Performance Footwear Designer – Running & Trail

About the Role

We are partnering with a fast-growing, innovative global performance running brand to find a talented Performance Footwear Designer specializing in road and trail running.

This is an exceptional opportunity for a agile, practical, and highly skilled designer with 3 to 5 years of professional experience who wants to make a direct, tangible impact on real products brought to market globally.

Our client values clean, minimalist aesthetics, high functionality, and technical execution.

Rather than focusing purely on abstract concepts or high-level direction, this role is centered on end-to-end design and physical execution, taking shoes from initial sketch through factory sampling and commercial launch.

Responsibilities

• End-to-End Product Design: Create technical road and trail running footwear designs grounded in minimalism, functionality, and performance.
• Factory & Development Collaboration: Work directly with footwear developers, pattern makers, and factory teams in prototyping, sampling, and fit/wear-test revisions.
• Commercialization: Oversee design fidelity from initial concept through tooling, material selection, and final physical production.
• Trend & Performance Research: Stay at the forefront of technical running materials, construction techniques, and market trends in road and trail running.

Qualifications

• Experienced: 3 - 5 years of hands-on experience designing technical performance running footwear (road running, trail, or ultrarunning experience is highly desirable).

Required Skills

• Factory-Savvy: Direct experience collaborating with factories, developers, and prototyping labs to build physical samples.
• Design Aesthetic: Strong portfolio demonstrating refined, functional, and minimalist design sensibilities.
• Communicator: Professional working proficiency in English (essential for international team collaboration).
• Execution-Minded: Passionate about actual product creation, tooling, and manufacturing processes and not just digital renderings or colourways.
• Location: Guangzhou, China OR Boston, USA

How to Apply

If you are passionate about technical running footwear and ready to take the lead on real-world product lines, we would love to see your work!

Please submit: Your updated CV / Resume and portfolio to joao@kaystalentlab.com

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