Posted on April 3, 2016July 16, 2022 by Wade Motawi

Local Market Shoe Materials

Picking Shoe Materials from Local Markets

In the major shoe making centers in China you will find thriving local markets for shoe materials. The local markets are store fronts large and small with every type of shoe material, shoe component and manufacturing equipment available. You will find many store fronts displaying the material swatches available to order from a nearby factory or you will find shoe materials in stock that you can purchase immediately for use making samples. These market areas are very well organized, you will find streets lined with shoe material suppliers and even shopping malls crammed with all types of shoe materials.

I’m going to describe a busy shoe material market area in the town of Houjie. Houjie is located about 2 hours drive from the Hong Kong airport. Houjie is an industrial city which is common to find in China. The city has a robust footwear and furniture industry. Located within a 5 minutes walk from the Sheraton™ Hotel you will find hundreds of shoe material and equipment dealers.

What you will find in the shoe material markets?

Almost everything! Except you won’t find many dealers that speak english and you may need help with translations. Make sure to take some business cards or catalogs so the dealer can see what kind of shoes you’re making. Also you should have your Pantone book to check colors and bring a drawing of your shoes, this can help the dealer understand your needs.
The local material market is a great place to look for new ideas. The material market is also a good place to find materials for your sample shoes or a small production run. If you have a large production run, the material supplier will be happy help place an order directly with the factory. You must be careful when purchasing shoe materials from the local market. The supply factory information may not always be available and there may not be material test reports. Therefore, before you use any local shoe material in your production, you need to get some lab tests done to make sure the material is suitable for your shoes.

The material market in Houjie is a great place to find shoe leather. There are many different suppliers with all different types of leather. You will find leather in every color of the rainbow, from thick to thin, and in many different finishes. You can buy leather by the hide or a dozen hides at once. Of course, if you have a production order they can help you with that too.

Textiles for shoes are also plentiful in the local market. You can buy swatch cuttings or 100 meter rolls. You will find mesh for shoe uppers, shoe lining materials, and entire stores with reinforcing fabrics and strobal bottoms for shoes.

Shoe outsoles are also available in the local market. You will find dealers with hundreds of outsole models on display. These are “open” mold outsole units. You can find flat treads, platform heels for women’s shoes, work boot bottoms, soccer cleats, casual bottoms and running shoe bottoms. In the local market you will find “copy” bottoms of the latest shoe designs (without logos). You cannot buy a single outsole 1 but you can order small runs of 5 to 10 units to make samples, then of course more for production. The only issue with the local market outsole is the last bottom is already set. This may or may not work for your market. You can buy the last with the outsoles or you can have a local last maker help you model the last to fit the outsoles.
Can you find shoe laces? Yes, by the thousand!
Can you find metal hardware? Yes!

Where to find shoe materials — shoe material market

Posted on April 1, 2016October 20, 2022 by Wade Motawi

How Shoe Outsole Tooling is Made

How Shoe Outsole Tooling is Made

Outsole side profile outsole bottom view

If you want to learn how shoe outsole tooling is made you are in the right place! All new outsole tooling starts with a designer’s drawing. The designer should have followed the last bottom outline to get the shape close to the final design. The shoe factory outsole technician will create a 2-D drawing for the designer to review. The shoe factory’s technician has a lasted upper so that he can draw a top net that fits the shoe correctly. Once the 2-D drawings are confirmed by the designer, mold factory will make a 3-D CAD drawing that will be used to cut a prototype part.
Before any metal is cut, high density REN foam is cut so the designer and shoe factory can check all the details. The REN foam is soft when compared to metal and can be cut very quickly. The REN cutting machine running at high speed can cut the top, sides, and bottom of a new outsole design in just a few hours. Shoe tooling for midsoles and outsoles is made the same way.

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A small factory for cutting outsole tooling

a high speed machine cuts one side at a time

Sneaker rubber outsole tooling being made

The REN outsole model may need some hand work, you also see a midsole

The REN outsole model may need some hand work

Old REN models for outsoles and midsoles in storage

The REN model may be painted and sent to the designer for study. The REN model can also be joined with the lasted upper to get the idea of what the final completed shoe will look like.
After the REN is approved, the design is sent to the metal shop. Depending on design, the metal may be cast, burned by high voltage electric discharge, or CNC cut by a computer controlled milling machine. The molds are made from steel and aluminum. The flat rubber mold will be made from steel and cut by a CNC machine. A midsole mold with high sidewalls and undercuts will be made from cast aluminum. If the mold is made by casting process a REN must be made of each size, left and right. CNC cut molds don’t require every size to be cut.

El molde de la suela se parece a un molde para gofres.

Adjusting the top net with a metal grinder, the outsole and midsoles must fit together tight.

The mold surface is made square to fit into the hot press molding machine

After test pressing the rubber outsole mold will be adjusted

The shoe mold is being cleaned up by hand

A high heel rubber outsole mold is hand finished

The top surface of the mold is the parting line

While most of the footwear mold is created by machine, hand work is still required to make sure everything fits correctly. Outsole and midsole parts must fit together tightly for good bonding. After a test pressing the outsole molds are returned to the shop for some rework. This mold shop will also repair an outsole mold that has been damaged or worn out during production. While the mold factory may be a loud and dirty place to visit, if you want to see how Shoe Outsole Tooling is made it’s worth a visit! You will see many types of molding equipment for shoe soles.

