Footwear
Business Foundations
Taught by People Who Work in Footwear
Learn from the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) faculty alongside working professionals across footwear.
Built to Launch Your Career in Footwear, Not Just Your Knowledge
Real Industry Projects
Hands-on, project-based assignments grounded in how the footwear industry actually works.
Start Immediately
On-demand video lessons and projects you can begin the day you enroll.
Insider Expertise
Learn from the Fashion Institute of Technology faculty and working footwear professionals.
A Fashion Institute of Technology Credential
Earn a certificate from the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), a credential employers recognize.
What You'll Be Able to Do
- Navigate the footwear production cycle from idea to manufacturing
- Understand the footwear supply chain
- Take a sketch from prototype to product within budget
- Build a unique footwear brand identity and web presence
- Develop marketing across wholesale, DTC, and app retail
- Manage retail relationships and data-driven distribution
Skills You'll Gain
Build Your Portfolio
The course is built around hands-on projects, so you leave with real, portfolio-ready work, not just a certificate.
Entrepreneurship & Intrapreneurship
Examine how footwear is made and how to build a lucrative business around an idea.
Managing Footwear Production
Follow a sketch from prototype to product through sourcing, costing, and manufacturing.
Branding
Make the aesthetic and design decisions that give your footwear a recognizable identity.
Marketing Strategies
Explore the strategies brands use to reach consumers across wholesale, DTC, and app-based retail.
Retailing and Distribution
Build the competencies a footwear entrepreneur needs to manage retail and distribution.
The Full Footwear Curriculum
Each module is broken into short video lessons with assignments and hands-on projects you complete at your own pace.
Footwear Entrepreneurship & Intrapreneurship
- How footwear is made
- Identifying the consumer
- Understanding the supply chain
Managing Footwear Production
Branding
- Naming & developing identity
- Telling your brand's story
- Creating a web presence
Marketing Strategies
- Wholesale distribution & marketing
- Selling direct-to-consumer
- SEO & social media best practices
Retailing and Distribution
Proof You Can Do the Work
Finish the course and earn a Certificate of Completion from the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), ready to add to your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- Shareable on LinkedIn and your resume
- Issued by a globally recognized institution
- Signals practical, applied expertise
Results, Not Just Lessons
This course will expand your mindset of what you thought you wanted to do, and shift it to the actual role you wish to become or be involved in.
It gives you a great overall impression of all of the hard work and dedication you will need to put into running your business.
It's a good option to really know what to expect about the industry and to prepare yourself for it.
This is a good course to take your sneaker knowledge to a new level.
Choose How You Pay
Same full course either way: 5 modules, real industry projects, and your Fashion Institute of Technology Certificate of Completion.
One-Time Payment
4 Monthly Payments
12 Monthly Payments
Have a discount code? Add it at checkout.
Frequently Asked Questions
Aspiring footwear entrepreneurs and professionals at any career stage who want to learn the business side of building a footwear company.
5 self-paced modules. Most learners finish in under 40 hours on their own schedule.
Yes. The course is 100% online and on-demand, so you can study on your own schedule from anywhere.
A non-credit Certificate of Completion from the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) that you can add to your resume and LinkedIn profile.
No. The course starts with the fundamentals and is designed for newcomers as well as those already working in the field.
Yes. Request the course catalog and a program advisor can walk you through payment options and any current offers.
Footwear Business Foundations includes five on-demand courses covering topics such as Footwear Entrepreneurship and Intrapreneurship, Managing Footwear Production, Building Your Footwear Brand, Footwear Marketing Strategies, and Retailing and Distribution. Each course is 2 to 3 hours and is broken into shorter modules and activities that you complete at your own pace.
Courses are taught by Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) faculty. You will also receive career insights from industry experts and leaders.
By the end of the course, you will have developed the skills and knowledge of a footwear entrepreneur or to advance a career in the footwear business, explored the various career paths in the industry, and identified your areas of passion. You will also receive a non-credit certificate from FIT that you can add to your LinkedIn profile and resume.
Students must be at least 13 years old to enroll.
Enrollment includes unlimited access to all course videos and materials for one year from your enrollment date. If you need more time after that, you can pay a monthly subscription fee to extend your access.
Most major credit and debit cards are accepted, including Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, and JCB. If you enroll outside the United States, tuition is charged in your local currency at the prevailing exchange rate.
You can withdraw within 24 hours of enrollment for a full refund. After that, you have up to 7 days to withdraw for a full refund minus a $100 cancellation fee. No refunds are issued after 7 days. Subscription plans can be canceled before your renewal date by emailing [email protected].
Tuition is $999 when paid in full. Two payment plans are also available at checkout: 4 monthly payments of $269 or 12 monthly payments of $99.
