Creative Footwear Materials Designer

Creative Footwear Materials Designer

Location: Portland, OR (Hybrid; occasional onsite collaboration required)
Contract Length: 13 months
Overview

We are seeking a highly creative and experienced Footwear Materials Designer to support a special product initiative focused on innovative footwear concepts across performance, lifestyle, and culture-driven categories. This role will partner with designers, developers, and cross-functional teams to create compelling material stories that balance creativity, consumer relevance, technical execution, and brand identity.
Responsibilities

Develop creative footwear material concepts across multiple product categories and collections
Research and identify emerging materials, finishes, textures, and construction techniques to elevate product design
Create material stories and presentations that communicate design intent, inspiration, and consumer relevance
Partner with footwear designers, product developers, suppliers, and cross-functional teams to bring concepts from idea through execution
Support the development of innovative material applications while considering performance, aesthetics, manufacturability, and cost
Review prototypes and provide design feedback throughout the product creation process
Collaborate on special projects, partnerships, and culturally relevant product initiatives
Stay informed on footwear trends, sneaker culture, streetwear, and evolving consumer preferences
Qualifications

5+ years of experience in creative footwear material design, footwear design, or related product design roles
Bachelor's degree in design, industrial design, footwear design, fashion design, or equivalent professional experience
Demonstrated experience working across multiple footwear segments or product lines
Strong portfolio showcasing:
Material concepts and experimentation
Footwear design process
Design exploration and iterations
Final product execution
Ability to communicate creative rationale and design decisions
Strong understanding of footwear materials, including:
Leather
Canvas
Synthetic materials
Wovens
Meshes
Upper constructions
Footwear trims (preferred)
Passion for skateboarding, sneaker culture, streetwear, or youth lifestyle markets
Ability to balance creative vision with technical requirements and business considerations
Strong collaboration, communication, and presentation skills
Preferred Qualifications

Experience designing footwear materials for skateboarding, action sports, sneaker, or streetwear categories
Experience supporting footwear collaborations, partnerships, or limited-edition product launches
Knowledge of footwear manufacturing, material sourcing, and supplier capabilities
Experience working with global brands or highly recognizable consumer product organizations
Understanding of consumer trends and cultural influences impacting footwear design
Portfolio Requirements

Candidates should provide a portfolio that demonstrates:
Recent footwear material design work
Creative approach and design point of view
Material exploration and development process
Examples of challenges, iterations, and design decisions
Ability to bring fresh ideas and concepts to a culture-driven footwear category

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