Adobe Illustrator vs. Affinity Designer

When it comes to footwear design, having the right software at your disposal can significantly impact your creative process and productivity. In this blog post, we will compare two popular design tools, Adobe Illustrator and Affinity Designer, and explore their suitability for footwear design.

Adobe Illustrator has long been the industry standard for vector-based design, and it offers a robust set of tools that cater to professional designers. With its precise vector drawing capabilities and extensive control over anchor points and curves, Illustrator empowers footwear designers to create intricate and detailed shoe designs. Its powerful Pen Tool and Shape Builder Tool allow for seamless creation and manipulation of design elements, while features like Live Paint make it easy to experiment with colors and textures.

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Additionally, Adobe Illustrator’s vast library of brushes, symbols, and effects enables designers to add depth and realism to their footwear designs. The software’s integration with other Adobe Creative Cloud applications, such as Photoshop and InDesign, facilitates a smooth workflow for designers who need to collaborate across different design disciplines or create marketing materials for their footwear collections.

On the other hand, Affinity Designer has emerged as a compelling alternative to Illustrator, particularly for those seeking a more budget-friendly option. Affinity Designer offers a similar range of vector drawing tools, allowing footwear designers to create complex and precise designs. Its user-friendly interface and intuitive controls make it accessible to both beginners and experienced designers alike.

One notable advantage of Affinity Designer for footwear design is its exceptional performance, even when handling large and complex projects. This responsiveness is especially valuable when working on intricate shoe patterns or 3D models. Affinity Designer also provides comprehensive color management tools, allowing designers to create accurate and vibrant color palettes for their footwear designs.

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In terms of compatibility, Adobe Illustrator has an edge due to its widespread usage and recognition in the industry. Many suppliers, manufacturers, and collaborators are familiar with Illustrator’s file formats, such as .ai and .eps, which ensures seamless communication and compatibility throughout the footwear design process. However, Affinity Designer offers robust export options, including popular file formats like .svg and .pdf, making it compatible with most design workflows.

When it comes to pricing, Adobe Illustrator operates on a subscription-based model as part of the Adobe Creative Cloud suite. This can be advantageous for designers who require access to multiple Adobe applications and regular updates. However, it may be cost-prohibitive for independent designers or those on a tight budget. In contrast, Affinity Designer offers a one-time purchase option, providing a more affordable solution without compromising on features and functionality.

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Ultimately, the choice between Adobe Illustrator and Affinity Designer for footwear design depends on your specific needs, preferences, and budget. If you require extensive integration with other design tools and prioritize industry-standard software, Adobe Illustrator is a reliable choice. On the other hand, if you are looking for a more affordable option without compromising on performance and functionality, Affinity Designer provides a compelling alternative.

Both software options offer powerful features that can enhance the footwear design process, from initial sketches to final production-ready designs. Regardless of your choice, investing time in mastering either Adobe Illustrator or Affinity Designer will undoubtedly contribute to elevating your footwear design skills and unlocking your creative potential.

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Franck Boistel the Sole Explorer

My friend, Franck Boistel, is an incredible shoe designer with over 25 years of experience designing all types of footwear. To be a pro, you must learn from a pro!

E-mail: Instafronck@gmail.com

What: Franck’s footwear design workshop
When: New sessions starting throughout the year
How: E-mail Instafronck@gmail.com for details

WHY: Franck is excited to share his experience and the unique way he designs footwear products. Details from Franck below.

From Franck Boistel – Sole Explorer:
We will talk about visualizing before designing, how to get inspired, ways to prepare your sketch, what tools to use, how to render, how to tape up an upper, how to make technical specs ready for the factory and all aspects of footwear design as well as how to prospect and be great and feel great in a design studio environment and working efficiently with your teammates. I look forward to talking with you!

I have 25 years of experience in designing cutting edge footwear in the action sports, fashion, lifestyle, outdoor categories, from concepts to production, for men, women, and children.
Specialties: Trend Forecasting – Footwear design for men, women, and children – Footwear and Industrial Design in
Lifestyle, Action Sports, Fashion, Outdoor, Tactical and Casual categories.

Franck Boistel has brought the world some of the most
recognized footwear styles in action sports, fashion,
outdoor, and lifestyle categories. His designs contributed to the
success of the companies he has worked for, as he accumulated best sellers. Franck is a talented, skilled, and creative footwear Designer and Art Director with a French twist. – The Shoe Dog

Sole Explorer Online Shoe Design Workshop

Shoe Design Lesson 1
Introduction to shoe design, I will tell you about me and my design itinerary as a designer. We will talk about everything that comes before you even start to think of a design Inspiration.
Questions and answers session.

