How to Design Shoes

Shoe design is a very popular choice for both professional designers and aspiring designers. It is just as important to design unique-looking shoes as it is to design practical shoes that can be worn for years to come. Some shoe designers like Christian Louboutin and Manolo Blahnik have become so famous for their designs that their names are actually synonymous with quality and style.

Instructions

1. Choose a basic style for the shoe: open toe, closed toe, round toe pumps and sleek toe pumps, boots, booties, flats, wedges, slides, loafers, slippers, flip flops, sneakers, etc. Choosing a style is important because it lays the groundwork for how the rest of the design will develop.

2. Decide on a type of heel when designing a woman's shoe. You can choose from platforms, stilettos, kitten heels or chunky heels. Also, decide how high you'd like the heel to be. For men, some types of shoes such as loafers usually have a one-inch heel. Sneakers are flat but do have a half-inch sole that gives the wearer some extra height.

3. Choose material for the shoe. There are many different types of materials a shoe can be made from such as canvas, leather, patent leather, cloth, suede, denim and imitation leather or other man-made materials. The type of fabric you choose is important because it gives the shoe a unique style.

4. Choose a color or pattern for the shoe. You can pick a solid color, a combination of colors or make the shoes multicolored. You can also choose patterns like stripes, polka dots, checkers, etc.

5. Decide if you'd like any embellishments on the shoe. You can decorate them with beads, embroidery, tassels, studs, spikes, appliques, etc. Also, you should decide if your shoe design will need laces or Velcro closures.

Tips & Warnings

• When in doubt, keep your design simple and classic. Loafers for men and pumps for women are some of the most basic shoe styles.