Footwear Designer Jobs in USA with Visa Sponsorship
Footwear designer jobs can qualify for H-1B visa sponsorship when the role requires a bachelor's degree in industrial design, fashion design, or a directly related field. Employers in this space file Labor Condition Applications with DOL to certify prevailing wages before sponsoring. Competitive portfolios and specialized last-construction knowledge strengthen your specialty occupation case.
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As a Brooks Running Footwear Designer II, Inline, you will create the AESTHETIC READINESS of full Brooks Running footwear inline projects. You will create an executional DESIGN balance between more progressive and more commercially acceptable design solutions as part of a seasonal collection of Brooks Running footwear product.
As a Footwear Designer II, Inline, you will use the creative foundation CRAFTED BEAUTY to create compelling footwear designs. By applying this foundation, you will elevate the level of CRAFTED BEAUTY as a design reference for Brooks Running inline product while maintaining brand direction and appropriate aesthetic appeal for the target consumer.
As a Footwear Designer II, Inline, you will work in close cooperation with the Color–Material & Trend Design team on the creation of Seasonal Beauty. You will contribute to the emotional storytelling of color, graphic, material, finishes, and trend as part of both the footwear pre-development and inline design processes. You will also work in close partnership with the Advanced Design team on the application of our advanced design language, FUTURE BEAUTY.
As a Footwear Designer II, Inline, you will utilize best practices in 3D visual and technical tools, supported by strong design, product, and program knowledge. Our design team uses the power of 3D digital tools to make the best running footwear on the planet. Files will be shared across the footwear department and with our Asia partners to clearly communicate design vision, intent, and fidelity.
As a Footwear Designer II, Inline, you support clear communication across the Product Line Management team, Product Development team, Color & Trend team, and Product Assessment team. You help ensure design intent is clearly understood and carried through each stage of the process, supporting alignment across cross-functional partners.
As a Footwear Designer II, Inline, you contribute to strengthening Brooks’ design culture and supporting the goal of making Brooks the most loved brand for runners worldwide.
YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES:
DESIGN
- Own the full design of performance footwear models by creating and presenting upper, midsole, and outsole sketches for inline product based on direction provided by CRAFTED BEAUTY briefs.
- Apply identity principles to maximize perceived value and support strong aesthetic competitiveness.
- Work on a diverse scope of inline and pre-season product to inform and evolve templates for CRAFTED BEAUTY across sequential inline seasons.
- Improve briefs, concepts, and design direction by developing solutions through the creative foundation of CRAFTED BEAUTY, including 2D/3D exploration across story, color, material, and finishes to strengthen the appeal of Brooks Running footwear.
- Explore future possibilities of 2D and 3D design and how new tools, technologies, and methods can support the evolution of performance running footwear.
- Utilize 3D during the creation phase to visualize designs and continue building 3D skills, including technical applications such as manipulation of tooling files.
- Explore and apply new methods to expand design possibilities through advanced 2D and 3D digital design tools.
- Partner with senior design staff to align on approach and concepts, ensuring work is consistent with CRAFTED BEAUTY principles.
- Apply learned techniques and experience to approach, analyze, and solve design problems.
- Organize and deliver product design presentations in both physical and digital formats, including clear exploration of process and final solutions.
- Provide feedback and guidance to Associate Designers and Designer 1.
- Seek mentorship from more tenured designers.
- Respond to design critique with multiple design solutions.
- Stay engaged with evolving 2D and 3D digital design tools and technologies to continue developing craft and capability.
TEAM COLLABORATION
- Partner within a product creation team to deliver industry leading products and stories across inline footwear.
- Partner with the Innovation Design team to ensure a constant flow of information between innovation and inline design processes.
- Work closely with the Color–Material & Trend Design team to integrate seasonal color and trend concepts into footwear design.
- Actively collaborate with footwear team experts in Color & Trend, Materials, Product Development, Product Line Management, and Product Assessment, using their inputs and reporting to inform and strengthen design approach.
- Influence cross-functional conversations and contribute to design discussions by helping clarify intent, sharing ideas, and aligning on solutions across teams.
- Build strong working relationships with development teams in Asia and overseas production sites to support clear communication and execution of design intent.
ACCOUNTABILITY
- Maintain calendars, timelines, and deadlines to ensure timely completion of each project.
- Use strong design knowledge to partner with product teams and support project development.
- Develop templates for CRAFTED BEAUTY and SEASONAL BEAUTY in partnership with senior design staff.
- Respond to critique with a curious mindset and propose alternative options through further design exploration.
- Maintain a solid understanding of the design landscape to stay informed on trends and how they may influence design direction.
