Finding the Best Shoe Manufacturer: The Guide

Developing an amazing, eye-catching concept for new footwear is just the first step in filling a market gap. Next, entrepreneurs have to figure out who trust with creating prototypes and manufacturing the finished products. 

The Difficulties of Getting a Shoemaking Startup Off the Ground

Many newcomers to the fascinating field of footwear find themselves overwhelmed by the frustrations of getting a new shoemaking startup off the ground. They try sending messages to footwear factories but never receive responses. Even shoe manufacturers that seem keen on the idea often end up ghosting potential business partners, and it can start to feel like no one is taking the concept seriously.

The Best Solution

The good news is, aspiring entrepreneurs don’t have to reach out to every footwear factory independently to find the best Best shoe manufacturer. They can take advantage of product manufacturing and logistics services to do all the footwork for them. Remember, there’s more to finding a manufacturer than just having an amazing design, and creative thinkers aren’t always experts at planning and logistics.

What to Know Before Approaching a Manufacturer

Whether entrepreneurs plan to contact factories directly or take the high road of working with a logistics service, there are a few things to consider before reaching out. Just having the perfect design won’t ensure that a new footwear concept will be a huge success. Entrepreneurs also need to consider:

The Customer

Understanding the target audience is the key to marketing success, not just in the footwear industry but in all endeavors. It can help to start with a consumer profile. Try to imagine who will be most likely to buy the shoes, and write down key information such as:

• Demographics
• Assumed consumer behaviors
• Buying habits
• Lifestyle and interests
• Values and goals
• Relevant geographic factors

Shoe designers should be able to answer two questions about their assumed future customers. They should know who they are, and what will drive them to purchase their newly designed footwear.

The Competition

The idea behind creating new products is to create something unique. Unfortunately, even the most unique products still tend to have some market competition. Try to figure out where the model customer is currently buying his or her shoes, and see what that company is doing right and wrong.

The Sales Model

Finally, try to create a basic sales model. Most small businesses, especially footwear startups, are best off using a direct sale model. Learn the basics of how to demonstrate and sell products to end consumers in advance to avoid heartache later down the road.

How to Pitch a Concept

There are a few key things any shoe manufacturer or logistics company will need to know before deciding whether to take on a new project, but there’s no need to inundate them with every piece of documentation available. Here’s what information to collect and send for a compelling pitch:

• What the product looks like
• What it’s made out of
• How many styles and colors will be available
• Projected volumes
• Target cost price
• Trust the Experts

Not all inventors have excellent people skills and experience with making pitches directly to manufacturers and other stakeholders. Thankfully, they don’t have to. Working with manufacturing and logistics experts lets novice shoemakers focus on creating eyecatching designs to meet market demand, so it’s almost always the best way to break into a new market.