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Posted on March 12, 2016November 11, 2022 by Wade Motawi

A Day in the Life of a Shoe Designer

A day in the life of a footwear designer

A Day in the Life of a Shoe Designer

Lucky for us there is no “normal” day for a shoe designer! The daily life of a shoe designer may be different every day! For a footwear designer every day will present a new challenge, almost every day will be a new adventure! I can think of 10 different “days in the life of a shoe designer” that you can expect as a professional shoe designer.

The daily routine of a shoe designer will greatly depend on the size of the firm you are working for or, if you are working for yourself as an independent designer. In a huge firm like Nike™ or Adidas™ you may find yourself in a large design group with your tasks focused on a relatively narrow aspect of shoe design and you may not find yourself working outside the department. If you work for a smaller company your responsibilities will be wider, you will surely be working with many other departments. As an independent designer you will be asked to work on many different design related tasks.

Also, the daily tasks for a shoe designer will greatly depend on the time of year or where you are in the footwear Design/Development cycle. In a busy shoe design office there will be shoes in process for several different product release dates. You may be in the concept stage for Spring delivery, while you are checking test patterns for Holiday delivery or confirming final samples for Fall production.

The Normal Office Day in the life of a Shoe Designer

There are some days for a shoe designer when you will really be sitting at your desk sketching shoes. With so many demands on the shoe designers time these days may seem few and far between. I have had weeks when I was tasked to just draw, 40 hours of just drawing is actually very difficult.

The footwear designers time is usually very mixed. A shoe designers job description will be a long list of footwear tasks to work with. In the morning you may spend time making concept drawings or meeting with the creative manager to show some new logo applications. Fed-Ex™ or UPS™ may deliver some shoes. You may spend some time with your brands’ product manager and developer unboxing and organizing the new samples. In the afternoon your brand team may meet and review each shoe, checking the shoe against the spec sheet or comment correction sheets.

The shoe designer may be working on a new last with the developer, the new shoe is reviewed, fit tested or compared to reference samples. The designer may check the new last to see if corrections were made.

The shoe designer will have meetings with the designer manger to get schedule updates, or with athletes and customers.

Travel Days

I hope you will have some travel days as a designer! I’ve been lucky, as a shoe designer I have been able to travel the world. Again, depending on your company, you may be parked in your office or you may be a road warrior. The shoe designer may travel to visit factories, large dealers, trade shows, foreign distributors, sales meetings and inspiration trips. While Skype can keep you in contact with your associates, there is no substitute for meeting face to face to work on a problem or celebrate successes. Will you be traveling First class? I doubt it. Will you be traveling business class?…maybe, if you are a senior designer or design manager for a larger firm. Will you spend many hours crammed in a coach seat on the way to China? I would say, “Yes! You will!” Just keep looking forward to being on the ground and working with friends.

Shoe Factory Visits

Most likely you will be in a foreign county (China? Italy?), staying in a hotel close to your office or the factory. Expect to get started early the morning. If you are traveling with co-workers it’s very important to get everyone organized and on the same schedule. The traffic in the industrial areas of China can be horrific, it’s critical to get started early or your factory visiting day will be spent in traffic!

Visiting factories to work on your projects or see new processes is great fun. Expect long hours, some bad food, air conditioning or not…. Be flexible. If there is another factory close by take the time to visit. If you are visiting a large factory with many foreign visitors you may go about your business like a normal work day. When you are working with a small factory you may need to spend some time drinking tea with the owners, this is standard procedure.

Depending on the company you are working for you may be invited to dinner. Large firms have policies that don’t allow factory dinners, while for small firms the factory dinner is nessessary to create a personal bond between the companies. Watch out! While most factories owners mean well and just want you to have a good time, others just try to get you drunk. If business is good you can expect the factory business dinner to be a party.

Sales Visits

As a shoe designer you may be asked travel with a sales rep and visit with accounts. These trips allow the designer to visit the retailer and hear first hand what they think of the products and markets. For major dealer you may be asked to design some shoes on the fly. You may also be asked to present your product during the sales call which is definitely a worth while experience. If you have international distributors you many be asked to visit their market.

Trending Travel Days

Trend travel does not happen often but if you work for a large firm it can happen. You and your fellow designers may travel to another city or country just to absorb the styles and trends.

Testing Trips

Depending on the type of product you are working on you may accompany your sample shoes on testing trips. If you are working on hiking shoes or snowboarding boots you can expect some cold days in the snow. Other shoes are often fit tested by your company staff or wear tested by athletes.

Sales Meetings

Shoe designers are often called upon to present the new products to the sales force. The designers may present to salesmen in your home country or be flown overseas to educate an international sales force.

Critiques and Line Closing Days

Several times during the year the shoe designer will have to prepare for the line closing meetings. In these meetings the new shoes are presented to CEO’s, marketing managers and sales managers. The designer must prepare drawings, organize samples and be ready to explain why a new shoe should be in the range.

Shoe Trade Show Days

Footwear designers are often asked to attend major trade shows. At trade shows the designers will assist the salesmen with large accounts and often help present the product lines. You will find the customer greatly appreciates meeting the designers and will be happy to share their insights.

To learn more about a day in the life of a shoe designer and a more complete shoe designer job description, you can read the new book How Shoes are Made.

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Posted on March 11, 2016October 16, 2022 by Wade Motawi

Shoe Making Process

Shoe Manufacturing Process

How are shoes made in factories? The manufacturing process for shoes is basically the same for all types of shoes. The sports shoe manufacturing process used to make a kids sneaker, Air Jordan™, or women’s high heel fashion shoe are very similar. Shoe factories around the world follow the basic steps to make a shoe.

