Shoe manufacturing technology

Making shoes is not too complicated if you know and follow the technique:

First, you have to use a piece of leather (or some other material) to make the blanks that will be used to assemble the shoes. For example, to sew a shoe, depending on the complexity of the model, more than 20 parts are needed. A template is placed on the raw material, after which the elements are cut out.
The insole is then formed by pressing several layers of different materials together to create the desired shape.
The future seams are marked on the parts.
Bake and sand the edges to make sewing easier.
Sew the pieces together.
Shims are attached to the workpiece to prevent warping.
The upper is connected to the sole, which is shaped and trimmed in a special oven.
The finished model is waxed and the surface is polished with sheep's wool.
The laces are inserted by hand.

This operating algorithm is used for the production of all types of shoes: both economy and premium ones.

How to open a shoe workshop?

The sequence of steps to open a shoe workshop:

You register your company as a limited liability company or as a sole proprietorship (IP) with the tax office of your place of residence.
Choose premises, conclude rental agreements.
Find sales channels.
Buy equipment and raw materials.
Hire employees.
Produce your first batch of goods.

When registering, select the main code OKVED 15.20 – 'manufacturing of shoes'. The tax system is simplified (usually USN Income with a tax rate of 6 %).

Remember that a shoe store, like any other business, needs a permit package. It includes:

organizational documents (if you choose a GmbH or other form of ownership than IP);
a certificate of registration with the Federal Tax Service;
instructions for occupational health and safety on the premises;
a request from the sanitary-epidemiological service and fire safety authorities;
Certificates for manufactured products confirming their compliance with GOST;
ISO certificate confirming compliance with the requirements of the International Organization for Standardization.

Equipment for the production of shoes

There are many manufacturers of equipment for the production of shoes on the market. In addition to industrial production, there are also mechanisms and devices that can only perform a specific function. Among the best knownPlants for the manufacture of shoes available: Comelz, Atom, DurcoppAdler, Banf, Camoga, Cerim, Ecom, Elettrotecnica, IronFox.

Every production has nuances that must be taken into account when buying. For example, if there is a high production volume, it makes sense to buy special cutters that are made for a specific shoe model. When small batches come from the factories, it's best to buy hand-made legs and tables, chopping boards, and the like.

The question is just as important how many workers are to be employed in the factory. The production of Shoe production does not require a large number of PeopleMost machines are automated. A worker is perfectly capable of maintaining a machine.

At the first stage, we need a punching machine a machine:

a machine for duplicating the leather;
presses for cutting leather and other materials;
Machines for gathering leather, releasing the edges and rolling up the back;
embossing machines;
Saber or guillotine knife.

In subsequent stages, the list of devices used will expand significantly. It includes machines for the production of shoe parts. This includes:

leather splitting machines;
leather edge releasing machines;
presses for duplicating lining material;
a device that folds the edges of the material and removes excess material;
equipment a device for applying decorations to the top layer of material.

Machines for shoe soles

Shoe sole machines are automated injection molding machines. They are widely used in medium to large scale factories, using various polymer materials as raw material. During operation, they fill an interchangeable mold with heated composite material and then harden it.

Machines for shoe solesare rightly referred to as high-precision machines. They deserve this recognition because they are equipped with systems that automatically control the production process.

The shoe last

The last is a complex three-dimensional shape. Therefore, the quality index of your future shoes will depend on how well it is calibrated. If you make a mistake in making the hooves, the rest of the work is for naught.

One of the largest hoof factories in Russia is located in St. Petersburg. It houses all the modern equipment needed to replicate the hoof of a shoe. As you know, when it comes to shoes, size plays a very important role. For example, if we take a shoe model, it means five sizes and, accordingly, five hooves.

Another important point is the fit of the shoe. It depends directly on the hoof. There was a time when a lot of research was done on measurements and standardization. All this was recorded in GOST. There are tables in which all parameters specific to this or that region and for this or that age group are recorded.

First you have to clearly define the target group for which you want to make shoes. It's one thing when you're making shoes for kids, it's another when you're making shoes for adults. The same goes for gender – men's and women's shoes have completely different aesthetic and technical requirements. So don't try to conquer the whole sector at once. Start with a niche and practice in it. And once you master those, you can move on to other types of blocks.

The manufacture of the upper part

The next stage of manufacture is sewing the bodice to measure. Do not proceed to this step until you have the design and patterns out of the moldings.

