Senior Footwear Designer - Western | Genesco Brands Group

The Ideal Candidate

The Footwear Designer II will join Genesco Branded Group's design team primarily supporting the Wrangler Western footwear business and contributing to additional categories and GBG brands as business needs require.

This position is ideal for a designer with experience in men’s and women’s Western footwear, having a passion for authentic design, craftsmanship, materials, and constructions. The successful candidate will translate consumer insights, market trends, and Wrangler's heritage into commercially relevant footwear that balances authenticity, comfort, quality, and modern styling.

Working collaboratively with Product Development, Merchandising, Sourcing, and cross-functional partners, the designer will contribute throughout the whole product creation process bringing innovative footwear to market across Western, casual, and lifestyle categories.

 

How You Will Make an Impact

• Under the direction of the SVP of Design, the Footwear Designer will design and develop footwear primarily for the Wrangler brand while supporting additional GBG brands and special projects as business priorities require.
• Create commercially relevant product that reflects Wrangler's authentic Western heritage and aligns with seasonal business objectives.
• Partner with Product Development and Sourcing to bring concepts from design through commercialization while maintaining design integrity.
• Execute concept sketches, color CADs, material direction and complete technical packs.
• Deliver product solutions aligned with development calendars and business timelines.
• Present trend research, consumer insights and product storytelling for seasonal initiatives.
• Research emerging trends, materials, construction techniques and manufacturing innovations.
• Special projects as assigned.

 

Experience and Skills You'll Need to Have

• Bachelor’s degree in industrial design or related field.
• 7+ years of footwear design experience.
• Experience designing Western footwear.
• Portfolio demonstrating strong footwear design capabilities.
• Strong knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite – Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign.
• Proficiency in creating line art, color CADs and technical packages.
• Working knowledge of Macintosh systems, Microsoft Office, Outlook and PLM.
• Strong understanding of Western footwear construction, materials and detailing.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Self-motivated, collaborative and adaptable with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Organized, structured, asks questions and seeks understanding first.
• Pushes oneself to exceed expectations.
• Excels at being adaptable, versatile, and able to work under pressure.
• Ability to work under deadlines, manage multiple priorities, work independently, take initiative, and pay close attention to detail.
• Ability to adapt to quickly changing priorities and fast track projects as needed.
• Strong knowledge of fashion and market trends with an understanding of each brands market position and the drive to evolve it.
• Must be able to travel both domestically and internationally.

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