The basic shoemaking steps are:
#1. Cutting upper parts
#2. Stitching shoe uppers
#3. Lasting and assembly

In this article, we will look at each of these factory processes for shoes. Of course, the number of operations is not 3. The number of operations is more like 30,000 depending on how you are counting.

Cutting Shoe Parts

The shoe production process starts with cutting the materials. Shoe parts are generally cut by steel dies in a hydraulic press. The cutting dies for shoe parts look like simple cookie cutters but they are very sharp. Every shoe part requires it’s own cutting die. Every part for every size needs its own die. These shoe parts are called the shoe pattern. To support the production of high volume shoes in popular sizes, often many die sets are required. The cutting dies are placed on the leather or fabric materials by hand, then the press closes to make the cuts.

After the parts are cut a worker will carefully organize and stack the shoe parts. The parts will then be moved on to be processed before stitching. The parts will be marked for alignment or have logos added by the embroidery or printing departments.

Once the parts are prepared, the shoe factory workers will organize the parts into kits for the stitching department.

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Stitching Shoe Parts

Once the shoe parts are processed and organized, the shoe factory stitching department takes over. In the stitching department, the operations are divided into simple steps. Each worker is given one task to complete. For example, one worker will sew the vamp parts to the mudguard then pass the shoe onto the next worker to attach the eyestay parts. With each operation assigned to one worker, the QC staff can quickly track any problems. The division of the operations also allows the worker to quickly master their operation.
In the stitching department, the upper parts are assembled, the lining attached, and the foam for collars and tongues are inserted.

The upper is completely assembled with the reinforcing parts added and heat molded into shape. Toe caps and heel counters are formed and ready for the final assembly operations.

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Shoe lasting and assembly Process

With the stitching complete, the upper is ready to be bonded to the outsole. Before the outsole can be attached, the upper must be “lasted.” Lasting is the operation that gives the shoe its’ final shape. The plastic, metal, or wood foot form (the “last”) is inserted into the upper. The upper is pulled tight, this sets the shape.

With the upper tight to the last, the outsole unit can be permanently cemented to the upper. During this process, the shoe travels inside a heat tunnel to dry the glue before the final bonding process. The last steps are QC and packing.

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The process of making shoes is covered in great detail in the book How Shoes are Made. Inside How Shoes are Made you will find chapters on the cold cement process, vulcanized shoemaking processes, stitching, and outsole fabrication.

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Posted on January 19, 2016July 16, 2022 by Wade Motawi

Footwear Mold Making Factory Tour

Almost every modern shoe design project will require some sort of molded component. From hidden heel counters, to outsoles, to fancy chrome plated logos you will need make some molds. While some shoe factories will have limited molding equipment, very few will have the capability to make the molds. To make molds for your footwear projects you will need the help of a footwear mold making specialist.

Located in the town of Humen in the heart of the South China shoe making trade, Dongguan Shi Desheng Mold Co. LTD is a typical footwear mold making factory. This factory is well suited to make the plastic injection and compression tooling you may need for your new shoe designs. When you visit a footwear tooling factory you are looking to see a team of CAD designers. They should be busy at work designing the molds. Often the factory technicians will suggest modifications to make your parts stronger or easier to mass produce.

You will also be looking to see CNC machines, EDM machines and milling machines.

The CNC or Computer Numerical Controlled milling machine is the work horse in the footwear tooling business. You should see CNC machines busy cutting steel molds or copper electrodes. At Dongguan Shi Desheng Mold Company you will see 10 CNC machines cutting. Why 10 machines? When a shoe factory orders molds they will often need the size run opened quickly.

Why are the machines used to cut copper electrodes? Tooling steel is very hard and it can be very time consuming to cut fine details. Also, some details are difficult to cut in the negative required for molding. To make these fine details, a soft copper electrode is cut then used to EDM (Electrical Discharge Machining). The copper electrode is charged with high voltage then slowly lowered onto the steel. An electrical spark will arc from the copper to the steel, burning away a tiny piece of metal. As the electrode moves, the spark will jump to the next highest spot burning away more metal.

To learn more about the Dongguan Shi Desheng’s mold making capabilities you can contact William Wang the Business manager here on Linkedin
Dongguan Shi Desheng Mold Company

How to start your own shoe company — CAD operater at work

EDM copper electrodes for shoe mold making

sports shoe manufacturing process — EDM cutting molds

Shoes parts Cutting Mold — CNC cutting with cooling oil

Posted on December 28, 2015October 16, 2022 by Wade Motawi

Shoe Construction Techniques

There are many shoe construction methods from which a shoe designer can choose. Depending on the function and style of your shoe design, you have many options for connecting the upper to the outsole unit. The classic Goodyear welt, the heavy-duty Norwegian welt, and the modern cold cemented Strobel construction, to name a few.
Whether you are designing running shoes, Alpine mountaineering boots, or posh office shoes, you will need an understanding of shoe construction methods. Here we will review these common forms of footwear construction including board-lasted construction, Strobel construction, Blake Construction (also called McKay Welt), Blake/Rapid Construction, Goodyear welt construction, Norwegian Storm Construction, Stitch down Construction, and Bologna Constructions.

Need to know Footwear Construction Terms:

Welt: A welt is a strip of leather, rubber, or plastic that runs along the perimeter of a shoe outsole. The machinery used for this process was invented in 1869 by Charles Goodyear Jr., the son of Charles Goodyear.
Outsole: Can be made of rubber or leather.
Midsole: Can be made of leather, cork, or foam.

Learn about the Shoe Business

Common Shoe Construction Styles

Board Lasted Construction: A very common shoe construction technique that can be made by machine or by hand. The upper is pulled tight and bonded to a fiber board. The outsole unit is firmly cemented to the upper, securing the upper to the sole. Board lasting construction can be used on almost any style of shoe, being suitable for many upper material types and outsole styles.

