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 and their money. Depending on your product category, you may have hundreds of competitors or only a few, but every brand needs to know what the competition is doing.
A strong footwear benchmark looks at three major areas: price, product, and distribution. You need to understand how your competitors price their shoes, where they sell them, and how they present their products both online and in stores. Are they winning shelf space, ad space, social media attention, or search results? These details can help you see where your brand stands and where you can improve.
Product presentation is a major part of footwear brand benchmarking. When you study competing shoe brands, look closely at their website, retail displays, product photos, product descriptions, promotions, and packaging. If you sell direct-to-consumer, you should also examine the shipping experience. Does the customer receive the shoes in a sturdy branded box, or in a cheap, wrinkled shipping pouch? Packaging matters because it sets the tone for the entire customer experience.
To properly benchmark footwear brands, you need to follow your competitors online. Sign up for their email lists, follow them on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and other marketing channels. Watch their promotions, discounts, product launches, advertising, and customer service style. It is also helpful to follow non-competitor brands to learn new marketing strategies from other industries.
But online research is only the beginning. To create a complete footwear benchmark, you should buy the product. Ideally, purchase at least two pairs of your competitor’s shoes. One pair should be worn and tested. The second pair should be cut apart and studied. This allows you to compare materials, construction, comfort, fit, durability, design, packaging, and overall value.
Every footwear brand should create a detailed product spec sheet and compare its shoes to competitor products piece by piece. This type of benchmark report can reveal strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities that may not be obvious from a website or sales page.
If your team does not have time to manage this process, Shoe Makers Academy can help. Our team can purchase competitor products through a ghost shopper process, evaluate the buying experience, review marketing and customer service, conduct wear testing, complete product teardown, and provide a written footwear benchmark report with a one-hour briefing.
A strong footwear brand benchmark gives you the knowledge you need to compete smarter, improve your product, and deliver a better customer experience.
15-Point Footwear Benchmarking Checklist
Competitor Selection
Identify the footwear brands and specific shoe styles you want to benchmark.Product Category Match
Confirm the competitor products are in the same category, price range, and target market as your product.Retail Price Review
Compare regular selling price, sale price, discounts, bundles, and promotional offers.Distribution Channels
Review where the product is sold: brand website, Amazon, retail stores, specialty shops, marketplaces, or wholesale accounts.Website Product Presentation
Study product photos, videos, descriptions, size guides, reviews, technical details, and calls to action.Social Media Presence
Review the brand’s activity on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, and other relevant platforms.Email Marketing & Promotions
Sign up for competitor mailing lists and track welcome emails, discounts, launches, and follow-up campaigns.Customer Buying Experience
Purchase the product as a customer and evaluate checkout, shipping cost, delivery time, communication, and order tracking.Packaging & Unboxing
Review the shoe box, shipping box or pouch, inserts, branding, protection, sustainability claims, and first impression.Product Materials
Compare upper materials, lining, outsole, midsole, insole, trims, laces, hardware, labels, and finishes.Construction Quality
Examine stitching, bonding, assembly, outsole attachment, finishing, symmetry, and overall craftsmanship.Fit & Comfort Testing
Wear the shoes and evaluate sizing, fit, cushioning, flexibility, support, break-in time, and comfort.Performance & Durability
Test wear performance, outsole grip, material wear, shape retention, odor control, and long-term durability.Product Teardown & Spec Sheet
Cut apart one pair, document each component, and create a spec sheet comparing the competitor shoe to your product.Customer Service & Returns
Contact customer service, review response time, return policy, exchange process, warranty, and overall support experience.