Footwear Design Associate — Hybrid, Trend-Driven

Madewell; New York (NY); On-site; USD 64,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health & Well-being

Associate Discount

Summer Fridays

Community Impact

Winter Break

Job summary

Madewell in New York is seeking an Associate Designer, Footwear to join the Design team and help bring our footwear vision to life across seasonal collections. You will partner with Merchandising, Sourcing, and cross‑functional teams to develop on‑brand, commercially relevant products aligned with our customer.

The Associate Designer will guide footwear from concept through production, contributing to seasonal direction while managing details and execution to bring product to market.

Qualifications

• 2–4 years of footwear design experience.
• Strong understanding of footwear design, construction, materials, and manufacturing.
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, particularly Illustrator and Photoshop.
• Strong sketching and technical drawing skills.
• A strong eye for color, proportion, material, and detail.
• Ability to translate trends and inspiration into commercially relevant product.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively across creative and business teams.
• Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Curiosity, creativity, and a willingness to learn and contribute.

Responsibilities

• Support the design and development of seasonal footwear collections across key categories.
• Research and identify relevant fashion, color, material, silhouette, and consumer trends to inform product development.
• Create sketches, technical drawings, colorways, and design concepts under the direction of the Footwear Design team.
• Build and maintain seasonal design presentations, line plans, mood boards, and product documentation.
• Partner with Design and Merchandising to understand business needs, customer insights, and seasonal product strategies.
• Work closely with Sourcing to ensure designs are executed accurately and meet quality, cost, and timing expectations.
• Review samples and provide clear, detailed feedback on design, construction, materials, color, and fit.
• Participate in sample reviews and seasonal milestone meetings.
• Maintain accurate product information and ensure design details are communicated clearly throughout the development process.
• Support the creation and maintenance of tech packs and other product specifications.
• Manage multiple projects and deadlines while maintaining a high level of organization and attention to detail.
• Stay current on footwear, fashion, retail, and competitive trends and bring relevant inspiration and ideas to the team.
• Collaborate across functions to help resolve product and execution challenges throughout the development cycle.

Skills

Footwear design

Adobe Illustrator

Adobe Photoshop

Sketching

Technical drawing

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Fashion Design, Footwear Design, or related field

Job description

Madewell in New York is seeking an Associate Designer, Footwear to join the Design team and help bring our footwear vision to life across seasonal collections. You will partner with Merchandising, Sourcing, and cross‑functional teams to develop on‑brand, commercially relevant products aligned with our customer.

The Associate Designer will guide footwear from concept through production, contributing to seasonal direction while managing details and execution to bring product to market.