Creating a shoe brand may seem difficult at first. However, it can be done by anyone. The secret is to be passionate and to know the right tips to succeed in this process.
It is also important to follow the key steps carefully to avoid getting lost.
Start with research
As in our previous article, it is important to be aware of the fashion industry before considering starting a footwear brand. It is a constantly changing and developing field, so it is important to keep up to date and have the latest information. Trends also change with the seasons.
Of course, it is not mandatory to have a summer, autumn, winter and spring collection, but it is a plus that ensures customer loyalty throughout the year. There are many blogs on the Internet that offer to keep you up to date with new fashions, and sometimes even announce what will be featured in the coming season.
Creating your own identity
You have to find your niche and know what suits you, what you are willing to put on sale. For example, if you want to create a cruelty free and vegan brand, you have to forget about beautiful crocodile skin or leather shoes.
You should also think about the ethical aspect when choosing your raw materials and especially your labour. It would be much cheaper to choose to relocate to a country like Bangladesh for example, but it is not the most recommended from a moral point of view. As a result, you may lose credibility.
After that, you need to ask yourself the right questions to determine your target audience. If you are targeting young people, sneakers and comfortable shoes are the way to go. If you are targeting a wealthy group, you will have to try to stand out from what is already available on the luxury market and offer innovative models.
The price range is a key factor in the success of your business plan. You will have more buyers with low prices, but a much higher margin with high-end shoes.
You also need to ask yourself why buyers would choose your brand and not another. This is the essence of brand building.
Have models and sketches
Creating a shoe brand is about turning simple two-dimensional designs into concrete creations that people will wear. The best advice here is to let your imagination run wild. In this day and age, everything is standardised. So you can go crazy without restraint.
Whether it's minimalist trainers or huge platform heels, everything has an audience. So it's up to you to choose what you want to do and more importantly what you think people will want to buy from you.
Finally, there is no reason why you can't mix the two by creating generic models for everyday life and eccentric shoes for special occasions.
Prepare samples and prototypes
This phase is critical to the development of your brand. In fact, it is probably the most important. Think of it as a mini-production without which the real action will never happen.
To understand this better, imagine that you are a pastry chef and that you specialise in wedding cakes. Before ordering, most couples will want to taste your products. Here, it's exactly the same thing. Before people buy your shoes, they will need to have advance notice.
Prototypes will have two key purposes: the first is to ensure the practicality, comfort, durability and feasibility of your designs. It's easy to design a shoe, but when it comes to assembly, whether they will withstand the friction with the ground and the weight of the people wearing them, it's a different matter.
You will also need specific moulds, well-made raw materials and a machine to create the heels and soles. Now that you have all the tools in hand, all that's left to do is to assemble everything so that your first models come into the world.
The second purpose of samples is to make your brand known. This can be done through fashion shows or pre-sales on your platform or on a partner site. You can also sell your very first pairs of shoes created in limited edition at a higher price or to your special customers as a reward.
Producing in quantity
You are now moving on to phase 4 of your shoe brand creation. The aim is to mass produce or at least produce enough to satisfy your customers.
There are several schemes available to you, including handmade and industrial. By opting for the handicraft option, you commit yourself to assembling your products by hand until the final touches are made. It is not necessary to create everything yourself, as this is not compatible with quantity production.
The second option is to do everything with machines and the assembly line system. Each infrastructure takes care of a part of the production and the final assembly is also done with the help of an automaton. Of course, for both, you will need human labour, the difference being the amount of manpower required.
Finally, a middle ground is ideal and consists in combining the two previous methods. This process guarantees the best ergonomics, as well as mass production without compromising quality.
Customise your brand
Like any brand, yours will need its own imprint. To do this, you need a name, a logo and a slogan. Of course, you are free to choose whatever you like, but there are tricks to anchor your brand in the memory of potential buyers.
For example, when it comes to choosing a logo, simplicity is your best friend. The simpler it is, the easier it is to understand and remember.
The number of colours rarely exceeds 3 and they must match each other, but also be in keeping with your product. Finally, the shape of your logo should remind people of your business and make it easier for them to remember. Sometimes consumers only remember the shape without the name.
A slogan is an excellent mnemonic to sell your brand. Ideally, you should choose a short phrase of a few words with a rhyme. Of course, it should be original and relevant to your sector.
Wordplay is still a strong asset in the creation of slogans. The important thing is to have an impact on readers and listeners.
Create your website
In the digital age, it is almost mandatory to have a website that represents your brand. This website will have several functions, the first of which is obviously to sell your products.
Whether you are a small business or a large company, size does not matter. Having a web page is within everyone's reach. If you are computer literate, you can even try to create it yourself.
However, it is best to pay for the services of a professional who will do it for you. Otherwise, there are many sites that have a large catalogue. It is up to you to choose what you like.
Your site is a reflection of your products and it also bears your imprint. Be free to innovate while keeping in mind the target audience who must identify with your presentation.
Your page will be a kind of lookbook in which you will show your creations and the different ways of wearing them. Don't hesitate to choose individuals of different sexes and different morphologies or ethnicities if you want to reach a maximum of people. After all, there is no age to wear trainers, nor gender to wear high heels.
Using social networks
Websites are good, but social networks have more reach. Obviously, as a shoe brand, you should focus on Instagram. Other networks like Facebook, Tiktok and Pinterest are also interesting, but less dominant in terms of promotion.
