Commission original illustrations for the shoes and make sure they are drawn accurately since they represent your vision. Use these sketches later to sell your ideas to a professional for implementation and choose a design for your first shoe. However, first protect your shoe line from claims of ownership by another person by applying for patent protection with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office through its website (uspto.gov)
Determine whether to manufacture your own shoe line or license it to another company, which would pay you for a license to manufacture and sell your shoe line. Licensing frees you from manufacturing costs such as factory setup, materials and labor that the licensing company will handle.
Create a brand name that's easy for buyers to remember, that represents your designs and makes an impact on the consumer. Create a logo that will enhance visual recognition by prospective customers of your label. Make sure the proposed name and logo are not already in use by another entity by consulting the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's Trademark Electronic Search System (TESS) at uspto.gov, then apply for a trademark and a patent.
Select a reputable shoe manufacturer that is open to small production runs at reasonable fees. This will provide you with a relatively inexpensive start until your business stabilizes. Companies such as SoleTech (soletech.com), Chiko Shoes (chikoshoes.com) and Advanced Design Concepts (adcinc1.com) develop shoe brand prototypes and actual units. They help smaller shoe companies meet customer demand by doing most of the initial production.
Determine the price for each of your label’s shoes, taking into consideration the production costs with profit. Encourage sellers and buyers to try out your brand by offering your first line of shoes at a price close to the cost of production. Let the production company make a few prototypes of your designs so that you can market them and take orders before a big production run.
Market your shoe label by joining industry groups such as the American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA) to improve your visibility nationwide. With AAFA membership, you will learn new marketing strategies, acquire more industry contacts and gain access to events unavailable to non-members. The AAFA represents many shoe businesses within its umbrella and lobbies for clothing and shoe brands in the United States.
Showcase your label to industry stakeholders and buyers through events such as shoe exhibitions. It is advisable to first exhibit at local or regional events put on by organizations such as the Fashion Footwear Association of New York (FFANY), which may require smaller fees to showcase your product. Larger events such as the WSA Show, put on by the World Shoe Association, will showcase your label worldwide, but as you're initially growing your business, you might not have the financial resources to exhibit at such a big show.