Junior Footwear Designer

Laceless Design; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 22,000 - 30,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Early finish Fridays

24 days annual leave

Cycle to Work scheme

Season ticket loans

Birthday day off after first year

Job summary

The Footsoldiers in Shoreditch, London, is seeking a Junior Footwear Designer to join our 20-person design team. You will collaborate with senior designers, develop initial concepts, and present ideas using Illustrator and Photoshop.

Gain hands-on experience across international projects for brands like New Balance, KEEN, HOKA and Canada Goose. Working in a hybrid setup, you will help develop colourways, tech packs, and the full footwear design and development process while learning from an

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Footwear Design, Industrial Design, Product Design, or a related discipline.
• Minimum 6 months' internship experience in footwear design or a related field.
• Proficiency in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop.
• Strong sketching skills and the ability to communicate design ideas clearly.
• Developing knowledge of technical footwear development and tech pack creation.
• An interest in market trends, materials, technologies, and design research.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to explain and articulate design rationale.
• Good time-management skills and the ability to work towards deadlines.
• A positive, collaborative attitude and willingness to learn and contribute as part of a team.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with senior designers to initiate projects, conduct research, and develop initial design concepts.
• Translate conceptual ideas into compelling design presentations, working closely with the wider design team.
• Create sketches and clearly communicate design ideas and concepts to senior designers.
• Assist with digital design development using Adobe Illustrator, with basic skills in Photoshop or Procreate.
• Conduct market research to stay informed about emerging trends, materials, technologies, and consumer direction.
• Develop basic colourways and build familiarity with footwear materials and suppliers.
• Develop an understanding of technical footwear development and assist with the creation of tech packs.
• Work collaboratively with team members, actively seek feedback, and incorporate feedback into design iterations.

Skills

Adobe Illustrator

Photoshop

Sketching

Communication

Tech pack creation

Technical footwear development

Market trends

Design research

Time management

Team collaboration

Vizcom

Nano Banana

Internship experience (6 months)

Education

Footwear Design, Industrial Design, Product Design degree

Tools

Adobe Illustrator

Photoshop

Job description

Junior Footwear Designer

Are you a creative designer with a genuine passion for footwear?

The Footsoldiers is looking for a talented Junior Footwear Designer to join our 20-person design team in Shoreditch, London.

We partner with a diverse portfolio of clients across the U.S., Europe, and Asia, working across performance, lifestyle, and technical footwear. Our team has extensive experience delivering successful projects for globally recognised brands including New Balance, KEEN, HOKA, and Canada Goose.

This is an exciting opportunity for an emerging footwear designer to gain hands-on experience across a wide range of international projects while learning from an experienced team of specialist designers.

What You'll Do

• Collaborate with senior designers to initiate projects, conduct research, and develop initial design concepts.
• Translate conceptual ideas into compelling design presentations, working closely with the wider design team.
• Create sketches and clearly communicate design ideas and concepts to senior designers.
• Assist with digital design development using Adobe Illustrator, with basic skills in Photoshop or Procreate.
• Conduct market research to stay informed about emerging trends, materials, technologies, and consumer direction.
• Develop basic colourways and build familiarity with footwear materials and suppliers.
• Develop an understanding of technical footwear development and assist with the creation of tech packs.
• Work collaboratively with team members, actively seek feedback, and incorporate feedback into design iterations.

About You

We're looking for someone who is creative, curious, collaborative, and eager to develop their career in footwear design.

Essential Skills & Experience

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Footwear Design, Industrial Design, Product Design, or a related discipline.
• Minimum 6 months' internship experience in footwear design or a related field.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct research, initiate projects, and develop initial design concepts.
• Proficiency in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop.
• Strong sketching skills and the ability to communicate design ideas clearly.
• Developing knowledge of technical footwear development and tech pack creation.
• An interest in market trends, materials, technologies, and design research.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to explain and articulate design rationale.
• Good time-management skills and the ability to work towards deadlines.
• A positive, collaborative attitude and willingness to learn and contribute as part of a team.

AI & Emerging Design Tools

An interest in or experience with emerging AI-powered design tools such as Vizcom and Nano Banana is welcomed.

What We Offer

• Hybrid working, with Tuesday to Thursday as our core studio days.
• Early finish every Friday.
• Competitive salary and benefits package.
• Exposure to a diverse range of international brands and footwear categories.
• Hands-on experience across the full footwear design and development process.
• Opportunity to learn directly from an experienced team of specialist footwear designers.
• Collaborative and creative working environment in our Shoreditch studio.
• 24 days' annual leave, plus an additional day off for your birthday after your first year.
• Cycle to Work scheme available after your first year.
• Season ticket loans available after your first year.