- Apply knowledge of prototyping and the use of handmade models to demonstrate proof of concept and support design intent.
- Conduct visits to factories and material suppliers to gain insights and deepen understanding of footwear manufacturing processes.
- Travel as necessary to Asia, Europe, trade shows, races, retailers, and other external events.
WORK EXPERIENCE
- Bachelor’s degree in industrial design, footwear design, or a related field; an equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
- 5+ years of experience designing footwear or similar products, with experience in color, material, and textiles, contributing to forward thinking design vision in a retail or manufacturing environment.
- Experience with 2D and 3D CAD tools, with a desire to learn complex surfacing and geometry tools such as Rhino, Blender, and Adobe Substance (2D/3D Suite), SolidWorks, Grasshopper, etc. (preferred, not required).
- Strong knowledge of art and design with a clear understanding of visual design across related disciplines.
- Proven experience supporting the creation and execution of design vision and strategy.
- Ability to understand design concepts and think conceptually across product solutions.
- Ability to apply conceptual thinking across multiple product categories.
- Ability to create designs that meet category needs and commercial opportunities.
- Ability to operate in a fast-paced, ever-changing work environment.
- Strong ability to build and maintain relationships in a team environment, working with multiple stakeholders and managing diverse information and relationships.
- Ability and desire to push self, others, and the brand forward.
- Strong ability to influence and collaborate with key business partners.
- Strong attention to detail in planning, organization, and execution of tasks (self and through others), while maintaining awareness of the bigger picture and how all elements connect.
- Demonstrated innovation and initiative, with a focus on improving products and processes while remaining hands-on and detail oriented.
- Passion for sport is a plus, with a strong ability to understand and empathize with runners to build meaningful connections with customers and the Brooks community.
- Proficiency in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop.
- Competent in Apple Mac operating system.
- Proficiency in MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint).
- 3D experiences not required but considered a plus.
- Embraces and lives Brooks values.
- Willingness and ability to travel approximately 10% domestically and internationally.
BENEFITS
Brooks is proud to offer a robust benefits package to our employees and their families!
- Benefits- including medical, dental, vision, life and AD&D insurance, disability insurance, HSA and employer contribution, FSA, family & fertility assistance, 401K Savings Plan and match, employee assistance program, and transportation assistance.
- Paid Time Off- Brooks offers generous time off including five weeks of paid time off, eleven paid holidays, paid sick and parental leave.
- Bonus- in addition to base pay, Brooks employees may also be offered an annual bonus based on company performance.
- Perks- including product discounts, employee recognition, fitness discounts, volunteer and donation benefits.
- Location- You will spend 4 days per week in our Seattle offices, as we believe our organization flourishes when connections, collaboration, creativity, problem-solving, and celebrations happen in person.
Compensation: The pay range for this position, based out of the Brooks Seattle HQ, is $104,217 - $156,325 per year. Base pay offered will vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.
INTRODUCTION
As a Brooks Running Footwear Designer II, Inline, you will create the AESTHETIC READINESS of full Brooks Running footwear inline projects. You will create an executional DESIGN balance between more progressive and more commercially acceptable design solutions as part of a seasonal collection of Brooks Running footwear product.
As a Footwear Designer II, Inline, you will use the creative foundation CRAFTED BEAUTY to create compelling footwear designs. By applying this foundation, you will elevate the level of CRAFTED BEAUTY as a design reference for Brooks Running inline product while maintaining brand direction and appropriate aesthetic appeal for the target consumer.
As a Footwear Designer II, Inline, you will work in close cooperation with the Color–Material & Trend Design team on the creation of Seasonal Beauty. You will contribute to the emotional storytelling of color, graphic, material, finishes, and trend as part of both the footwear pre-development and inline design processes. You will also work in close partnership with the Advanced Design team on the application of our advanced design language, FUTURE BEAUTY.
As a Footwear Designer II, Inline, you will utilize best practices in 3D visual and technical tools, supported by strong design, product, and program knowledge. Our design team uses the power of 3D digital tools to make the best running footwear on the planet. Files will be shared across the footwear department and with our Asia partners to clearly communicate design vision, intent, and fidelity.
As a Footwear Designer II, Inline, you support clear communication across the Product Line Management team, Product Development team, Color & Trend team, and Product Assessment team. You help ensure design intent is clearly understood and carried through each stage of the process, supporting alignment across cross-functional partners.
As a Footwear Designer II, Inline, you contribute to strengthening Brooks’ design culture and supporting the goal of making Brooks the most loved brand for runners worldwide.
YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES:
DESIGN
- Own the full design of performance footwear models by creating and presenting upper, midsole, and outsole sketches for inline product based on direction provided by CRAFTED BEAUTY briefs.