The upper part consists of the upper and lower fabric, the accessories and the so-called lining fabric.

Lining material is quite easy to find in Russia. There are many suppliers to buy leather, natural wool or natural fur from depending on the type of shoes you want to make.

The fittings are not looking so good at the moment. As a rule, it is difficult to find what you need in the Russian market. When ordering your own shoe trees, you need high volume. For a young brand, that's not cost-effective. You're going to spend a lot of money on a ton of blocks and hooks, and production will stop.

Who and at what price?

When deciding on a supplier, you should primarily be guided by the wishes of your target group. It is also important to consider the climatic conditions in your area. However, regardless of where the shoes come from, you shouldn't make a huge span. Just because you've just opened, you need to be known, you need to be loved by consumers.

The quality of the shoes must be in relation to the price. Always try to properly evaluate the product you offer to customers. Remember that if you raise the price now and alienate a potential customer, they will buy shoes from your competitors. You should always take care of your sales because they are the only thing that can allow you to grow and expand your business. All power is concentrated here.

Stand out and work

To be successful in any market, you need to stand out. If you fill your store with different shoes from several manufacturers at the same time, you probably won't stand out from the competition. It is much more profitable to set up a brand shop specializing in one brand's products, e.g. B. a well-known Russian shoe factory. We're not kidding.

There are really notable companies in this field in our market today. Shoe production in Russia is not much different from the same factories in Turkey or Italy. And the pros and cons are obvious. Since there is no delivery and customs clearance, the cost of the shoes is lower than that of its foreign counterparts, so the goods can be sold at an acceptable price.

Recycled waste

These are the times when materials like used cotton are shredded and made into new material for sneakers. The European manufacturers collect plastic that floats on the surface of water, color the material with eco-friendly dyes and handcraft it in a family-run factory in Portugal. The sole is made from rubber waste that would otherwise have ended up in landfill. A small part of this material is made from new rubber to make the sole stronger and more durable.

More and more manufacturers are trying to create sneakers that set standards in terms of sustainability and have a positive impact on the planet. And they are succeeding: Effekt Footwear's Alchemy-X model is very popular in the brand's hometown, Vienna, and the production technology was adopted by other local start-ups. The name of the model was not chosen randomly. One of the brand's creators, Benjamin Smits, said: 'Just as the alchemists of the Middle Ages tried to turn base metals into gold, so do we as alchemists of the 21st century. The textile waste for the future shoes is collected in Portugal before being sent to the landfill to be brought.

Grape dough sneakers

Solid residues from the wine industry can be an alternative to natural leather. To do this, grape dough is mixed with vegetable oils and an aqueous polyurethane dispersion. It may sound counter-intuitive, but the dispersion is far less toxic than the classic petrochemical solvents most commonly used in shoe production. The resulting biomaterial is then applied to organic cotton. While the addition of polyurethane improves the physical properties of the final product, and the technology is currently not without it, it prevents the material from completely degrading. For this reason, grape leather is used for long-lasting garments, such as As sneakers used. The Pangaia brand invented this technology.

They differ neither visually nor qualitatively from models made of natural leather. However, they are a bit heavier due to the wide sole made of recycled rubber.

Overview of the shoe market

After the reduction in the tariff on imported shoes in 2010 from 15 percent for certain groups to 10 percent for the entire range, the domestic market reacted by reducing domestic production. The shoe business, as it is established in Russia, with a traditional marketing approach, given the current economic situation, has a profitability of no more than 10 – 15 %. The domestic market is literally 'flooded' with cheap imports from China, where quality is definitely not the issue, but a wide range of products, cheap synthetic materials and low prices that are attractive to consumers.

At the same time, for a domestic manufacturer inspired by the idea of starting a shoe business, the market leaves several gaps that can be exploited with the right approach to find their own successful niche. An example:

The closure of numerous shoe factories in Russia following the reduction in import duties and the consequent reduction in competition;
Small share of domestic market covered by domestic manufacturers (10 % in women's shoes and 15 % in men's shoes) - given the policy of import substitution, this can be used as a growth area;
Good profitability, which can be improved by using efficient production technologies;
the unscrupulousness of many domestic manufacturers - they prefer to place orders in China because there are no leather processing plants in Russia; and while things look better on the shoe fittings, the leather or oilcloth used is still cheap Chinese leather, which often does not meet medical and consumer standards - an honest name and reputation can be played off against such manufacturers.

