China will need 250 to 300 thousand shoe designers over the next ten years to boost its shoe industry, said the Ministry of Labor and Social Security.
The shoe making industry is a leading light industry in China, and a driving force in exports, said a senior official of the Ministry.
However, while demand for Chinese shoes soars both at home and abroad, there is a dearth of design skills in the country.
China exported 6.9 billion pairs of shoes to over 200 countries and regions last year, reaping a total revenue of 19 billion US dollars, he said.
Chinese shoe designers used to copy or even pirate western models and fashion ideas, which violates the IPR of foreign brands and undermines China's capacity to innovate, said the Ministry.
Now, to begin building cutting-edge international brands, legions of shoe designers are needed, according to the Ministry.
Shoe designers provide design ideas based on the shapes of people's feet, esthetic principles, fashion and the characteristics of shoe materials, the Ministry said in a report.
Shoe designing developed in major shoe making countries such as Italy, Spain, and France over a long period. In China, college level design courses are offered in some art institutions, and are tremendously popular, according to the report.