Strobel Construction: Used for most athletic shoes, Strobel requires the upper material to be sewn to a fabric bottom creating a “sock.” The upper and bottom are joined by a Strobel stitch, using a Strobel machine.
With the upper sock tightly lasted, the upper is cemented to the outsole completing the shoe.
Blake Construction: Used to make flexible leather shoes, the Blake construction starts with a board-lasted upper. Glue the sole in place then with the last removed, sew the upper directly through the outsole unit. The outsole may be leather or rubber and have a groove molded into its surface to guide the Blake stitch. You will find Blake construction on weltless leather dress shoes, moccasins, and boat shoes. Blake construction is not waterproof.

Blake/Rapid Construction: Similar to the standard Blake construction, but with a “rapid” perimeter stitch attaching the outsole. The outsole covers the Blake stitching. This allows for a thicker sole and is easier to resole. The extra layer can be rubber, making the shoe more durable.
Goodyear Welt Construction: The Goodyear welt is often used to make waterproof soles, the stitch that attaches the sole to the shoe runs around the outside edge and does not make stitch holes in the upper. The upper is sewn to the welts that attach to the insole and the outsole. During assembly, the welts are attached first by a horizontal “Goodyear” stitch, named for the inventor of the stitching machine, Charles Goodyear Jr. (also the son of the famous rubber inventor, Charles Goodyear Sr.). The Goodyear welt construction method is ideal for heavy-duty boots for hiking or service.
Norwegian Storm Welt Construction: Similar to the Goodyear welt construction method but the upper is turned outside and is sandwiched between the outer welt and the outsole. Used to make the heaviest waterproof boots, the Norwegian Storm Welt is difficult to make and is found almost exclusively in the workshops of Italian bootmakers.
Stitch down Veldtschoen welt Construction: Again, the Veldtschoen welt is related to the Goodyear and Norwegian welt constructions. In this case, an inner welt or rapid stitch line sewn through the midsole is paired with a second rapid stitch that attaches the outsole. The outsole is attached after the first welt, the bottom stitch is protected by the outsole.

Bologna Construction: Developed in Italy and used primarily for dress or fashion shoes, the Bologna construction creates a smooth, comfortable shoe. The shoe lining is joined into a sock fitting the last tightly. The leather upper is then attached to the sole via the Blake stitching method. The Bologna shoe construction method is ideal for making very clean looking and flexible shoes.

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Posted on November 28, 2015November 9, 2022 by Wade Motawi

How New Balance Shoes are Made

How New Balance Makes Shoes

What is the Process of Making New Balance Classic Shoes? Most New Balance shoes are made by Cold Cement Construction process. The New Balance classic trainer styles have a Sheet Cut EVA midsole. This Midsole is attached by the Cold cement process. Cold cement is the modern updated style of shoe construction. Cold cement is the opposite of the classic high heat vulcanized shoe construction, as found in Vans and Converse shoes.
Cold Cement shoe construction allows the use of modern lightweight plastic, foam and mesh materials due to the low temperatures required for bonding the upper to the shoe sole. Every modern high performance athletic shoe manufactured by New Balance for Running, Basketball etc… is made by this cold cement process.

Cold Cement / Sheet CUT EVA Shoe Assembly Process:

New Balance Classic with a sheet cut EVA Midsole the shoe upper must be prepared by board lasting. For this running shoe the outsole will not cover the edge upper so it must be tucked under. This is called “board lasting”. The lasting board is made of treated fabric or paper board.

The shoe upper is steamed to soften the materials and the last is inserted and pulled tight. A lasting machine is used to pull the upper tight. The Lasting machine pulls the upper tight, while securely bonding the upper to the lasting board. The lasting board remain inside the shoe, you can see it under the footbed.

The shoe may have a plastic or fabric part installed on top of the tongue to protect the surface from damage and drift during the lasting operations.

NB-SHeet-CUT-Midsole — Sheet but EVA sole – Cut and Buffed and ready

While the upper is being lasted the sole unit being prepared. In this case a the rubber sheet sole is combined with the EVA foam cushioning component cemented to the underside. This is done in a separate process that’s called stock fitting.

The sheet cut EVA material is cut into a profile then machined to follow the outside bottom shape. A shaped grinding stone buffs the edge profile.

Now that the upper is lasted tightly and the outside unit is compete, the two pieces come together. The rubber sole unit will receive a coating of primer and cement. The outsole will get it’s own special primer designed for EVA and rubber. The shoe upper is also prepared with its own special primer and cement.

After the contact cement and primer has been completely dried in the heating tunnels the two pieces are joined together by hand. The skilled worked aligns the upper and outsole together then places the shoe is a hydraulic press.

The toe tip will get extra pressing[/caption]

The shoe will have some pressing operations, usually all done with one machine. A vertical press, toe and heel press and Side presses. This insures there is full contact between the upper and outsole. Once the shoe is pressed together it’s often put in the cooling tunnel to set the glue.

After the cooling tunnel a shoe de-lasting machine is used to push the last out of the shoe without wrinkling the upper.

Now the sneaker is complete at this point you can insert the foot bed. The footbed may be molded EVA with a fabric cover or flat sheet cut foam. The flat die-cut footed is usually cemented inside the shoe, while molded footbeds are most often removable.

The new sneaker is ready for a final QC inspection, a quick check for any loose threads, cleaning and packing.

