Footwear Materials, Color & Trend Analysis

Footwear Design and Development Certificate

Take just one of the footwear courses or earn a certificate. The 13-week professional certificate is comprised of 3 courses that provide students with a comprehensive overview of the footwear industry while developing the necessary skills that lead to successful product design. Industry partners and instructors with extensive experience in design, materials, and footwear production will provide key elements from concept through marketing in creating functional and fashionable shoes for contemporary consumers.

This Course: FASH930: Footwear Materials, Color & Trend Analysis

This six-week course will combine the need to balance footwear design criteria of form, function and performance with forecasting ability and analysis.

Appropriate material choices for uppers and soles need to reflect comprehensive research of consumer and end-use purpose to assure fit, shape, style and comfort. Costing and sourcing factors also play a pivotal role in selecting resources. This course will introduce students to a wide variety of upper and sole materials, their performance attributes, manufacturing best practices of these resources, and strategies for making wise choices. Additionally, the use and application of color will be examined through a global lens to evaluate the influence color is having on the rise of the contemporary shoe market.

In addition, this course is designed to enhance forecasting ability through a combination of “pulse point” research, analysis, and presentation so that the design approach can be tailored to market need. Students will learn examination techniques for interpreting the social and cultural influences on footwear, which facilitates the ability to recognize and predict trends in the global market. Storytelling within the context of brand representation will be explored through marketing strategies such as social media, special events, public relations, and advertising. Market analysis will include understanding the consumer, the competition, and the retail landscape.

For any questions about course content, please contact the course instructor, Britney Sones -- brsones@lasell.edu.

This section of FASH930: Footwear Materials, Color & Trend Analysis runs 11/24-1/4 in the Fall/Winter 2026 term. Students may enroll in the course up until 11/30. For any questions about enrollment or Lasell Professional Studies, please contact profstudies@lasell.edu.

About the Instructor: Britney Sones

Britney Sones is an experienced color designer and trend and material specialist with a background in footwear, performance wear, and high-end fashion. At Crocs, she developed her expertise in color, trend, and materials, helping to build the color team from the ground up to the trend-forward brand you see today. Britney’s diverse industry experience gives her a comprehensive understanding of the importance of keeping a pulse on all areas of the industry to be at the forefront of trends in footwear.

Britney holds a degree in Fashion Design and has a decade of experience forecasting trends, colors, prints and materials in this ever-changing industry. Passionate about fostering creativity and innovation, she is excited to bring her industry insights to her role at Lasell University.