative career option and it is an
important area of fashion. Career opportunities are growing for
qualified footwear designers and leather technologists, major reason
being the high growth of the consumption level of the latest leather
products and footwear over the years. This surge in demand is mainly
because of the high fashion consciousness of the customers as well as
the wide media exposure in this field. The profession has become
challenging as it blends the sensitivity of a designer and the artisan
capabilities of the cobbler.
The footwear industry has a range of jobs in areas comprising of research
and development, design, manufacturing operations, sales and marketing
- retail and wholesale, quality control and management. Career
opportunities are available for qualified professionals, with multinationals
that are active in the field of leather production, product development,
processing and designing, as well as with leather research centers,
footwear designing institutes, footwear production units, sports shoe
manufacturers, in the orthopedic market- designing specialist shoes
for private clients, fashion houses and other similar industries. They
could work as Footwear Designers- as Seniors or Assistants, Footwear
Buyers, Fashion Trend Analysts, Footwear Technicians, Footwear Line
Builders, Production Coordinators & managers, Marketing Managers
and so on.
Most graduates enter the industry as design assistants before progressing
to become designers. On-the-job learning is a crucial part of developing
skills. Once you establish yourself as a reliable designer you could
freelance and earn handsomely or you can join any leading brands and
go up in the ladder and reach top position in the company. Major Employers
in this field are Bata, Action shoes, Flex, Liberty Group, Woodland,
Lee Cooper etc.
The profession is not only lucrative, but also demanding and highly
competitive. Designers are needed to design the products according to
latest trends. As designers one could specialize in one area such as
women's, children's or sports footwear. Experienced technicians are
required to operate the machines for manufacturing the product and Marketing
involves retail buying and selling. Marketing managers have to decide
on marketing policies such as organizing shoe fairs and exhibitions.
Footwear Technology : Remuneration
Since Employment opportunities are diverse, earnings can vary tremendously.
Initially one can expect a starting salary somewhere around Rs.10,000-12,000
per month. International players offer even more high pay packages which
may be between Rs.15,000-20,000 per month.
Earnings of Independent footwear designers depend upon the nature
of their assignment. Entrepreneurs in this field can earn a lot per
annum depending upon the size of their business. High end designing
firms pay extremely well.