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Posted on November 25, 2015July 16, 2022 by Wade Motawi

Shoe Design Books available on Amazon NOW!

Shoe Design Book Reviews:

I’ve read a great many shoe design books, so I would like you to see what is out there and available. I have picked a selection of shoe trade books on shoe design, manufacturing, and engineering. Here is a list of great footwear design books. Included are few books about shoemaking and shoe design that are available on Amazon.com now:

Shoe Material Design Guide :

The shoe designers complete guide to selecting and specifying footwear materials
by Wade Motawi $39.99 Softcover

What Amazon says: “Do you want to be a professional shoe designer? You must learn how to select and specify shoe materials correctly. The Shoe Material Design Guide details all the materials you will need to make modern athletic, classic casuals and high fashion footwear. Written as a companion to our best selling How Shoes are Made, The Shoe Material Design Guide digs deep into the world of footwear materials and design. A must-read for young shoe designers! “

What I have to say: If you want to see what Nike shoes are made of? Then the Shoe Material Design guide is just for you. I really like the cut shoe cross-sections. I recommend it for sure, this is a shoe design book that definitely belongs in your library.

How to Start Your Own Shoe Company:

A start-up guide to designing, manufacturing, and marketing shoes.
by Wade Motawi $39.99 Softcover

What Amazon says: “Do you dream of creating a shoe brand and starting a company? In the book, How to Start Your Own Shoe Company, you follow two start-up companies from initial launch to retail sales and marketing. Both companies have a unique style, budget, and business plan. In each of the 14 chapters, a requirement or process is clearly described and you will learn how each of the two new shoe brands will best tackle this challenge. How to Start Your Own Shoe Company will guide you through creating your brand identity, legally setting up your shoe company, and registering your trademarks. You will also learn how to design and manufacture your shoes, how to find the best shoe factory, and how to go about selling your shoes.

Many other topics such as importing shoes, working with international distributors, calculating profit margins, paying overseas vendors, and necessary capital requirements will also be covered so you can get your startup moving forward right away. How to Start Your Own Shoe Company is arranged in chronological order, following the shoe company start-up process from initial design, through development, production, sales, marketing, and distribution.

There are more than 100 full-color drawings, photos, charts, infographics, spreadsheets, and sample forms to clearly illustrate the complete process. This book will help you meet many challenges and be your complete guide to making your own shoe company come to life!

12 chapters, 170 pages, 115 full-color photos, charts, and graphs. ”

What I have to say: If you are thinking about starting your own shoe businesses, read this book! Tons of great information you won’t find anywhere else. This is a shoemaking book that belongs in your bookcase!

Fashionary Shoe Design:

by Fashionary $44.00 Hardcover

What Amazon says: “Differing from ordinary shoe design books, this is a complete handbook geared towards practical usage by footwear designers. It includes three main sections: Shoe Style Library, Shoe Encyclopaedia, and Shoe Templates for Tracing. The first section features more than 300 styles of shoes, ranging from historical archetypes to the most signature styles in todays footwear industry. The second focuses on essential and practical information on shoe design, from materials and construction to labels and international fairs. The templates section includes both basic templates and templates for 60 styles of common footwear, from flats and boots to high heels.”

What I have to say: I think you will really like this book. Plenty of cool stuff to keep you busy. Great templates for both tracing and sketching. A good warmup on basic shoe design and shoemaking. A great book that belongs in your library.

How Shoes are Made:

A behind the scenes look at a real Shoe Factory
by Wade Motawi $39.99 Softcover Newly Updated 3d Edition

What Amazon says: “Do you want to learn about how modern athletic shoes are really made? This is the shoe design book for you. Now you can really see how the big shoe brands design and produce shoes. More than just a guided tour through a sneaker factory, How Shoes are Made will show you how modern sports shoes come to life from drawing designs to sample development and manufacturing. Footwear design and manufacturing is simply explained for sneakerheads, students, young professionals, or anyone interested in the shoe trades. Written by a veteran shoe professional, How Shoes are Made will give you a look inside the real world of shoe production. 28 Chapters explain Shoe Design, Development, Materials, Stitching, Outsoles and Tooling, EVA Forming, Final Assembly, Shoe lasts, Shoe prices, Quality control, and much more! 250 Pages with over 400 color photos.

If you are a sneaker collector, design student, or just interested in shoes, read on. “

What I have to say: I think you will really like this book. Much more than a “how to” book, How Shoes are Made has tons of inside information. It teaches you about how to prepare your design for production, the stages of design, and materials. It is a very solid primer for the world of production shoemaking. This is a shoe design book with much more! A great book for shoe designers. A must read in order to jump-start a career in the shoe trades! I recommend it.

Render Demo How To Draw ATHLETIC SHOES:

Drawing and Sketching Shoes using templates and guidelines.
by Mark Kokavec $33.00 Hardcover
What Amazon says: “The Render Demo How to Draw ATHLETIC SHOES sketchbook is a great tool for students, sneaker enthusiasts and designers looking to learn how to draw and sketch shoes. This unique sketchbook shows you how to set up different perspective views including side, front, heel, top down, bottom and more. It contains over 100 photo-blue templates and guidelines that you can use as underlays to sketch your own unique creative shoe designs. The goal with this book is that once your finished, you will not need to rely on any guidelines for sketching your concepts. This sketchbook also contains general footwear knowledge, terms, industry information, reference materials and more. Its more than just a typical plain old sketchbook filled with blank pages.
• Anatomy of the Foot: Understanding the basic parts of the human foot
• Anatomy of the Shoe: Break down of the different parts of a shoe
• Shoe Types: A look at some common shoe types
• Proportions: Step-by-step description on how to build the shape of a shoe.
•Perspectives: Step-by-step description on how to set up the shoe using different angle
• Templates: Our unique “Phase-out” template system”

What I have to say: The Render Demo How to Draw ATHLETIC SHOES sketchbook is exactly that – a great sketchbook. I really like it for that aspect, however, it’s very thin on details of shoe designing and has nothing to say about what it takes to make that drawing into a real shoe. I still do recommend this book to get your drawings skills up to scratch. I own the books and I use it often to keep my sketching skills crisp. Even though there are many shoe design books, this is a good one, and it belongs in your library.

