Footwear Designer & Product Developer

Job Description

We are looking for a Freelance Footwear Designer & Product Developer to support the development of sandals and casual footwear, from product concept and design direction to material recommendation and technical guidance for sampling.

This role is suitable for someone with a strong interest in footwear design, a good understanding of comfort, materials, and product construction, and the ability to translate brand direction into commercially appealing products.

The ideal candidate should be able to create footwear designs that are realistic to produce, comfortable to wear, aligned with the brand direction, and relevant to the target market.

Responsibilities:

• Develop footwear design concepts for sandals and casual footwear based on the brand direction.
• Conduct research on footwear trends, competitors, market references, materials, and product details.
• Produce sketches, digital drawings, or visual presentations to communicate design ideas clearly.
• Design product details such as straps, soles, footbeds, outsoles, stitching, finishing, and overall construction.
• Provide material recommendations, including synthetic leather, genuine leather, suede, PU, EVA, TPR, rubber, or other relevant footwear materials.
• Prepare basic tech packs or technical guidelines for vendors, sample makers, or production teams.
• Provide input on comfort, functionality, durability, and production feasibility.
• Review and revise designs based on feedback from the brand and sampling process.
• Support the product development process from initial concept until sample evaluation.

Requirements:

• Experience or portfolio in footwear design, fashion product design, industrial design, or related fields.
• Good understanding of sandals, casual footwear, or footwear product development.
• Ability to create designs that are aesthetic, commercial, production-feasible, and suitable for the target market.
• Basic understanding of footwear materials, construction, comfort, and sampling process.
• Able to present design ideas clearly through sketches, digital drawings, or other relevant design tools.
• Strong sense of fashion, lifestyle, product trends, and consumer preferences.
• Detail-oriented and able to work based on a clear brief and timeline.
• Comfortable working on a freelance or project-based arrangement.

Plus Points :

• Experience working with footwear, sandals, shoes, or fashion brands.
• Network or connections with material suppliers, sole makers, sample makers, or footwear factories.
• Basic understanding of costing and production feasibility.
• Ability to create vendor-ready tech packs.