Senior Performance Designer

Senior Performance Designer: 

 Xero Shoes is a performance & lifestyle footwear brand on a mission to help people everywhere experience the freedom and benefits of natural movement. From everyday wear to elite-level athletics, our footwear is designed to enhance performance without sacrificing comfort or connection to the ground.

Are you passionate about health, wellness, and high-performance design? Do you want to make a meaningful impact in people's lives through innovative footwear? We're looking for a motivated, creative, senior performance footwear designer to join our fast-growing team and contribute to the next generation of natural performance footwear.

The Opportunity:  

You'll help lead the design of performance-forward minimalist footwear that balances natural biomechanics with the demands of high-impact sports. This is a unique opportunity to shape the future of natural performance footwear in categories where minimalism is underrepresented but highly needed. 

You'll bring deep expertise in performance needs, athlete insights, and footwear construction - while embracing the Xero Shoes DNA: natural fit, natural feel, and natural motion. 

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead Footwear Design Projects in Running, Training, and/or Court Sports, from concept to commercialization. 
• Integrate Natural Movement Principles into high-performance designs that support proprioception, flexibility, and lightweight agility. 
• Balance Innovation with Simplicity: Create products that remove unnecessary components while delivering uncompromised performance. 
• Collaborate Across Teams: Work closely with product, development, marketing, and sourcing to bring products to life with quality and efficiency. 
• Conduct User Research & Wear Testing to refine fit, function, and form based on real-world athlete and customer feedback. 
• Champion Sustainability: Seek materials and methods aligned with our environmental values and durability standards 
• Mentor and Guide junior designers 

What You Bring: 

• Bachelor's degree in Industrial Design, Footwear Design, or equivalent. 
• 7+ years of performance footwear design experience, with a portfolio that includes products in Running, Training, or Court / Basketball 
• Strong understanding of biomechanics, deep appreciation for athlete needs, and sport specific footwear needs 
• A design approach that integrates athlete and category insights, and brand principles into a proven market winner. 
• Deep knowledge of footwear materials, tooling design, and upper construction 
• Demonstrated knowledge of last design, outsole/midsole tooling, upper construction, and performance fit systems. 
• Experience working with overseas factories and development teams. 
• Proficiency in 2D and 3D design tools (e.g., Adobe CC, Rhino, Gravity Sketch, Keyshot, etc.). 
• Ability to balance innovation with manufacturability and timelines. 
• Excellent verbal, visual, and written communication skills to clearly present ideas and storytelling to cross-functional partners and leadership. 

Bonus Points For:

• Experience designing for minimalist or barefoot-inspired footwear brands. 
• Passion for movement, whether you're a runner, crossfitter, court athlete, or fitness enthusiast. 
• Working knowledge of sustainable design practices and materials  
• Experience developing off timeline innovation concepts

Job Type:  

Full-time, Hybrid (you must be able to commute to Broomfield 3-4 days per week) 

Based in Broomfield, CO, reporting to our CPO,  

Pay: The annualized salary for this position ranges between $110,000.00 - $130,000.00 DOE This range is an estimate, based on potential employee qualifications, operational needs and other considerations as permitted by Colorado Equal Pay Transparency Rule 4.1.2.  Other rewards may include annual bonuses, short- and long-term incentives, and equity awards. 

Benefits Include: 

• Medical, Dental & Vision upon employment 
• Additional employee-funded ancillary benefits, such as qualified HSA, or FSA, and Voluntary Life / AD&D, Accidental, Critical Care etc., are also available if you choose to participate 
• 401k eligible after 3 months of employment 
• Xero Shoes provided life insurance 
• Employee bonus and incentive plans 
• Sick and vacation accrual 
• A pair of shoes per month 

Xero Shoes handles all recruiting; recruiters and agencies will not be responded to.