Footwear Design

Book excerpt: Footwear design has become the new dream career, and this book is the first guide to show the key skills and tips behind the trade, for both budding designers and anyone interested in shoes. Since Christian Louboutin and Manolo Blahnik became household names, footwear design is now one of the most lucrative strands of any fashion brand. Aki Choklat explores the footwear design process, explaining the differences between the anatomy of the foot and the anatomy of a shoe, showing how one constrains the other, before moving onto the research and design development processes and the art of creating a complete collection. The all-important presentation is then discussed, including illustrative techniques, before the book ends with advice for those wishing to pursue a career in footwear design. Illustrated throughout with inspirational sketchbooks detailing the design process and specially commissioned images of cutting-edge shoe design, the book also contains case studies featuring an array of international shoe designers.