Shoe Design Lesson 2
How to prepare before sketching footwear
Visualize your shoe design
Shape
Mood boards for shoe design projects

Shoe Design Lesson 3
Footwear design sketching phases, and choosing your tools properly.

Shoe Design Lesson 4
Taping an upper according to your sketch. An important phase of the design of a shoe, especially if it is a complicated one. Preparing to present your sketch.

Shoe Design Lesson 5
Working on all views of your shoe design. We will go over what is necessary to achieve all views of the design in preparation of footwear technical specs.

Shoe Design Lesson 6
Rendering your shoe design. You may need to render your sneaker design to be ready to show your client or your team the final version of your shoe design. I will show you a simple way to render your designs without spending too much time on photoshop. A technic I developed by myself.

Shoe Design Lesson 7
Footwear Technical specs. All you need to know to prepare the tech specs ready for factory.

Shoe Design Lesson 8
Design Studio – Attitude at work – How to work with your team and how to overcome frustrations that may comes with designing and working with different departments within a company.

Shoe Design Lesson 9
Questions and answers session. After having discussed and participated in all 9 lessons, you will have questions. This final session is to make sure you understood the lessons and answering any questions you may still have on any of the topics that I went over during the time of the courses.

Let’s learn how to make a real factory ready shoe production specification sheet.  Now that you have your shoe design finished, it’s time to write a detailed specification sheet.  The footwear specific specification sheet or simply “spec” sheet does a few things.
#1.  The Spec tells the shoe factory the name of each part of your design.
#2.  The Spec sheet details what each shoe part is made of.
#3.  It tells the shoe factory what color every part is.
#4.  It tells who supplies each material to the shoe factory.
The shoe specification sheet is also your contract with the factory.   The spec sheet tells them exactly what you want for all the internal components and answers questions about what should be inside the shoe.
A detailed specification sheet is absolutely critical to your success. If you leave line items open with no detail, the factory will choose whatever they have inside the factory for these parts. This may be good or be bad, but you will get an unexpected result. We also use the spec sheet to check the new samples that come in from the factory. It’s important to review each sample with the spec sheet to make sure the factory followed the specification sheet. It’s good to highlight differences and ask the factory why they deviated from the spec sheet. Maybe they have a suggestion that’s better than what you chose?  In many cases, the factory developer or pattern maker will substitute with a material that they have on hand, and it may work better than your original specification.

How to Pick Shoe Materials

Start with In-depth reviews of material types available in modern shoemaking. Learn the Technical details of shoe material specification. 195 pages or 300 color photos.

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Shoe Specification Material Maps:

I make a material map when I’m specifying a new shoe the factory hasn’t seen before.  It’s important for the shoe factory to know the terminology we are using.   Take a black-and-white drawing and give each piece a number, while making sure the numbers on your spec sheet match the drawings.  This takes just a few minutes and can save you the hassle of a simple mistake.

Shoe Specification Sheet Header:

The specification sheet header contains lots of key information the factory will need to make the samples. Some key parts are the factory name/address, last number, model name, outsole code, and size run information. This is the basic information that pattern makers will need to make your pattern on the correct lasts and make sure your upper design is attached to the correct sole unit.

Filling in the Footwear Specification Sheet:

The bulk of the information on the footwear spec sheet will include the names of the components and then what material you specified for each component.  For a shoe vamp you may spec the following:

1.2- to 1.4mm Low nap Suede leather    Color: 456C  Supplier: Wolverine
or a synthetic  leather may be like this:
1.2mm PU  Duratec (WR) Emboss#BBQ    Color: Black  Supplier Nan-ya
When detailing the shoe materials, you will list the name, the manufacturer, and the code number or swatch book.  Depending on the material, you will list the thickness of the material, emboss pattern, and backing material.

Shoe Specification for the Upper Components:

I like to break up the components of the shoe into several sections. The first being the upper components of the shoe, where I personally like to start with the front of the shoe and work backward. Then I list the inside lining components and reinforcing components, all the pieces that you can’t see inside the shoe like the vamp lining, collar lining, etc…  In this section, you can also list things like the glue, collar foam density and thickness, and the thread type you want to use on your shoe.

