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.

At DMU, the focus is on your future - with work experience opportunities on every course, an employability-boosting careers award, and industry-led course content, you'll be well prepared to start your career.

You’ll get guaranteed work experience opportunities with UK and overseas placements, internships, and personalised training. DMU has been named the UK’s Best University for Work Experience (RateMyPlacement 2024 & 2025), offering personalised careers support, industry connections, and placements with global names like Rolls-Royce and Adobe.

DMU is one of only a few universities where you’ll benefit from modular, block teaching where you’ll study one subject at a time for deeper learning and better results.

Situated in the heart of Leicester, a vibrant student-friendly city, the campus is just a short walk from everything the city has to offer. Its central location means you can hop on a train and be in cities like London, Birmingham and Nottingham in around an hour or less.