r/IndustrialDesign

Hey everyone, I am trying to figure out a realistic software pipeline for shoe design and would love to know how people in the industry actually handle this. I am currently deciding between starting with Blender for fast visual concepts, investing a thousand bucks into Rhino for precise NURBS geometry and sole modeling, or looking into specialized footwear CAD like Shoemaster, Romans, or Crispin.

I am curious if it is common practice to start in Blender for rapid aesthetic exploration and then rebuild in Rhino for exact CAD, or if most designers just commit to one environment from day one. Blender seems amazing for quick organic modeling and renders, but Rhino feels much more reliable once you need exact dimensions, precise sole structures, or parametric tweaks in Grasshopper.

My biggest question is whether independent designers actually need to buy and learn specialized footwear CAD for things like 2D pattern flattening and size grading. Or is the standard workflow simply delivering clean 3D CAD files alongside detailed tech packs, and letting the factory's pattern engineers handle the 2D flattening and grading on their end? Any insight into what a real footwear workflow looks like would be super helpful.

Thanks!