Shoe Design Courses and Degree Programs
Shoe design courses are typically part of a degree program in accessory design or fashion design, and such programs sometimes offer a concentration in shoe design as well. Continue reading for more information on what's taught in shoe design courses.
What You Need to Know
Shoe designers use their artistic ability and knowledge of fashion to create footwear that is meant to be appealing to customers in both form and function. Along with natural talent, formal training and hands-on experience is often vital to succeeding in the fashion industry. Undergraduate and graduate degree options are available for studying shoe design.
<table border="1"><tr><td><b>Courses</b></td><td> Footwear sketching and design, patternmaking, textile science, business, marketing, footwear trends, fashion history, shoe construction</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Degrees</b></td><td> Associate, bachelor's, or master's degree</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Salary*</b></td><td> $67,420 (Median annual salary for fashion designers as of May 2017)</td></tr>
</table><p><i>Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics</i>
</p><h3 id="section---WhatTypesOfShoeDesignCoursesCanITake">What Types of Shoe Design Courses Can I Take?</h3><p>Courses typically cover footwear sketching and design, fashion trends in shoes and historical perspectives on footwear and couture design. Additional coursework might explore materials selection, footwear production and marketing. Studio classes allow for the development of skills like hand sketching, computer-aided design, patternmaking and construction. You'll also typically build a portfolio and have the opportunity to work collaboratively with fellow students. Because of the hands-on nature of building shoe design and construction skills, online courses and programs aren't usually available.
</p><h3 id="section---WhatUndergraduateDegreesCanIEarn">What Undergraduate Degrees Can I Earn?</h3><p>Shoe design courses may be available as part of an undergraduate or graduate degree programs. You could earn a 2-year Associate of Arts or Associate of Applied Science or a 4-year Bachelor of Fine Arts in Fashion or Accessories Design with an emphasis or coursework in footwear design. Coursework may include the following:
</p><ul><li>History of footwear
</li><li>3D design
</li><li>Color and design theory
</li><li>Footwear vocabulary
</li><li>Technical sketching
</li><li>Textile science
</li><li>Photoshop and Illustrator
</li></ul><h3 id="section---WhatAboutGraduateDegreePrograms">What About Graduate Degree Programs?</h3><p>At the graduate level, you could pursue a Master of Arts of a Master Fine Arts in a field like accessories design, which typically takes two years to complete. Another option might include a Master's in Industrial Design degree program, which may have coursework in visual communication, apparel and footwear and packaging. A thesis project, such as a footwear collection, may be required for this degree program, in addition to workshops and research seminars. These courses may be covered at the graduate level:
</p><ul><li>History of industrial design
</li><li>Advanced accessory design
</li><li>Prototypes
</li><li>Sustainability and production
</li><li>Digital ideation
</li><li>Visual merchandising for footwear
</li></ul><h3 id="section---HowWillIGainCareerBasedExperience">How Will I Gain Career-Based Experience?</h3><p>You could get hands-on experience developing product design presentation skills and branding skills through studio classes and competitions. Some programs also offer study abroad opportunities or field trips. Certain design programs feature internship opportunities with footwear producers, where you can learn group research and design techniques.</p>