9 Spec creations lessons.
2 hours of video instruction.
Create a spec step by step .
Material Design Guide included.

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Shoe Specification for the Outsole Unit:

The next section would call out the footwear outsole unit components. You are going to list the rubber parts, color, and other details like the logo. You can also spec the rubber hardness, specific gravity, and other characteristics like non-skid. Also list the midsole if it’s molded or die cut with its density, color, and any other parts.

Shoe Packing:

The final section of the spec sheet should list any of the items that are not necessarily part of the shoe but are still part of the package. Examples of these could be the cardboard box, tissue paper, tags, any stuffing, extra shoelaces, keychains, or a users manual in a plastic bag. Anything like that should be included in the final section.

14 Shoe material lessons.
Over 4 1/2 hours of video instruction.
In-depth study of leather, textiles, synthetics and plastics.
Material Design Guide Text Book included.

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Is my shoe design ready for production?

The answer is “NO!”  Your shoe design is NOT ready for production. Once you have a beautiful shoe design on paper it’s time to think about the details needed to start the DEVELOPMENT process for your shoe.

Shoe Design vs. Shoe Development

Shoe development is the transformation of your drawings into a real specification the factory will use to make your design. There are many questions you need to answer to complete your design. These are the extra details that don’t show in a shoe design drawing but will define the real character of your shoe. The shoe design details will determine the price of your shoe. The same design can be made for $79.00 retail or $159.00 retail depending on the material specifications. The material questions would generally be asked before the shoes are designed, and often they are answered by the (PLM) product line manager, not the designer.

Shoe Design Questions

1.  Do I want my shoe design to be Sleek or Puffy?
The thickness of the collar foam and tongue foam can be 10mm, 30mm, or more. The padding for your shoe can be zero for a super sleek look.

2.  Do I want my shoes to be stiff, crisp, and refined or designed to be soft, flexible, and casual? The shoes can be board lasted for a firm feel or Strobel lasted for flexibility.  Firm midsole 55˚ EVA foam or cushy soft 35˚foam? The upper reinforcement can be thin and soft or firm and thick. The heel counter and toe counters can be firm 2mm molded Syrlin, softer non-woven, or nothing.

3. Do I want my shoe to break-in and show wear? Plastic-coated action leather will keep your sneakers white or black forever, a waxy pull-up leather will show creases and scuffs.  Smooth leather or textured leather? Washed canvas or waxed?  Natural or synthetic-looking materials?

4. Do I want my shoe to be ultra-light? The outsole can be an all EVA foam with no rubber but at the cost of durability.

5. Is my shoe a functional sporting shoe or a fashion shoe? These are built differently!
A casual shoe may lack support and fit loosely while a performance shoe must fit well and be supportive.

6. How much do I want this shoe to cost? Suede leather or action leather (fake full grain) costs US$1.20 per square foot, nu-buck leather can cost $3.00 per sq/ft, and fancy full grain leather costs $4.00 to $10.00 per sq/ft. or more depending on grade, thickness, and quality.

7.  Do I want my shoe to have a fabric lining inside or leather? Smooth Lycra or terry cloth for a sporty gripping feel?

8.  Depending on the cost of the shoe, I need to consider the footbed type. Die cut EVA, or PU foam? Lightweight molded EVA footbeds are heavier but very plush. There are many options for footbed designs, single layer to triple density with gel, or die-cut EVA with a latex wedge. Prices range from US$.50 for a simple EVA die-cut to over $4.00 for a molded PU footbed with plastic inserts.

If you can answer these questions in detail your design can really come to life!

Shoe Material Design Guide

Footwear material selection.

We have written an entire book dedicated to footwear materials. Each chapter covers a specific shoe material type. You will learn how each material is made, the options available, and how to specify the material correctly. We have information on shoe leather, textiles, synthetics, shoelaces, glue, reinforcements, hardware, logos, midsoles, outsoles, and more!

We have included annotated cross-sections of over 30 different shoe types. You can see exactly how each material is used inside real production shoes. Look inside basketball shoes, running shoes, track spikes, hiking boots, work boots, high heels, cowboy boots, and many more!  Check it out!

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For shoe designers and developers, the future of footwear development will be driven by F.I.T., Footwear Information Technology. The next generation of shoe design and development software is taking shape in the newest version of RCS, Romans CAD software. Advanced Footwear Information Technology is the very heart of the Romans CAD software.

What is Footwear Information Technology?

