Freelance Womenswear Footwear Designer

About Us:

Urban Outfitters started out as a single boutique in 1970s Philadelphia with creativity and uniqueness at its core. 50 years on, and over 60 stores across Europe later, we’ve become a destination for emerging design, unexpected styling, One-Of-A-Kind vintage and homeware that makes you want to hit the share button.  

We speak to a social community of over 10 million forward-thinking individuals, bringing together a nostalgia for the past with an enthusiasm to shape the future. The UO community are culturally aware, they shape the music scene, they live a digitally native life and they wear style trends before anyone else. At our core, we empower our customers and staff to express themselves, unapologetically, living life in a way that's truly authentic to them. 

We are always excited to bring new talent into the room, especially if you share our values: 

Progressive — we move with the mood 
Creative — we champion limitless minds 
Inclusive — we open our platforms to all communities 
Responsible — we work to reduce our impact on the environment 
Compassionate — we care for each other beyond the 9 to 5 

Sound like you, why not join us? 

Role Summary:

We are looking for a highly skilled Freelance Footwear Designer to join our team on a contract basis. The ideal candidate lives at the intersection of commercial viability, social-first culture, and street-level trend forecasting. You possess an innate ability to spot emerging viral footwear styles, micro-trends, and "It" silhouettes before they hit the mainstream, paired with deep technical footwear construction expertise and a sharp eye for UO's target pricing architecture.

What You'll Be Doing:

• Viral Trend & Market Direction: Spot and react quickly to fast-moving viral footwear trends, TikTok/social micro-trends, street style, and youth culture movements, translating high-hype concepts into commercial, brand-right footwear for the UO customer.
• Design & Tech Packs: Create detailed, factory-ready technical packages (including specs, outsole/upper construction details, material callouts, and colourways) that minimize revision rounds.
• Costing & Architecture: Work closely with the product development team to design into specific price points and margin targets. You must be adept at building high-value aesthetic footwear while staying savvy with material costs, tooling, and yield.
• Sample Execution: Partner with developers and factories to review tech packs, line art, and physical prototypes, providing clear correction notes to ensure design integrity and fit.
• Range Building: Collaborate with internal teams to build a balanced, commercially strong footwear offering across key UO categories (e.g., boots, casual shoes, sneakers, sandals, statement platform/mule pieces).

What You'll Need:

• Footwear Expertise: 4+ years of footwear design experience (experience in fast-fashion, contemporary youth, or lifestyle footwear highly preferred). Deep understanding of footwear construction, last development, outsoles, materials, and manufacturing processes across various styles.
• Trend Savvy: Proven track record of identifying viral shoe trends early and adapting them rapidly for a young consumer base.
• Commercial Savvy: Proven track record of designing into strict pricing architectures and target margins without compromising brand aesthetic or product quality.
• Brand Alignment: A deep connection to the Urban Outfitters brand identity, customer demographic, and aesthetic spectrum.
• Communication: Strong organizational skills and the ability to work independently in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.

Equal Opportunity Statement:

URBN is an Equal Opportunities Employer committed to diversity and inclusion. We provide equal employment opportunities regardless of age, sexual orientation, sex, gender reassignment, pregnancy, marital status, religion, race, or disability. We base all our employment decisions on merit, job requirements and business needs.