Kickstart your Shoe Brand
Introducing our new 5-day workshop! 🌟
Ready to kickstart your journey in the footwear industry?
This comprehensive program is designed to equip aspiring shoemakers with the skills and knowledge needed to launch their own footwear brand.
Over five dynamic days, you'll dive into every aspect of the shoemaking process, from concept to creation. You'll leave with a clear plan for launching your business, initial designs for your shoe collection and your first shoe sample in hand.
Learn to identify your target market and craft a customer profile, conduct a thorough competitor analysis, and design a standout collection that reflects your unique vision and brand identity.
Under the guidance of experienced industry professionals, you'll translate your designs into technical specifications with a hands-on introduction to creating tech packs and approaching factories.
Then, put your newfound knowledge into practice as you bring one shoe from your collection to life, from pattern cutting to stitching and finishing.
By the end of the course, you'll not only have a tangible shoe to showcase, but also the foundational skills and tools to launch your own footwear brand with confidence.
Workshop Structure
This workshops will run for 5 consecutive days. Class runs from 10am to 4pm, with a 1-hour lunch break.
Day 1 - 2
On Day 1 and 2 we will be covering the business and design side of things. This includes creating a customer profile, a competitor analysis and a sales and marketing strategy. We will help you to create your initial designs for your shoe collection. Finally we will take one of these designs and teach you how to create a factory ready spec sheet. We will also discuss how to find the right factory for your designs and how to approach a new factory.
Day 3 - 5
For the remainder of the workshop we will take your spec sheet and create your first shoe sample. This process is so important when launching your own shoe brand. Even if you don't plan on making the shoes yourself learning how shoes are made will help you to properly communicate with your factory going forward.
Making your own samples can also be a great way of saving money for your fist few collections.
What will you accomplish?
During this course you'll walk away with a complete action plan for starting your new shoe business including your first sample pair of shoes.
See below for a breakdown of what you'll accomplish during this course.
Develop your customer profile and conduct competitor analysis
Gain insights into your target market and create a detailed customer profile to guide your design and marketing decisions.
Learn to identify key competitors in the footwear industry and analyze their strengths, weaknesses, and market positioning to inform your brand strategy.
Design your Collection
Tap into your creativity to design a cohesive footwear collection that reflects your brand identity and resonates with your target audience.
Finding your Maker
We will teach you how to find the best factory for your footwear styles and how to approach them as a new client. Translate your design concepts into technical specifications with detailed tech packs, essential for communicating your vision to manufacturers.
Sales and Marketing Strategy
We will discuss whether your brand will work best as a direct-to-consumer brand or a wholesale approach and plot out the most appropriate marketing strategy based on your goals and budget.
Your First Sample
Put your design skills to the test as you bring one shoe from your collection to life, from pattern cutting to assembly and finishing touches.
