How to Find (& Evaluate) a Shoe Manufacturer?

So you've developed a new shoe design or concept and you are starting to look for a shoe manufacturer?

 

You are ready to start your brand and conquer your local market. Or why not even go global?

 

If you have such great ambitions, then you need the right partner to help you manufacture, design, and distribute your goods.

 

In this article, we will talk about how you can find and evaluate a private label shoe manufacturer so you can get start your business with the right partner in a matter of weeks.

 

Questions you need to ask yourself before searching for a Shoe Manufacturer

Before you begin short-listing and contacting shoe manufacturers, you would need to ask some questions yourself first.

 

That would help you navigate the process.

 

1. Do you need a big shoe factory?

In other words, just how ambitious are you about quantity?

 

There are shoe factories specializing in quantities under 100, and there are factories that wouldn't take an order below 10,000.

 

You would need to be realistic about what kind of manufacturer you would like to work with.

 

This is why you should have a minimum order quantity (MOQ) in mind before proceeding to search for shoe manufacturers.

 

2. What kind of quality are you looking for?

Are you looking for premium and high-level shoe manufacturers?

 

Are you creating the next Primark shoe ($10) or the next Chanel shoe ($1,000+)?

 

Naturally, you want to be somewhere in the middle.

 

But that distinction is important, especially if you are looking for something extremely cheap or extremely quality.

 

3. Do you have a solid business plan?

You can imagine talking to shoe manufacturers as if you are talking to a business partner or an investor.

 

You need to have a plan:

 

● A business plan on how you are planning to make revenue and turn it into profit
● Unique customer persona and how you are going to reach your future customers
● Sales plan and basic sales projections (in the 5 or 6 figures?)
● Competitor landscape and what the others have on the market

 

If you have answered all of these questions, we can proceed to understand what a shoe manufacturer needs to know about you.

 

What does a Shoe Manufacturer need to know?

 

As we mentioned in the beginning, you have to be prepared before reaching out to prospective shoe manufacturers.

 

You have to understand that they have all had their fair share of troubles dealing with start-ups that overpromised things and under-delivered.

 

This is why you should also come off as prepared and professional, and they will follow suit.

 

If you come off as an amateur or someone who would not be considered good business, they might simply ignore you or give you such a high price that you will give up yourself.

 

Here are the things that you will need to have prepared for your manufacturers:

 

1. The product design and what your product will look like

Here, the shoe manufacturers are interested in the overall construction and materials that will be required.

 

It's recommended to have a prepared design either done on CAD or in drawing before talking to shoe manufacturers.

 

But that's not required, as some of them could help you with that.

 

2. What and how many styles and colors will your start-up require

The shoe manufacturers will need to be aware of what you are expecting from them.

 

That would be the materials, the styles, and the colors.

 

3. The projected volumes (how busy they will be with you)

We know that this could be hard to estimate, but they will be looking for the order quantity in the first, second, and third orders at least.

 

You can proceed to give them rough estimates, based on your sales projections, how much pairs you will need in the fourth to sixth rounds of orders.

 

Tip: Do not feel overwhelmed by the idea of promising something to manufacturers.

 

Focus on what you will need in the first 3 batches and do not overthink how much you will need in 1 year.

 

4. Cost price per unit

That would be, how much you want to pay them for every shoe they are going to create for you.

 

It's also called ''target cost price'' and it's about making their own internal discussion if it's worth it for them to consider you.

 

After all, they are a business too. They want to run their own numbers and see if there's a fit.

 

III. Where to find private-label shoe manufacturers

First of all, you'd need to consider from which country you will be exporting (and if you will be exporting at all).

 

The best place to manufacture your private-label shoes would depend on a lot of factors, such as costs, lead times, and quality.

 

But more and more shoe manufacturers in the world are starting to search for manufacturers in Asia who have the ability to mass produce while also maintaining high quality and decent pricing structures.

 

This is the reason why companies from around the world have started outsourcing their production in China.

 

In fact, some of the biggest and most respected companies, such as Nike and Adidas, have a long history of outsourcing to China since it makes sense for their business models.

 

If you are looking for both quality and good pricing, then your first stop should be to look for a Chinese shoe manufacturer.

 

1. Alibaba, GlobalSources & FindSourcing

You can begin your search on Alibaba, Global Sources or FindSourcing and have a look at all of the alternatives on the market.

 

You want to have your shoe and materials preferences, as the companies on these platforms will have their own preferences as well.

 

The problem with these sites is that the majority of the companies there are trading companies, who are also outsourcing.

 

What you need is a shoe factory, and not many of them are on these platforms.

 

You can also search for directories such as ''Footwear Manufacturers Association’s Supplier Directory''.

2. Search on Google and evaluate options

You can search for ''shoe manufacturers'', ''shoe factory'' or ''(type of shoe) factory''.

 

You can then look at their sales pages and see for yourself how they measure up against one another.

 

Google also offers reviews and as long as your query is specific to the type of shoe and country of manufacturing, you will have plenty of options to evaluate.

 

3. Footwear Industry Trade Shows & Exhibitions

You can visit industry trade shows and speak to the suppliers there.

 

If you have narrowed down the country with which you want to work, such as China, you can visit some of their local industry trade shows.

 

Some of the more famous shoe industry trade shows include the Shangai International Footwear Exhibition where the event is quite English-friendly.

 

What you want to learn about a Prospective Shoe Factory

 

 

Alright, you've started searching and you've narrowed down your options to 4-5 manufacturers that piqued your interest.

 

You've got your plan with you, your budget, and your product idea. Now it's time to start reaching out.

 

When you are reaching out and starting negotiations with prospective shoe factories, you want to learn the following things:

 

● Do they own the factory, or are they just a trading company?
● How long have they been in business and who are the clients that they work with?
● Is it okay for you to send someone to the location and have a look at the factory from the inside?
● What do they think about your cost per unit and do they think that it makes sense?
● What is their Minimum Order Quantity? Is there a down payment required for it?
● Do they work with quality inspection companies?
● What is their lead time for production? Would it take weeks or months to produce batches?
● Are they experienced in the type of shoe that you want them to develop? Can they prove it?
● Are they going to help you source the materials or you should give the materials to them?

● You should be interested in getting to know them and their reputation.

 

The company's knowledge and industry experience matter a lot as well. You want to work with people who have more than 10 years of manufacturing experience.

 

After all of that, it becomes a matter of short-listing and choosing the perfect manufacturing company.

 

Ideally, you want to visit them and see for yourself if they are the real deal.

 

Why you should choose Joesfootwear for your private shoe manufacturing needs

Joes Footwear is a reputable Chinese manufacturer of high-quality footwear with 13 years of experience working for international fashion brands such as L'agence and El Corte Ingles.

 

We offer OEM & ODM and private labeling services and we specialize in the production of:

 

● High heels
● Sandals
● Boots
● Sneakers

 

 

With materials ranging from leather to suede. We are ethical manufacturers and adhere to professional standards, which have earned Joes the reputation as the go-to shoe manufacturer for both small-scale and large-scale projects.

 

We offer a complete shoe manufacturing solution, ranging from the design to the shipping of your idea in the span of 7 days.

 

Our services include CAD design, material sourcing, technical and fitting engineering, quality control, production management, and the final shipping.

 

You can feel free to find out more about us and get to know some sample products that we have created in our modern factory.