Footwear Technology

Footwear Technology :

Introduction :

Footwear plays a significant role in enhancing the overall appearance- as such it has great impact in the field of fashion. It symbolizes not only one's fashion statement, but also personal taste as well as sense of comfort.

The overall increase in the demand for accessories, has led to a rapid growth in the number of companies including some international players dealing with footwear production and export in India. The country ranks second among the footwear- producing nations. Besides being a fashion statement, footwear has also become a matter of health and comfort. Huge research is going on in the Orthopaedic footwear segment due to the increase in various foot related ailments. As a result the scope for a career in the field has increased rapidly.

Designing : Footwear requires a blend of artistic talent and creativity. Footwear technology has come a long way from traditional shoemakers cutting and stitching leather, to specialised professionals utilising modern technology, working at high tech laboratories, on sophisticated machines, experimenting with a varied range of materials, from leather, plastic, canvas, jute, rubber and even cloth.

Footwear Designers create new styles of footwear, keeping in mind the popular demand in the markets and also the demands of individual clients. They also design footwear collections for leading footwear companies. Patterns are made and graded by them, according to which companies produce samples. Computer aided design (CAD) systems have now made the entire process mechanised.

The footwear industry has a range of jobs and skills comprising of research and development, design, manufacturing operations, sales and marketing, quality control and management.

Degrees, process, eligibility & course areas:

Educational: There are different courses in this field i.e certificate, diploma, graduate and postgraduate diploma. Eligibility for undergraduate/diploma courses in footwear manufacturing technology, shoe making or design, is a pass in 10+2 level. Advanced diploma course in footwear technology require the candidate to be a graduate in any stream or diploma holder in leather, engineering or Footwear technology. However, footwear technology courses offered as B.Tech / M.Tech programmes, are only open to science/engineering students.

Admission to most of these courses is made through entrance examinations. Duration of graduate courses such as B.Tech is generally 4 years, and for postgraduate or M.Tech programme it is 2 years. Several certificate and diploma courses are also offered by private institutes in this field and the programme duration varies from 6 months to 1 year depending upon the type of the course.

Top Colleges in India for Footwear Technology:

Footwear Design & Development Institute (FDDI) - Noida

AVI School of Fashion & Shoe Technology - Chandigarh

Central Footwear Training Institute (CFTI) - Agra

Department of Industrial Training & Vocational Education, Haryana.

Anna University - Chennai

Bharat Institute of Science & Technology - Chennai

Alagappa College of Technology - Chennai.

College of Engineering - Chennai

College of Leather Technology - Kolkata

Dr. B.R. Ambedkhar Regional Engineering College.

Information source: http://www.indiaeducation.net/careercenter/professional-courses/footwear-technology/

Personal attributes & skills:

Individuals who wish to enter this field should have good manual dexterity, as well as a flair for fashion and foresight regarding upcoming trends in the industry.

The ability to draw or sketch ideas on paper is important, as that's usually the chosen medium for communicating these ideas to those in charge of production. Creativity, imagination and good communication skills are also vital for success in this career. They should be innovative and must have the knowledge of foot anatomy, a flair for colour selection and application, tailoring and sewing, knowledge about footwear components, dyes and production processes. Besides they must be aware of Computer Aided Design (CAD) as present day world of fashion require latest technological background.

Job Prospects & Career Options :

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

Challenges:

Retailers face serious challenges to please customers and compete in a crowded industry landscape. The modern shopkeeper must handle inventory in one or several brick-and-mortar locations while maintaining a user-friendly online retail market. What was once a simple case of stocking the latest trends has become more challenging as customers have unlimited choice and want to make rapid buying decisions.Customers shopping for apparel or footwear often walk through the shop doors with a specific item, style or brand in mind.

The challenge for Indian Footwear Industry is lit large but anticipating India to become amongst top 5 Superpowers in 2030, our consumption rates can reach as high as 7-8 Pairs. In such a scenario, India would need to produce anywhere between 8-10 billion pairs consider yearly population growth. Consolidating mid-term status by 2020, the potential target for Indian Footwear Industry will equalize consumption pattern of 3-4 pairs. With six/seven years to go, we need to scale our production from current level of 2 billion pairs to nearly 5 billion pairs at a CAGR rate of 30-40%.

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.

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