- Apply identity principles to maximize perceived value and support strong aesthetic competitiveness.
- Work on a diverse scope of inline and pre-season product to inform and evolve templates for CRAFTED BEAUTY across sequential inline seasons.
- Improve briefs, concepts, and design direction by developing solutions through the creative foundation of CRAFTED BEAUTY, including 2D/3D exploration across story, color, material, and finishes to strengthen the appeal of Brooks Running footwear.
- Explore future possibilities of 2D and 3D design and how new tools, technologies, and methods can support the evolution of performance running footwear.
- Utilize 3D during the creation phase to visualize designs and continue building 3D skills, including technical applications such as manipulation of tooling files.
- Explore and apply new methods to expand design possibilities through advanced 2D and 3D digital design tools.
- Partner with senior design staff to align on approach and concepts, ensuring work is consistent with CRAFTED BEAUTY principles.
- Apply learned techniques and experience to approach, analyze, and solve design problems.
- Organize and deliver product design presentations in both physical and digital formats, including clear exploration of process and final solutions.
- Provide feedback and guidance to Associate Designers and Designer 1.
- Seek mentorship from more tenured designers.
- Respond to design critique with multiple design solutions.
- Stay engaged with evolving 2D and 3D digital design tools and technologies to continue developing craft and capability.
TEAM COLLABORATION
- Partner within a product creation team to deliver industry leading products and stories across inline footwear.
- Partner with the Innovation Design team to ensure a constant flow of information between innovation and inline design processes.
- Work closely with the Color–Material & Trend Design team to integrate seasonal color and trend concepts into footwear design.
- Actively collaborate with footwear team experts in Color & Trend, Materials, Product Development, Product Line Management, and Product Assessment, using their inputs and reporting to inform and strengthen design approach.
- Influence cross-functional conversations and contribute to design discussions by helping clarify intent, sharing ideas, and aligning on solutions across teams.
- Build strong working relationships with development teams in Asia and overseas production sites to support clear communication and execution of design intent.
ACCOUNTABILITY
- Maintain calendars, timelines, and deadlines to ensure timely completion of each project.
- Use strong design knowledge to partner with product teams and support project development.
- Develop templates for CRAFTED BEAUTY and SEASONAL BEAUTY in partnership with senior design staff.
- Respond to critique with a curious mindset and propose alternative options through further design exploration.
- Maintain a solid understanding of the design landscape to stay informed on trends and how they may influence design direction.
- Apply knowledge of prototyping and the use of handmade models to demonstrate proof of concept and support design intent.
- Conduct visits to factories and material suppliers to gain insights and deepen understanding of footwear manufacturing processes.
- Travel as necessary to Asia, Europe, trade shows, races, retailers, and other external events.
WORK EXPERIENCE
- Bachelor’s degree in industrial design, footwear design, or a related field; an equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
- 5+ years of experience designing footwear or similar products, with experience in color, material, and textiles, contributing to forward thinking design vision in a retail or manufacturing environment.
- Experience with 2D and 3D CAD tools, with a desire to learn complex surfacing and geometry tools such as Rhino, Blender, and Adobe Substance (2D/3D Suite), SolidWorks, Grasshopper, etc. (preferred, not required).
- Strong knowledge of art and design with a clear understanding of visual design across related disciplines.
- Proven experience supporting the creation and execution of design vision and strategy.
- Ability to understand design concepts and think conceptually across product solutions.
- Ability to apply conceptual thinking across multiple product categories.
- Ability to create designs that meet category needs and commercial opportunities.
- Ability to operate in a fast-paced, ever-changing work environment.
- Strong ability to build and maintain relationships in a team environment, working with multiple stakeholders and managing diverse information and relationships.
- Ability and desire to push self, others, and the brand forward.
- Strong ability to influence and collaborate with key business partners.
- Strong attention to detail in planning, organization, and execution of tasks (self and through others), while maintaining awareness of the bigger picture and how all elements connect.
- Demonstrated innovation and initiative, with a focus on improving products and processes while remaining hands-on and detail oriented.
- Passion for sport is a plus, with a strong ability to understand and empathize with runners to build meaningful connections with customers and the Brooks community.
- Proficiency in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop.
- Competent in Apple Mac operating system.
- Proficiency in MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint).
- 3D experiences not required but considered a plus.
- Embraces and lives Brooks values.
- Willingness and ability to travel approximately 10% domestically and internationally.
BENEFITS
Brooks is proud to offer a robust benefits package to our employees and their families!