The advantage of branding on networks is the ease of opening pages. There is only one step that differs between opening a pro and private account.
Once your page is created, it will allow you to post content in the form of photos or videos. There are different formats such as stories, real and simple posts.
Having a beautiful and aesthetically pleasing feed will help you attract more people. By posting your products, you can also receive orders directly via private messaging.
Another interesting aspect of the above-mentioned sites is the direct communication with buyers. Buyers will have the opportunity to give their opinion on your designs by commenting on your publications or sending messages. By doing so, you will have the chance to get honest and instant feedback, but also to get closer to your customers.
Finally, most social networks offer the possibility to make sponsored posts, i.e. they boost one of your posts for a certain amount of money.
This way, the audience reached will be larger and you will be able to make your brand known. In addition, intelligent algorithms select profiles of people who are likely to be interested in your brand.
Have a business telephone number
If you want to avoid mixing your private and professional life, you should opt for a business number. This will also give your business more autonomy. For example, if you are reachable 24 hours a day, your employees or collaborators will have some sort of assurance that they can call you at any time of the day in case of problems.
On the other hand, by choosing to separate your work from your personal life, you give more responsibility to the other members of your company. They will learn to do without you.
From the customer's point of view, you give a more legitimate image by having a number dedicated to work only. In addition, they will contact you as a brand and not as an individual, which makes it easier.
There are many operators that offer special packages with very attractive prices for professionals. All you have to do is choose the one that suits you.
Moving on to the marketing stage
Marketing is a key step in building any business. The best advice is to start promoting your brand as soon as possible.
Publicising through social networks
As mentioned above, networks offer a huge advantage to today's businesses because of the millions of people who get lost in them every day.
Publicising through celebrities
The word celebrity may sound scary, but you don't have to send your product to an international mega star to get it noticed. By collaborating with local influencers or small clothing brands, you will already have an immeasurable boost.
Sponsored operations are now commonplace and almost everyone uses them.
E-commerce and pop-ups
Two original ways of promoting these products. E-commerce consists of putting your products on sale on the Internet, on your website or on a platform that will host you.
Pop-ups, on the other hand, are a less common yet very attractive practice. They are defined as the opening of a temporary shop in a given area to sell products.
The notion of transience offers a sense of privilege and the notion of a mobile shop offers proximity to shoppers who cannot travel to your headquarters.
The events
Special events are a great way to meet your buyers and, most importantly, to gain visibility. For example, as a shoe brand, you can offer a competition where the theme is the recreation of an iconic outfit with one of your pieces.
People flock to the game, especially if there is a prize to be won. If the event is online, participants tag you, which allows their followers to discover you.
Think about packaging and delivery
The little extra that will set you apart from other shoe brands is perhaps a simple cardboard box. After all, packaging is very important to customers. The more elegant it is, the more privilege it gives.
Good quality packaging made from non-polluting and recyclable material is a must-have at the moment.
As far as design is concerned, the only limit is your imagination. Be careful not to neglect practicality in favour of aesthetics. Don't forget that your product will surely be delivered and that you are aiming for quantity. Therefore, packaging that is too bulky is not a good idea.
As far as delivery is concerned, if you are going to do it yourself, that's fine, but if not, make sure you choose a company that will do it for you. A package that arrives late, in poor condition or that does not reach its destination will give a negative image of your brand.
You should therefore select your partners carefully, but also choose deadlines that will not overburden your employees or bore your customers. Finally, listen to the buyers and take into account their constructive criticism.
Going international
Although it may sound scary, exporting your product is not a difficult task. You could start by doing it yourself using a specialised delivery service or by post. In time, and if your business grows, you can find someone to do it for you.
Internationalisation offers two major benefits. The first is of course the increased reach of your brand. You will have a larger number of customers and therefore a significant financial contribution.
The second advantage is the prestige of calling yourself a local company and exporting to other countries. With the mention "worldwide shipping", you are sure to gain notoriety.
Don't forget to register your trademark
In order to own a trademark, it is necessary to register it with the National Institute of Industrial Property.
What you need to know
First of all, you need to understand the definition of a trademark, what you stand to gain by protecting your trademark and the information you need to make a good application. All the information on this subject is available on the official website of the INPI.
Before filing, the products to be hosted must first be meticulously indicated under the legal notice. It should be noted that the protection provided by the certification is only valid for the goods or services mentioned. Therefore, no details should be omitted.
Time for the deposit
Once this is done, you will have to order your products according to the Nice classification. The latter is subdivided into several classes, with clothing in class number 25.
It is also at this stage that you will know how much you have to pay to INPI in exchange for the certification.
The availability of the trademark must then be checked. The sign and the name must be free of rights. In general, as long as there is no other brand or former brand providing the same services or selling the same products, the way is clear.
Finally, all that remains is the final filing. The whole procedure is done online and the average fee is around 100 euros.
You will receive an acknowledgement of receipt with the necessary information. The Institute will provide you with a national number to be used in every interaction with the Institute.
Your trademark is now published in the Official Industrial Property Gazette. Any errors should be reported as soon as possible. The INPI can issue objections, oppositions or simple remarks.
If everything is in order, then the procedure is complete and your trademark is officially copyrighted.
As you can see, having your own brand is not rocket science. All it takes is a bit of goodwill and effort. So don't wait any longer to start your own shoe design project and make your dream come true as soon as possible!
