Footwear Design Career Guide: Roles, Salary 2025 & Future Scope

Updated on Apr 24, 2025 07:22 IST
Akansha Bisht

Akansha BishtSenior Executive

The Footwear Design Career is bright with plenty of employment opportunities in the field revolving around footwear production, designing, and marketing. After a Designer Footwear course, there are many jobs in India for example Footwear Designer, Retail Manager, Footwear Technician, Footwear Merchandiser, and Footwear Production Manager. The average salary of a Footwear Designer is 4.4 LPA in India.

Bata, Adidas, Liberty, PUMA, and Red Tape are some top recruiters of Footwear Design graduates. Footwear Designing students are offered lucrative packages during campus placements in several colleges such as IIT Bombay, Netaji Subhas University of Technology, University of Mumbai, University of Lucknow, Vijaybhoomi School of Design, and Dashmesh Girls College.

Interested candidates can continue reading the article for more Footwear Design career information.

Links useful for Assistant Designer Footwear jobs:

Career after MDes: Popular Job Roles, Industries, Entrepreneurship & Freelancing Opportunities

Footwear Design Career Scope: Popular Job Profiles

Students who want to start their Shoe Designer careers have great job prospects if they possess both creative and technical skills in the field. Here are some popular Footwear Design job profiles for Footwear Design students in India:

Job Profiles Job Description Average Salary
Footwear Designers Their job is to craft and develop innovative and unique Footwear Designs, considering the latest trends, the target audience, and technical aspects. INR 4.3 LPA
Accessories Designers They create designs, select the materials, and oversee the process of creation. They often attend trade shows and fashion shows to showcase their different pieces or source materials. INR 5 LPA
Footwear Production Managers They do market research, analyze pricing, and develop distribution strategies. They are also responsible for managing the product's life cycle, from initial launch to end-of-life. INR 13.7 LPA
Footwear Technicians They oversee the technical element of the Footwear Design process, ensuring aesthetic consistency and quality of the product throughout the development process.  INR 5.5 LPA
Pattern Masters They transform the design concept into a precise and accurate pattern to produce the footwear. They do this using tools and materials, ensuring the best fit, functionality, and manufacturability of the product. INR 5.4 LPA
Technical Designers They work on the details of technical elements in the product, ensuring its functionality, quality, and manufacturability. INR 11.5 LPA

Note: The salary information is sourced from Ambitionbox.com. 

Links useful for Shoe design jobs:

Choosing Design as a career

Emerging Trends in the Footwear Design Industry

The technology integration and sustainability have taken over the Fashion Design industry with a storm. Check some latest trends in the Footwear Industry below.

Smart Shoes
GPS-enabled shoes with sensors, fitness tracing systems, etc., are in high demand among people inclined more towards healthy and smart lifestyles.

Personalized Fit

Homegrown footwear brands have seen a surge in their sales since they have implemented the feature of personalization in people's wardrobes. Consumers like the personalized fits and designs of their products.

Links useful for Designer Footwear jobs:

Designing courses after 12th - Course Options, Admission Process, Job Prospect

Footwear Designing Scope in India: Jobs, Salary, and Further Education

Footwear Design students can find job opportunities in many sectors, including Design Consultancy Firms, Footwear Production Companies, Retail and Wholesale, Import or Export Industry, Merchandising, and so on.

Footwear Design Career Scope: Top Recruiters

Check some top international and luxury footwear brands hiring Footwear Design students. 

Footwear Designing Top Recruiters 

Bata

Woodland

Adidas

Nike

Liberty

Reebok

PUMA

Mochi

Red Tape

Paragon

Note - The information is taken from external sites and may vary.

Links relevant to Assistant Footwear Designer jobs:

Career as a Footwear Designer

Footwear Design Career Scope: Popular Courses

Footwear Design courses are offered at various levels, and students can choose from any course level based on their interest and job requirements. Check some popular Footwear Design courses offered in India:

Popular Footwear Design Courses
BDes in Footwear Design MDes in Footwear Design
BSc in Footwear Design MSc in Footwear Design
UG Diploma in Footwear Design Certificate in Footwear Design

Note - The information is taken from external sites and may vary.

More on Sneaker Designer jobs -

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FAQs on Footwear Design Career

Q. What are the benefits of pursuing MBA after a Footwear Design degree?

A. MBA is a great career option for candidates who have completed undergraduate courses in any discipline. Graduates of Footwear Design courses can pursue the course if they want to switch their careers or move to managerial-level positions in their field. Given below are several benefits of pursuing an MBA after BDes in Footwear Design:

Wide range of Career Opportunities:  Anthropology graduates after pursuing an MBA can work in the marketing field, business, finance, management and consultancy firms.

Leadership Quality: An MBA program equips students with management skills and leadership qualities. It prepares them for leadership positions in an organisation.

A broader range of skills: Anthropology graduates are usually good at critical thinking and analytical skills. An MBA can help them develop statistical and organisational skills.

