Footwear promises to add a punch to your personality. Without the glass slippers, Cinderella might just have been another girl in a pretty dress. Dorothy may never have found her way home again without the ruby slippers. With growing demand and choice for footwear that has led to a spurt in the number of companies including some international players, dealing with footwear production and export- career in footwear designing is going to boom.

Keepingfashion trends in mind, footwear’s are made from leather, plastic, canvas, jute, rubber and even cloth. The footwear industryhas evolved tremendously involving the use of sophisticated machinery and skilled manpower and is a lucrative career option today.

Tips and Course Details: -

Under-graduate, Post-graduate, Diploma and Certificate courses are available in footwear design/technology. Generally for under-graduate Diploma or certificate courses in footwear design the minimum qualification is 10+2 pass with any subject.

To pursue a Post-Graduate Diploma in footwear design one must be a graduate in any stream of education. Admission into most of these courses is made through Fashion Design entrance exams.

List of Footwear Courses and Duration: -

• Diploma in Footwear Design & Production - 2 years
• Post Graduate Diploma In Footwear Technology - 1 year
• Post Diploma In Footwear Technology - 1 year
• Certificate Course in Footwear Technology - 1 year
• Footwear Manufacturing Technology - 6 Months
• Diploma in Footwear Technology - 3 year
• Footwear Design & Technology - 2 years

Skills and Aptitude: -

You need to be creative which will help you to design the foot wear on the drawing board, but the real work starts when you convert it into actual footwear to use. You also should be aware of the anatomy of the feet so that the design you created should not be difficult to wear and should not harm the body. As a foot wear designer you are expected to draw sketches of various shapes of foot wear.

You should be able to assess the requirement of your customer and come out with the best designs in the least possible time. It enhances the demand for your design if you are knowledgeable about the fashion trends and suggest the best for your customers.

Remuneration: -

With existing diversity in job prospects, the salary 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 to these people which may be between Rs.15,000 - 20,000 per month. Footwear is expected to comprise about 60 percent of the total leather exports by 2011.

Independent footwear designers have earnings depending upon the nature of their assignment. Entrepreneur in this field can earn crore of rupees per annum depending upon the size of their business.

Find more information about Fashion Design Institutes and Courses or join above Footwear Design Courses.