Footwear Technologist

Job overview
Footwear technologists may specialise in shoe design, production management, industrial engineering, or quality control.

What do people do in this job?
Footwear technologists work mainly in a shoe-factory.

Careers will depend on their choice of specialisation, e.g. ?sports footwear.

In general, they will learn all the aspects of footwear production working in a factory production situation and using a variety of complex raw materials, either natural, or synthetic, or both.

They may also work with the technologically advanced machinery, electronics and computer systems used today in the manufacturing process.

What kinds of people are suitable for this career?
Footwear technologists need to have an aptitude for practical work and mechanical ability, but if specialising in shoe design an interest in art and drawing would be an asset.

Whichever direction they follow, footwear technologists should be prepared to work in a production and business environment.

What qualifications are needed?
Good school-leaving results in science subjects, preferably with tertiary qualifications in a selection of those subjects and, if appropriate, some art training.