Your First Sneaker Build If you have ever dreamed of making your own sneakers, your first build should be simple, clean, and achievable. The best beginner sneaker is not the most complicated design with wild panels, advanced stitching, or difficult materials. Your first sneaker build […]
It’s Time to Sew Sneakers at Home Sewing is having a moment again, but it does not have to stop at tote bags, hems, skirts, or thrift-store alterations. The next frontier for the at-home maker is bolder, more personal, and surprisingly approachable: sneakers. Sewing captures […]
The Soléi Sea Brand Founders Mindset Have you ever dreamed of starting your own shoe brand, but felt overwhelmed by where to begin? Today’s, we’re breaking down ten practical lessons from Andrea, one of the founders behind Soléi Sea, a women-owned sandal brand that grew […]
Stepping Into the Future: Highlights from the 2025 Footwear LaunchPad The footwear industry is no stranger to evolution, but the recent Footwear LaunchPad 2025, hosted by the Footwear Innovation Foundation, proved that we are standing on the precipice of a total revolution. This year’s event […]
Why Every Shoe Company Needs to Study the Competition Footwear brand benchmarking is one of the most important tools a shoe company can use to understand the market, improve products, and compete more effectively. In the footwear business, you are always competing for people’s feet […]
https://vimeo.com/1186360525 What a Single Shoe Factory Photo Can Tell You About Quality If you are building a footwear brand, developing a product, or sourcing a factory partner, one photo can reveal far more than most people realize. A picture from inside a shoe factory is […]
What is the best material for a running shoe? https://vimeo.com/1186363570 One of the most common questions in footwear development is simple on the surface but surprisingly difficult to answer: what is the best material for a running shoe? The truth is, there is no single […]
How to Escape the Alibaba Trap https://vimeo.com/1186358943 How to Escape the Alibaba Trap in Footwear Manufacturing For many new footwear entrepreneurs, Alibaba feels like the fastest path to getting a shoe made. It is convenient, accessible, and full of suppliers promising they can handle everything. […]
Steel vs. Aluminum Outsole Tooling https://vimeo.com/1186361799?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci If you’re developing footwear, one tooling decision can have a major impact on cost, quality, and production speed: should your mold be made from steel or aluminum? The truth is, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer. The right choice depends […]
How Solei Sea Grew from a Startup Idea into a Multi-Million Dollar Sandal Brand https://vimeo.com/1185379110 Solei Sea is a powerful example of what can happen when a brand combines resilience, smart strategy, and strong product execution. Founded by four awesome women during the uncertainty of […]