The Sneaker Coloring Book

by Henrik Klingel (Author), Daniel Jarosch (Author)
$19.95 Paperback

What Amazon says: “A coloring book for grown-ups, The Sneaker Coloring Book is a collection of 100 black and white line drawings of popular sneaker designs, shown in side view, to color, alter, or customize. The models featured are 100 of the most popular designs from 1916 to the present day from 18 major brands including Adidas, Converse, New Balance, Nike, Onitsuka Tiger, Puma, Reebok, and Vans. Brand, model name, launch date, and category are listed for each sneaker. The drawings are printed on high-quality drawing paper and the pages are perforated so that a drawing can be removed once completed.
Taking a fun and highly original approach to sneaker culture, the book will appeal to anyone who likes to color and customize their sneakers, to fashion and footwear designers, illustrators, graphic designers and, above all, to the sneaker fanatics who want to own every book about their favorite subject.”

What I have to say: This is a must for shoe designers! All the classics are in here ready to be used as an underlay for your new shoe designs. Nice dark lines will show through tracing paper. Lots of fun and not expensive. I have a very well used copy of this book. I recommend it.

Footwear Design (Portfolio Skills: Fashion & Textiles)

Paperback by Aki Choklat $28.00 Softcover

What Amazon says: “Footwear design has become the new dream career, and this book is the first guide to show the key skills and tips behind the trade, for both budding designers and anyone interested in shoes. Illustrated throughout with inspirational sketchbooks detailing the design process and specially commissioned images of cutting-edge shoe design, the book also contains case studies featuring an array of international shoe designers.”

What I have to say: Footwear Design (Portfolio Skills: Fashion & Textiles) is a well-written book that is focused on women’s fashion shoes. Some very nice exploded views and shoe pattern part layouts. I like the views of shoe patterns on lasts. Not such a fan of fashion designer interviews, but I say worth a look if fashion shoes are your interest. I recommend it.

Pattern Cutting: Step by Step Patterns for Footwear

Paperback by Frank Jones Price varies Softcover

What Amazon says: “Pattern Cutting replaces the Pattern Cutter’s Handbook which since 1991 has become the standard textbook on many college and university courses covering footwear, all over the English speaking world. The new book covers everything in the earlier book plus much more. Not only are there whole new chapters covering further styles of footwear, there is a chapter on Bottom Patterns, an extended chapter on Grading, and a chapter on dealing with more advanced pattern problems such as a bellows-tongue.

In the past, books on pattern cutting have often reflected the mystique which tends to surround the subject. Pattern Cutting takes a completely different approach. The whole book is written as an easy to use, step-by-step guide to producing patterns for shoemaking.

Each major type of footwear has a complete chapter devoted to it. The twelve basic types covered include trainers, basketball boots and an aerobic shoe. Most pages have two or three diagrams, illustrating each step in the process.

With each footwear type there is a detailed description of the process with measurements given wherever appropriate. Points to watch for and pitfalls to avoid are spelled out, so as to ensure the reader will stand the best possible chance of producing a workable pattern first time.”

What I have to say: I do own the book and have found it very useful. It has 17 chapters covering the many types of footwear patterns. I found chapter 2 on the Forme cutting of the shell last to be the most important for my projects. If you are going to cut your own patterns, I recommend Pattern Cutting: Step by Step Patterns for Footwear. This can be hard to find online, as on amazon the price is crazy. I had to order directly from the UK www.noblefootwear.com.

Handbook of Footwear Design and Manufacture

(Woodhead Publishing Series in Textiles) Hardcover
by A Luximon (Editor) $237.00 Hard Cover
What Amazon says: “Understanding footwear design and manufacture is vital for improving the functionality, aesthetics and marketability of a product. The Handbook of footwear design and manufacture provides a comprehensive review of footwear production and design and explores how these processes are used across a variety of application areas.

Part one, an introductory section, reviews the fundamentals of footwear anatomy; chapters discuss the anatomy of the human foot, biomechanics and gait, foot models and measurements, the development of the foot in childhood and adolescence, and foot problems and their implications for footwear design. Part two examines footwear design including the development of shoe design, foot sketch templates, and footwear drawing templates. Aspects of footwear manufacture are highlighted in part three including the design, manufacture, and sizing and grading of shoe lasts. Further chapters focus on the footwear business, advertising, and the environmental impact of footwear manufacture. Part four explores the design and manufacture of footwear for specific applications and includes chapters on footwear for cold weather, textiles and other materials used in the production of protective military and orthopaedic footwear, and design issues in geriatric footwear.

The Handbook of footwear design and manufacture is a wide-ranging and technical resource for footwear designers, materials scientists and researchers involved in the production of footwear, and professionals in the footwear industry looking to expand their knowledge of design and manufacture processes. Discusses foot anatomy in detail and considers its implications for footwear design.”

What I have to say: The Handbook of Footwear Design and Manufacture is very dense. It may belong in your book-case but it’s definitely not a page-turner. Its massive price tag is also a bummer, making it well out of reach for anyone not in the trades. I’m not sure I can recommend it.

