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Footwear Design Intern

Footwear Design Intern

Ariat InternationalSan Leandro, CA, United States
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About the Role

Ariat is seeking a motivated and creative Footwear Design Intern to join our innovative Footwear Design team. This internship offers a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience in footwear design while contributing to the evolution of industry-leading products. The intern will collaborate closely with seasoned designers to assist in the creation of trend-relevant and innovative designs, while learning about the complete footwear development process—from concept to commercialization.

As a Footwear Design Intern, you'll become part of a team that values craftsmanship, innovation, and authenticity. Ariat is committed to helping you grow professionally while enjoying a fun, inclusive, and creative work environment. Expect mentorship, hands-on projects, and exposure to real-world product development cycles.

What You’ll Gain

Design Support

  • Collaborate with the design team to develop compelling footwear concepts and renderings, aligned with seasonal trends and the Ariat brand identity.
  • Assist with color and trend forecasting through research, mood boards, and material palettes.
  • Translate hand-drawn sketches into polished digital renderings using Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and Procreate.

Technical Development :

  • Learn the fundamentals of footwear construction, materials, and development processes.
  • Support the creation of technical drawings and "tech packs" used for sample development and manufacturing.
  • Engage with 3D tools such as Vizcom to visualize outsole engineering and product prototypes through digital modeling.

    • Presentation & Communication :

  • Contribute to the preparation of design presentations by gathering trend / market insights, competitive analysis, and layout graphics.
  • Organize and update internal brand assets including the Ariat Footwear Branding Guidelines , ensuring consistency across categories.
  • Present internship goals and outcomes to the team at the conclusion of the program.

    • By the end of the internship, the intern will :

  • Gain an in-depth understanding of the footwear industry, including design strategy, trend forecasting, product development, and branding.
  • Learn the full lifecycle of footwear design, from ideation and technical development to final presentation and product execution.
  • Develop a personal design project or goal (e.g., an outsole concept, 3D model, or a physical prototype), supported by mentorship from the Ariat team.

    • About You

  • Currently pursuing or recently completed a degree in Footwear Design, Industrial Design, Fashion Design, or a related field.
  • Strong sketching and rendering skills—both traditional and digital.
  • Proficiency or familiarity with Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop), Procreate, and an interest in 3D modeling tools (e.g., Vizcom).
  • Passionate about footwear and eager to learn from a collaborative, fast-paced team.
  • Strong communication skills and an ability to give / receive feedback constructively.

    • About Ariat

    Ariat is an innovative, outdoor global brand with roots in equestrian performance. We develop high-quality footwear and apparel for people who ride, work, and play outdoors, and care about performance, quality, comfort, and style.

    The hourly rate for this position is $20.00 per hour.

    The salary is determined by the education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities of the applicant, internal equity, and alignment with market data for geographic locations. Ariat in good faith believes that this posted compensation range is accurate for this role at this location at the time of this posting. This range may be modified in the future.

    This contract position may be eligible for select benefits through the payrolling agency. Benefits may include medical, dental, and vision insurance options and 401k.

    Ariat will consider qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with state and local laws. Ariat is an Equal Opportunity Employer and considers applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, orientation, national origin, age, disability, genetics or any other basis protected under federal, state, or local law. Ariat is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to candidates with disabilities. If you need an accommodation during the application process, email human.resources@ariat.com.

    Please see our Employment Candidate Privacy Policy at to learn more about how we collect, use, retain and disclose Personal Information.

    Please note that Ariat does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters or employment agencies. In the absence of a signed Agreement, Ariat will not consider or agree to payment of any referral compensation or recruiter / agency placement fee. In the event a recruiter or agency submits a resume or candidate without a previously signed Agreement, Ariat explicitly reserves the right to pursue and hire those candidate(s) without any financial obligation to the recruiter or agency. Any unsolicited resumes, including those submitted directly to hiring managers, are deemed to be the property of Ariat.

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    Design Intern • San Leandro, CA, United States