- Benefits- including medical, dental, vision, life and AD&D insurance, disability insurance, HSA and employer contribution, FSA, family & fertility assistance, 401K Savings Plan and match, employee assistance program, and transportation assistance.
- Paid Time Off- Brooks offers generous time off including five weeks of paid time off, eleven paid holidays, paid sick and parental leave.
- Bonus- in addition to base pay, Brooks employees may also be offered an annual bonus based on company performance.
- Perks- including product discounts, employee recognition, fitness discounts, volunteer and donation benefits.
- Location- You will spend 4 days per week in our Seattle offices, as we believe our organization flourishes when connections, collaboration, creativity, problem-solving, and celebrations happen in person.
Compensation: The pay range for this position, based out of the Brooks Seattle HQ, is $104,217 - $156,325 per year. Base pay offered will vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.
See all Footwear Designer Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new Footwear Designer roles.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Visa Sponsorship as a Footwear Designer
Frame your portfolio around specialty occupation
USCIS requires proof that footwear design is a specialty occupation tied to your specific degree field. Organize your portfolio to show technical last development, material engineering, and construction methods that directly map to your industrial or fashion design coursework.
Search Migrate Mate for verified LCA sponsors
Footwear brands that have filed Labor Condition Applications with DOL are your highest-probability targets. Migrate Mate lists employers with verified LCA sponsorship history by role, so you can focus outreach on companies already familiar with the H-1B filing process.
Target manufacturers not just lifestyle brands
Performance footwear manufacturers and private-label factories sponsor more frequently than boutique fashion labels because they employ larger design teams with recurring technical hiring needs. Athletic and work-boot manufacturers tend to have established immigration counsel and faster offer-to-petition timelines.
Verify prevailing wage before negotiating your offer
Your employer's LCA must certify wages at or above the DOL prevailing wage for your location and role. Use the OFLC Wage Search to look up the wage level tied to your job zone before you enter salary discussions, so you don't negotiate below the threshold that makes your petition valid.
Document any foreign degree equivalency early
If your design degree is from outside the U.S., get a credential evaluation completed before your employer files the H-1B petition. USCIS will assess whether your three-year or combined degree meets the U.S. bachelor's equivalency standard required for specialty occupation status.
Clarify cap-exempt status with academic employers
Footwear design roles at universities, nonprofit research institutions, or government agencies are exempt from the H-1B annual cap and lottery. If you're open to in-house design work at an institution rather than a commercial brand, you can start the petition process at any time of year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does footwear design qualify as a specialty occupation for H-1B?
It can, but approval depends on how the employer defines the role. USCIS looks for evidence that the position normally requires a bachelor's degree in a directly related field such as industrial design, fashion design, or product design. Roles that accept any degree or substitute extensive experience without a degree requirement face higher scrutiny and are more likely to receive a Request for Evidence.
Which visa types realistically cover footwear designer sponsorship?
H-1B is the primary option for footwear designers at commercial brands and manufacturers, subject to the annual cap and lottery. Australian citizens can apply for the E-3 visa, which has a separate cap that has never been exhausted and requires no lottery. Designers from Canada or Mexico may qualify under TN visa if their role falls within a listed USMCA profession, though footwear design is not explicitly named on that list.
How do I find footwear employers that actually sponsor visas?
Migrate Mate shows employers with verified LCA filing history for design roles, so you can identify companies that have already gone through the H-1B or E-3 visa sponsorship process. This saves time compared to applying broadly and discovering during the offer stage that a company has never sponsored before.
Does my degree field matter, or is any design degree acceptable?
The degree field matters significantly. USCIS expects the degree to relate directly to the duties of the specific footwear design role. Industrial design, fashion design, and product design degrees are the strongest fits. A graphic design or fine arts degree may be accepted if the job description emphasizes technical construction and material specifications, but it carries more risk of an RFE or denial.
Can TN visa status cover a footwear designer role for Canadian or Mexican nationals?
TN is unlikely to apply to footwear designer roles because the USMCA profession list does not include footwear or product design as a named category. Canadians and Mexicans in this field typically need to pursue H-1B sponsorship instead. If the role has a strong engineering component and the applicant holds an engineering degree, a TN under the engineer category could be explored with immigration counsel, but it is not a straightforward fit.
What is the prevailing wage requirement for sponsored Footwear Designer jobs?
U.S. employers sponsoring a visa must pay at least the prevailing wage, which is what workers in the same role, area, and experience level typically earn. The Department of Labor sets this rate to make sure companies aren't hiring foreign workers simply because they'd accept lower pay than a U.S. worker. It varies by job title, location, and experience. You can look up current prevailing wage rates for any occupation and location using the OFLC Wage Search page.