Footwear Design

With a heritage beginning more than 100 years ago, this course will help to equip you with the skills and experience to embed yourself in the footwear and fashion industry. Studying on our Footwear Design degree, you will work directly with industry professionals and big brands to gain valuable insights into new products and technologies.

Throughout the course you'll develop your shoe design and technical skills, emphasising the crucial relationship between design and manufacture and the needs of the footwear industry. You can specialise in men’s, women’s, or children’s footwear as well as performance footwear, which is unique to a UK university.

You will develop drawing and illustration, bespoke biomechanics and model prototyping skills, along with the ability to present and communicate ideas and concepts to a professional standard. You will learn technical modern shoemaking skills and make a range of prototype shoes using our excellent specialist studio facilities, including 3D design equipment.

You will work directly with industry professionals and big brands to gain valuable insights into new products and technologies.

Year 1
Block 1: Design Fundamentals
Block 2: Design Exploration
Block 3: Design Development
Block 4: Design Communication

Year 2
Block 1: Bespoke Principles
Block 2: Design Concepts
Block 3: Design Innovations
Block 4: Concept Realisation

Year 3
Block 1: Conceptual Inquiry
Block 2: Creative Realisation
Block 3 and Block 4: Design Resolution

You deserve a positive teaching and learning experience, where you feel part of a supportive and nurturing community. That’s why most students will enjoy an innovative approach to learning using block teaching, where you will study one module at a time. You’ll benefit from regular assessments – rather than lots of exams at the end of the year – and a simple timetable that allows you to engage with your subject and enjoy other aspects of university life such as sports, societies, meeting friends and discovering your new city. By studying with the same peers and tutor for each block, you’ll build friendships and a sense of belonging.

Structure
The focus of your first year will be to ‘Investigate’ through a grounding in research, concept development, 2D illustration, basic technical skills and design development. The second year aims to ‘Develop’ your skills and knowledge, building on the foundation gained in the first year. Your third year will ‘Consolidate’ your learning by bringing together all the skills you have learnt into a final product that reflects your chosen area of focus and individual design aesthetic.

You will be taught through a combination of lectures, seminars, practical studio sessions, tutorials, workshops and self-directed study. The assessments are designed to build on each other as you progress in your studies and you will have opportunities to receive feedback on your work throughout your learning journey.

You are encouraged to enter national and international competitions including the Moda competition, the Worshipful Company of Cordwainers Footwear awards, the Worshipful Company of Patternmakers Orthopaedic awards and the CIONE biomechanical award. Our students have had numerous competition successes with recent prizes at Graduate Fashion Week, Fashanne and the Drapers Footwear Awards.

Contact hours
In your first year you will normally attend around 15 hours of timetabled taught sessions (lectures and tutorials) each week, and we expect you to undertake at least 24 further hours of independent study to complete project work and research.