The Science of Footwear (Human Factors and Ergonomics)

by Ravindra S. Goonetilleke (Editor) $150.00 Hardcover
What Amazon says: “Although we now have sophisticated algorithms and techniques for determining the shapes and sizes and for matching the fit between shoes and feet, few, if any, of the books currently available cover these new technologies until now. Bringing together high-quality and state-of-the-art contributions from designers, biomechanists, ergonomists, engineers, podiatrists, and scientists from industry and academia, The Science of Footwear provides an in-depth understanding of the technology and techniques involved in the design and development of a popular and demanding consumer product.

This book introduces the design, development, manufacturing, and marketing of footwear. The chapters contain data from past research and the state-of-the art methodologies. They not only cover every aspect of the product design, but also how the footwear industry caters to the wide-ranging needs of sophisticated and demanding customers.

The footwear industry has rapidly changed over the last 10 years. Mass production has changed to personalization and mass customization, areas that are not well-understood. This book explores these different concepts in a coherent way, drawing on differing views that give a holistic view of the science behind footwear. Collating information from different disciplines, the book provides the tools to develop the next generation of footwear.”

What I have to say: I have to say I’ve not gotten my hands on The Science of Footwear. Looking forward to reading it this summer!

Posted on November 23, 2015November 9, 2022 by Wade Motawi

Shoe Design: Logos for Shoes

Your new shoe design isn’t complete until you have detailed the logos. A beautiful set of logos will add value, give information to your customers, or be that unique and special twist. A great logo can provide the centerpiece for your shoe design. Adding logos will cost money, so we better make sure you are getting your money’s worth.

Selecting logos for your shoe design:

When you are working with a new shoe factory, it is very helpful to know their capabilities. For example, if the factory does not have an embroidery machine in-house, it will cost more to send the cut part out for processing. Or, if the factory has a great relationship with the woven label supplier, it will be worth your while to arrange a visit to see what they can do.

Here we will review the most common types of logos found on sports shoes. We will discuss what the logo parts cost, set up charges, and design tips.

Die Cut Logo:
The die cut shoe logo is the most common found on shoe quarter or side panels. The logo is simply cut out from a piece of material and sewn on. The Nike “Swoosh”, Adidas “Stripes”, New Balance “N”, Vans “V” and Puma “Formstrip” are classics. Die cut logos are great for high visibility applications and can be made of almost any material. The die cut logo is a perfect overlay on top of any seam or pattern breaks and can also be reversed so the logo is now a window to the inside of the shoe. The downside is details are limited to what can be sewn down. Price is low, only being the cost of the material.

Screen Printed Shoe Logos :
Screen printing is a very common logo application for shoes. Set up is nearly zero, colors are almost unlimited. There are many finishes available such as matte, gloss, puff, or 3D styles. However, there are limits to the surfaces you can print on. Rough or suede surfaces will not take prints smoothly. Elastic fabrics will cause cracks in the ink. Any waxed or oiled surface is also not suitable for screen printing. On the flip side, printing is great for big, high contrast logos. Screen printed logos can be several colors but be aware registration can be difficult. Every factory will have a screen printing department. The logo can cost from $.25 to $.75 per unit, depending on the size and number of colors. There are usually no setup charges for silk screen printing logos.

Print + Emboss Logo:
An inexpensive, but great logo effect for shoes can be created by screen printing, then using an RF welding machine to emboss the logo for a 3D effect. The RF welding machine is an inexpensive tool and the cut brass welding heads don’t cost much. Inexpensive to set up and when it’s done in-house at the factory it’s cheap! The emboss tools may cost $300 depending on the logo size.

Woven Labels:
The woven label is another great way to create colorful logo effects. This type of label is machine-made by computer control. The Resolution is great for fine details and small crisp text. Colors are nearly unlimited and one logo can have as many as 15 colors. The basic tongue logos on New Balance or classic Nikes are made by this process. This process can be used to create an informational label on its shoes. Setup charges are low, possibly zero. These woven label logos are not expensive, with prices starting at $.05 and running to $1.00 for a large multicolor patch.

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Embroidered Logo:
Another very common shoe logo treatment. Embroidery or computer stitching can add a touch of class to a shoe. Silky threads can create rich looking logo applications. Colors are limited only to your imagination, most machines can handle 8 to 10 colors! This is a great logo application but it needs to be used wisely. Embroidery is priced out by the stitch, with extra cost for more colors. The logo can also run off the side of a panel part, and light colors can be soiled easily with threads being snagged. Use with care in waterproof shoes, the stitching will let water in. Price can vary wildly for this type of logo treatment, depending on if the factory has its own embroidery department or not. There are usually no setup charges. The logo can cost from $.25 to $.75 depending on the stitch count and the number of colors.
3D Embroidery:
This is a stunning way to make an amazing 3D effect logo. A small piece of EVA foam is placed under the embroidery head, and the threads cut the edges when they are stitched, leaving behind a logo with a 2 or 3mm 3D effect. A great effect but prone to snags and soiling when used on shoes. Usually no setup charges. The logo can cost from $.25 to $.75 depending on the stitch count and the number of colors.
TPR Micro Injection:
Often called rubber badges, Micro Injection, or simply “TPR” (Thermo Plastic Rubber) logos are a great way to add fine detail to your shoe’s design. TPR logos come in all shapes and sizes. Details can be tiny and colors are nearly unlimited. These little logos can be used as under or overlays, placed on tongue or outsole bottoms. They are durable, colorful, and relatively cheap. $.25 USD. They can have clear gel bubbles over them, or can have fabric backing. These are great for sport and outdoor shoes. The downside is they will require molds, but TPS molds are cheap to set up. Less than $200 USD.
Dye Sublimation Printing:
A printing process that uses a computer to print a full color design onto transfer paper. When the paper is applied to the material surface and heated, the ink turns into a gas (actually sublimes) and transfers to the shoe material. Dye sublimation is great for 4 color process photographic designs. Setup for sublimation can be zero for computer print, or $500 per color if made by roller print. Part price can be as high as $1.00 or more.
PVC Gel Bubbles:
A simple way to make a unique logo is the Gel bubble. These are made by adding a clear PVC gel bubble onto a woven label, or printed sticker. These logos can have a stitch flange to use as an underlay or can be self adhesive for attachment to midsole or outsoles. Setup is low. Part price can be $.05 to $.25, depending on size.

