Shoe Manufacturers

Where might one find shoe manufacturers to bring a design to life? ANy suggestions?

you’ll need to provide more information to get a suitable response.

type of footwear?
quantity?
existing brand or start up?
etc…

by the sounds of it, you are just looking to make up a few samples. if so, most likely you wont have much luck, as its not really how the industry is structured- for mass production. that being said, with the right investment and business plan, it is possible to start new brands and get going with low volumes. not easy, but possible.

R

Thanks for getting back. I suppose I’ve some industry studies to reference. I figured that manufacturers were just hungry or at least that they would be plentiful and easy to deal with.

That said, the shoes are basic, really. Not athletic or dress, but more simple, casual. I’d say they are similar to F-troupe or swear. Just something simple. Of course, ideally there are nuances but I suppose that can be worked out. Is there a resource for manufacturers or some conduit to help out a starting designer? This is independent.
thanks.

alibaba.com might be helpful in getting in touch with some manufacturers.

sure, if you got 1,000,000 pairs for production, +$50,000 and at least another $50 for design/development/marketing, no problem :wink:

R

Hmm…well needless to say…I’ll try and beat that. Thanks for your expertise. Luckily I’ve a degree in design and marketing to help shed the initial impact of costs. It seems production (as usual) will be the main bust to finances, since I am not trying to “burst” onto any scene. I am thinking a little more grassroots, sustainable, less prone to the fickle nature of trendy shoes. We’ll see.

if you need any help, feel free to let me know. i’ve helped a few start-ups as well as major brands through the process of design/development production.

feel free to drop me an email or PM for more info.

Cheers,

R

Where are you based? If it’s in the UK, contact the British Footwear Association. They can advise you, they are great with business start -ups, they can put you in touch with manufacturers, help you with trade shows etc.

Re. manufacturing, get yourself to some trade shows and talk to some manufacturers. Once you’ve told us where you are based we can recommend some shows.

Depending how “BIG” you want to come of the gate running… it might not be worth it to go overseas first. They are some small domestic houses (US and UK/ EUR) that can help smaller investments get rolling.

which smaller houses?