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Footwear manufacturing & sourcing knowledge
Everything a footwear buyer or brand needs to know — manufacturing, materials, quality, compliance and sourcing — in practical guides plus a 29-term glossary, written by a manufacturer.
Where can I learn about footwear manufacturing and sourcing?
The DOING SHOES Knowledge Center covers shoe manufacturing and construction, materials, quality control, testing and compliance, and OEM/ODM sourcing — 21 in-depth guides plus a 29-term glossary, written by a footwear manufacturer in Quanzhou, China for buyers, brands and product teams.
Manufacturing & Construction
How shoes are actually made — cutting, stitching, lasting, sole construction and sampling.
How Footwear Is Made — Inside the DOING Factory
A step-by-step walkthrough of how shoes are made in our Quanzhou factory, from design and cutting to stitching, lasting,…
Read → How it's madeCutting & Stitching — How a Shoe Upper Is Built
How footwear uppers are made — cutting panels to pattern and direction, skiving, stitching with controlled stitch densit…
Read → How it's madeLasting & Assembly — How the Upper Becomes a Shoe
How a shoe is lasted and assembled — shaping the upper over the last, attaching the sole, and the checks that keep a pai…
Read → How it's madeShoe Outsole Construction Methods — Cement, Vulcanized, Injection & Strobel
The main ways a sole is attached to a shoe — cement, vulcanized, injection and strobel construction — explained simply, …
Read → Sourcing guideThe Shoe Sample Development Process (and What It Costs)
How footwear samples are actually developed — from your sketch or tech pack through counter, confirmation and production…
Read → Sourcing guideHow to Write a Footwear Tech Pack (with a Checklist)
A practical guide to writing a shoe tech pack that gets you accurate quotes and right-first-time samples — what to inclu…
Read → Product guideBarefoot Shoe Development Guide for Brands
How barefoot and minimalist shoes are designed and manufactured — zero drop, wide toe box, thin flexible soles, material…
Read →Reference: Factory & QC · OEM / ODM · Glossary: construction
Materials
Choosing uppers, midsoles, outsoles and sustainable materials for the right price and performance.
Choosing Shoe Materials — Uppers, Midsoles & Outsoles
A plain-English guide to the materials your shoe is built from — common upper, midsole and outsole options, what each do…
Read → Product guideSustainable & Vegan Footwear Manufacturing — A Brand's Guide
How to develop more sustainable and vegan footwear without greenwashing — the materials available, what the claims reall…
Read →Reference: Materials guide · Glossary: materials
Quality, Testing & Compliance
How quality is controlled and how footwear meets EU/US chemical and import rules.
Footwear Flex Testing: How We Stop Soles From Cracking
Inside a real footwear flex test. See how DOING flexes finished shoes 60,000 times at room temperature and 40,000 times …
Read → Quality guideFootwear Quality Control Checklist for Importers
A practical footwear quality control checklist covering material inspection, in-line checks, AQL pre-shipment inspection…
Read → Importer guideREACH & RSL Compliance — A Footwear Importer's Guide
What footwear importers need to know about chemical compliance — what REACH and an RSL actually are, which restricted su…
Read → Importer guideImporting Footwear from China — Duties & Shipping to the USA and EU
A practical primer for footwear importers on landed cost — how shoe import duties work in the USA and EU, why footwear t…
Read →Reference: Testing & standards · Chemical compliance · Glossary: REACH
OEM, ODM & Sourcing
Finding a factory, costs, MOQ, lead times and starting a footwear brand from China.
OEM vs ODM vs Private Label Footwear — Which One Do You Need?
A clear explanation of OEM, ODM and private label in footwear manufacturing — what each model means, the pros and cons, …
Read → Sourcing guideThe 2026 Footwear Sourcing Guide — Choosing a China Manufacturer
A complete, current guide to sourcing footwear from China in 2026 — how the landscape has changed, where shoes are made,…
Read → Sourcing guideHow to Find a Reliable Shoe Manufacturer in China
A practical, step-by-step guide for brands and importers on how to find, vet and work with a reliable shoe manufacturer …
Read → Sourcing guideHow Much Does It Cost to Manufacture Shoes in China?
A straight answer on what it really costs to manufacture shoes in China — typical FOB price ranges by shoe type, tooling…
Read → Sourcing guideHow to Start Your Own Shoe Brand — A Private Label Footwear Guide
A practical step-by-step guide to launching a footwear brand — finding your niche, designing your first range, choosing …
Read → Sourcing guideLow-MOQ Shoe Manufacturing — How to Start a Brand Small
A realistic guide to launching a footwear brand without a huge first order — why MOQs exist, what low-MOQ really means i…
Read → Sourcing guideShoe MOQ and Lead Time Guide — What to Expect from a Factory
Everything footwear buyers need to know about minimum order quantity (MOQ) and lead times — why MOQs exist, typical numb…
Read → Sourcing guideVietnam vs China for Footwear Manufacturing in 2026
An honest comparison of sourcing footwear from Vietnam versus China — supply chain depth, cost, minimums, development sp…
Read →Reference: OEM / ODM · Multi-country sourcing · Supply chain
Footwear glossary
29 plain-English definitions across 4 areas — construction, materials, compliance and sourcing terms.
Construction
Cemented construction · Vulcanized construction · Injection moulding (IP/PU) · Strobel construction…
Browse →Materials
EVA foam · Phylon (MD) · TPR (thermoplastic rubber) · TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane)…
Browse →Compliance & Testing
REACH compliance · RSL (Restricted Substances List) · BSCI audit · AQL inspection…
Browse →Sourcing & Process
MOQ (Minimum Order Quantity) · Shoe last · Tech pack · FOB pricing…
Browse →Have a sourcing question right now?
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