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Chrome-Plated ABS Plastic:
If you want a chrome logo, you will need to go with metal or injection molded ABS plastic. ABS plastic has a unique surface character that allows vacuum metal coating, so you can get a nice chrome-plated surface. Injection molds for ABS cost from $500 to $1500. Per unit price can be $.25 to $.75 depending on the size.
Metal Hardware:
Metal hardware is a great place to get some custom logos on your shoe. Logo plates, custom eyelets or lace fobs give you another place to add your logo. This hardware can be cast, stamped, painted, plated, polished, or anodized. You will have many metal choices from steel, to brass, to zinc, or even aluminium. Custom metal hardware will have some setup charges. Tooling prices depend on the metal type and process required but could be anywhere from $300 to $3000. The part price could vary from $.10 to $.50.
Molded Logos:
The modern sport shoe may have several molded components, some being EVA midsoles, plastic stabilizers, rubber outsoles, etc… Each of these is an opportunity for a crisp logo. These logos cost you nothing once they are machined into the mold.
Backprinting Effects:
If your shoe design has any transparent upper parts or a clear rubber outsole, you can use back printing to add a unique logo application. These can be simple screen prints or pad prints with low setup charges and low unit cost.

Cut Weld:
The cut weld is related to the RF weld. The welding die has a crisp edge, and when the TPU material is welded down and the waste is peeled away, it leaves behind the material. The colors and surfaces are limited to what you can get in the weldable TPU material. This is a strong way to get a glossy logo on rough mesh or even chrome! The cutting weld tools may cost $300 to $1000 depending on the logo size.
Pressed TPR
Pressed TPR is the high-tech version of the basic TPR logo. In this case, while the TPR material is still in the mold, the shoe material gets laid onto the mold, and with heat and pressure is fused to the material. This can be used to make small logos or large reinforcing panels.
Laser Engraving or Cutting:
A new way to cut logos, the laser, is a unique way to make a high-resolution logo. Color is limited to that of the burned substrate. Laser technology is expensive but is getting more popular. A neat feature is the laser can be programmed to make marks or make cuts depending on the power setting. There are usually minor setup charges for the programming, in addition to a higher per-unit charge depending on the time required for each logo.

What logo is right for your shoe design?

As you can see, there are many great options for applying logos to your new shoe design, regardless of your target price, including everything from the basic printing and embroidery to the complicated laser and injection mold. For low volume shoe designs you may want to select logos with no setup charges, while for high volume shoes it is more feasible to go with injection style logos or others that require more expensive tooling before they can get put on shoes.

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Posted on October 20, 2015July 16, 2022 by Wade Motawi

The Designers Guide to Shoe Material Suppliers

Shoe Material Suppliers

A supply of high-quality shoe materials and subcomponents is key to great looking and long lasting shoes. Your shoe material suppliers will be your best partners as you design and develop your shoe lines. A good relationship with your shoe material suppliers has many benefits. They can help recommend materials for your shoes and can also help you make or find new or unique materials. A supply factory with steady material orders from you will move your production to the head of the line or may be more accommodating if there is ever a problem.

Finding Shoe Material Suppliers:

A great place to start is your shoe factory’s existing material supply partners. Ask your shoe factory development department to order swatch books and sample cards for your study. They will have many types of leather, textile, PU leather, and plastic swatch books. Don’t forget to ask for the price sheets! If they can’t get you material books, snap a photo of the book so you can make contact yourself. If you don’t see anything you like, don’t be afraid to strike out on your own to find new suppliers! There are great material shows full of vendors looking for new customers. The Material Show and Alibaba.com are great tools for findings materials close to your shoe factory.

Shoe Material Suppliers Will Come to You:

Once you get started material suppliers will be coming to you. If you work for a major brand you may need to turn suppliers away! Longtime relationships with material supply reps is also a great way to get some “inside” information. “Oh, yea we are making tons of this material for ……….and ………” Your material rep is also a great source of industry gossip. “Did you hear that so and so has moved to the new shoe company in Portland?” Keep your eyes and ears open!

Local Market Shoe Material Suppliers:

Depending on the location of your shoe factory you may be close to local shoe material markets. These market areas are a great place to seek inspiration, and everything is for sale! But watch out for the material quality, make sure you test any local market materials before production.

Visiting Your Shoe Material Suppliers:

When traveling overseas make time visit your existing material suppliers to see how they really make their products. Supplier visits are always a worthwhile use of your time. You will gain insights as to the vendor’s capabilities and processes. You may see something that peeks your imagination! A new machine, or process, an old machine, a competitors material in production, there is much to see if you are there on the ground with your eyes and ears open.

Here is a short list of the many shoe material suppliers available to you.