Footwear Information Technology, or FIT, is a suite of design and development tools that allow the entire process of footwear creation to flow seamlessly from pen to production as quickly as possible. The Romans CAD software tools create an environment where the designers’ 3D creative work feeds directly into 2D pattern cutting, costing, and production management modules. This system presents the 3D last, 2D pattern, and pre-costing information directly to the production partner.

With the Romans CAD 3D design spaces and unique material library technology, the designer can see the product rendering and cost change in real time. The principle of FAST FASHION is the key to success in the modern footwear marketplace.

FAST FASHION will revolutionize footwear development

The traditional design, development, pre-production, sales, and production cycle can take 22 months! With a modern CAD system like RCS equipped with Footwear Information Technology tools, this 22-month cycle can be drastically reduced. The designer can create a shoe, estimate the cost, and show a full-color 3D printed model in days instead of weeks. The entire cycle can be cut from 22 months to 6 months or less!

How does it work?

The Romans CAD software suite of tools starts with the RCS 3D last development tool. This 3D last data allows the designer’s simple sketch to be converted directly into useful pattern data. RCS 3D last development tools support 3D last creation, scanned 3D and 2D data imports, and most critically, accurate computer grading.

3D Design Tools

The Romans CAD 3D design tools allow designers to work quickly and create designs in real time in a 3D environment. Importing tools allow hand sketches to be built in 3D without years of CAD training. These powerful tools allow the designer to create full-color 3D renderings and 3D prints for internal samples review or sales calls.

2D Design Tools

The Romans CAD 2D design system pulls the 3D design data directly into a suite of costing and production cutting tools. Costing, grading, and cutting can be completed in hours instead of days.

RCS Data Management

The RCS data management PDM tool is where FAST FASHION becomes a reality. These product line management tools store all the design and product data in one system. This data is organized and accessible to the designer, developer, product line manager, business managers, and even overseas production staff.

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Learn more about Romans CAD Software 

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Learn to draw shoes!

To be a shoe designer for Nike or any other shoes company you must know how to draw shoes!  There is no right way or wrong way to draw shoe designs. Every shoe designer will have a different way to put the shoe design down on paper. The goal of a shoe drawing is to communicate your idea for how the shoe will look or work.
As a shoe designer, your drawings can fulfill different purposes. Is it a styling drawing for a high fashion shoe? This drawing would be all about the colors and material with little attention to the exact proportion or construction details.
If you are working on a high-tech running shoe, outdoor shoe, sneaker or skate shoe, your drawing will need to be more accurate to describe the technical details. An accurate, well-proportioned shoe drawing,  can save you and your pattern maker some future headaches.

Learn how to design shoes!

We are in the modern computer age but even today most shoe designers will start with a pen and pencil. I have found a small stack of thin 8.5″ by 11″ paper is a great place to start. Thin paper, so you can see your underlay and a small metal clip to hold the sheets together as you sketch. Whatever pencil you like, I like to use both wooden and mechanical depending on what I’m doing.  I will often start with the mechanical pencil to draw lighter lines, then darken in the shoe design with the fat, wooden pencil, once I’m more confident with the design.

You may also want a set of French curves to make flowing smooth lines, and a circle or oval template for other details such as eyelets or logos. You can make a template of your company’s logo to speed up sketching.

How to design sneakers

Setting aside the fashion shoe drawing style, I want to show you how to draw a more technical shoe.    First, you need to start with a well-proportioned side profile. Go online, grab a magazine or catalog, measure or eyeball a shoe you have on hand. Use your phone camera or whatever camera you have to get a good side profile. Many times I’ve seen a young designer show a great looking, dynamic drawing,  that looks nothing like a real shoe. How sad they are when the samples come back and they look nothing like that fantastic drawing.

How to sketch shoes

I take my side profile and clip it into my drawing pad under the first page then go to work. At this point, go fast,  break the design down into parts if it helps you: toe cap, side panel, eyestay, heel counter.  Each page should take just 5 minutes. I will darken in the parts I like, then pull a page from the bottom of the stack and draw in new ideas for the parts I do not like.  In an hour you can make 10 pages, lay them out, then recombine the elements you like again.

From here I will make one drawing, darken the lines, then take a photo or scan it to pull the lines into Adobe Illustrator. Adobe Illustrator is the drawing program of choice. Once you have the drawing converted into a live vector format it’s easy to adjust lines, pull, bend, and tweak outsole lines.

Add colors, textures, and logo details to make your shoes come to life.

Do you want to learn how to design shoes like Nike?  Do you want to design fashion shoes or tennis shoes?
You can learn more shoe drawing tips and techniques in our book How Shoes are Made