Opportunity for Networking: Since an MBA is open for candidates from all disciplines, there will be scope for networking with students with different academic backgrounds. They can also interact with alumni and industry specialists.

Q. What is the scope of Footwear Designing?

A. The Indian footwear industry is worth INR 24,100 crores, according to various statistical data. It is a booming industry that has witnessed consistent growth. A well-trained Footwear Designer can expect to have a promising and rewarding career. Usually, graduates of Footwear Design start their careers as trainees. One can also pursue freelance footwear design jobs. They can expect a starting salary of INR 2.5 LPA.

Q. Can one become a Footwear Designer without any degree?

A. Yes, you can become a Footwear Designer without acquiring any formal education related to the field. However, pursuing Footwear Design courses can help one gain a better understanding of the fundamental concepts of designing and marketing, and acquire a job at the onset of their career.

Q. What are the job profiles for Footwear Designer freshers?

A. Footwear Designer freshers can work in various job profiles in the merchandising, retail and international trading, designing and technological industries. Some of the top profiles are as follows:

Profiles

Av. Salary 

Business Development Executive

3.9 LPA

Designer

7.8 LPA

Management Trainee

7.4 LPA

Marketing Executive

3.4 LPA

Merchandiser

4.1 LPA

Planning Executive

5.1 LPA

Product Developers

9.5 LPA

Production Supervisors

3.2 LPA

Note: The salaries may vary depending on the company.

 

Q. Can one get a government job after completing a Footwear Designing course?

A. Yes, one can apply for government jobs through competitive exams after completing Footwear Designing courses. However, there are no niche jobs in the government sector related to Footwear Designing. Those interested in pursuing a job related to Footwear Designing can explore career opportunities in the private sector. Candidates who wish to serve in the government sector can apply for jobs that are open to all graduates.

Q. What are the departments in which one can explore career opportunities in the Footwear industry?

A. The Footwear industry is a dynamic and ever-evolving field. It is an extension of the clothing and apparel industry. The footwear market comprises of sneakers, athletic footwear, luxury footwear, shoes, sporting shoes, and related goods. The Footwear Design industry comprises three major departments: design, manufacturing, and marketing. Each department requires professionals who know about Footwear design. You can look forward to pursuing a career in the Design Department, Manufacturing Department, and Marketing Department after the completion of this course.

Q. How to get Sneaker Designer jobs?

A. To get a Sneaker Designer job, you must opt for a Footwear Design course, create a portfolio or your work, projects, and achievements, gain relevant experience in the industry through internships and industrial visits, and make networks in the market.

Q. What is the Shoe Designer Salary in India per month?

A. The av. salary Shoe Designer is INR 4.4 LPA in India, though this is an approximate figure and the salaries tend to vary across profiles, locations, and companies. 

Table of content
  • Popular Footwear Design Colleges in India
  • Popular Private Footwear Design Colleges in India
  • Popular Exams
  • Most Popular Courses
  • Popular Footwear Design UG Courses
  • Popular Footwear Design PG Courses

Popular Footwear Design Colleges in India

Following are the most popular Footwear Design Colleges in India. Learn more about these Footwear Design colleges (Courses, Reviews, Answers & more) by downloading the Brochure.
2 Courses
5.19 L - 8.34 L
3.6
1 Course
6 L
2.5

#28 Outlook

1 Course
18 K
1 Course
9.43 L
4.0
2 Courses
3.2 L - 5.9 L
4.0

Popular Private Footwear Design Colleges in India

2 Courses
5.19 L - 8.34 L
3.6
1 Course
6 L
2.5

#28 Outlook

1 Course
18 K
1 Course
9.43 L
4.0
2 Courses
3.2 L - 5.9 L
4.0

Popular Exams

Following are the top exams for Footwear Design. Students interested in pursuing a career on Footwear Design, generally take these important exams.You can also download the exam guide to get more insights.

Nov '25 - Jan '26

NIFT 2026 application form OPEN (Regular fees)

TENTATIVE

Jan '26

NIFT 2026 application form (Late fees)

TENTATIVE

Oct '25

SAT Registration Deadline for November Test

TENTATIVE

11 Sep ' 25 - 1 Dec ' 25

NID DAT 2026 Registration Date

2 Dec ' 25 - 4 Dec ' 25

NID DAT 2026 Application Correction Window

1 Oct ' 25 - 5 Nov ' 25

UCEED 2026 Application DATE (Regular Fee)

6 Nov ' 25 - 10 Nov ' 25

UCEED 2026 Application DATE (Late Fees)

Most Popular Courses

Following are the most popular Footwear Design courses, based on alumni reviews. Explore these reviews to choose the best course in Footwear Design.

Popular Footwear Design UG Courses

Following are the most popular Footwear Design UG Courses . You can explore the top Colleges offering these UG Courses by clicking the links below.

UG Courses

Popular Footwear Design PG Courses

Following are the most popular Footwear Design PG Courses . You can explore the top Colleges offering these PG Courses by clicking the links below.

PG Courses

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