Of course there are still problems - for example gray imports. The markets are flooded with cheap contraband goods. But nonetheless, and the consumer education that can be done by cultivating good taste and respect for other people's work is a rewarding business, especially as the popularity of the local handcrafted product grows year by year.

The idea of making shoes as a business

If you have decided that the shoe store should be your life's work, it is worth considering the model and answering some important questions:

Will it be a full service workshop or a small workshop?
Which market segment will you target?
What price range will the shoes you make be in?

The use of modern advertising channels - social networks, online advertising - saves on marketing costs, improves the profitability of the company and makes shoe manufacturing a very attractive way of making money. Of course, today the owner of such a company does not have to be able to do everything by hand like in the Middle Ages, but it is worth understanding the intricacies of the production process and the materials used.

Naming and choice of advertising channels

In order to legally run a business, you must register as a sole trader or as a limited liability company. Regardless of which legal form you choose, it is also worth registering a trademark so that you can protect your rights to models, designs and samples. You should also think about the name. It must be recognizable to users and high up in search engines. Watch the keyword queries that appear most often in Yandex Wordstat or Google Ads and research the names of competing companies. Your name should be short, easy to remember and memorable – while also reflecting your philosophy and approach to making your product.

Since childhood

As a teenager, Vladimir was a passionate skateboarder. Shoes play an important role in this sport. Trainers and sneakers are an important attribute for a skateboarder; not only the appearance of the athlete depends on them, but also his own safety. Brand name sneakers were rare, but even those lucky enough to acquire the coveted pair of shoes weren't always happy about the purchase. The assortment in the shops was large enough, but not very diverse. If a model was well advertised and in demand, the purchasing managers preferred to order it without paying attention to other models. As a child, Vladimir and his friends tried to remedy this situation by sticking on decorative patches, making suede insoles, and so on. Later, Vladimir graduated from a reputable institute, and the issue of the assortment was pushed aside. But life forced the businessman to return to the idea of \u200b\u200bunique shoes.

In 2007, an old friend suggested the idea of stacking sneakers to Vladimir Grigoriev. The friend was closely involved in shoe making and wanted to try a new business. Vladimir was tasked with creating a unique sneaker design from scratch. The first attempts were unsuccessful: either lifeless designs were created, or copies of well-known brands. However, Grigoriev was intrigued by the idea and decided to pursue it further.

First, the concept of the company had to be changed. Starting the atelier required seed capital of 300,000 rubles and high-quality advertising. Within six months, the friends managed to set up their own website and create a group of like-minded people on Vkontakte. Manufacturers paid the main attention to the uniqueness of sports shoes and offered customers several basic models tailored to the individual dimensions of the customer. The customer could only choose the color of the finished product. To do this, he was offered to fill in the color of the first sketch of the head. This could be done in block letters and drawn with a marker.

Everything on his shoulders.

Grigoriev had to learn everything from scratch. First of all, it was necessary to master the process of shoemaking itself: sewing and cutting, choosing materials, studying shoemaking technology in general. The shop where the comrades made their first patterns refused to cooperate with Grigoriev, and he was forced to look for a new factory where he could sew his products. Vladimir found a shoemaker who had his own small shop and managed to rent all the industrial equipment on a long-term basis.

Grigoriev called the first patterns of his own shoes 'Frankensteins'. They were uncomfortable and didn't look good either. It took six months of hard work for Vladimir to reach the right level. It wasn't until 2009 that he mastered production so well that he was able to take the first orders. The first was a pair of wedding shoes for his best friend.

For a year Vladimir sewed his shoes to order, performing all the steps of the sewing process himself. When there were no orders, Vladimir worked as a freelancer, taking online orders for web development and design. Grigoryev worked directly in production – half the day he cut and sewed shoes for rare clients, and half the day he solved web design tasks.

Business slowly got back on its feet. Vladimir managed to find a good shoemaker to come on the weekends and 'tighten' the pieces. Grigoriev was left to find customers, develop the model and take care of financial issues.

Understanding the entire production cycle came in handy: now Vladimir perfectly understood the intricacies of production processes and was able to organize his enterprise with maximum efficiency. He called his company Afour, which is very similar to our word 'euphoria'. It's a similar feeling,' he says, 'as when a new pair of shoes becomes perfect and the customer thanks us for our work.

Invest in the project

The size of the investment depends on the size of the company, the quantity and the specificity of the shoes produced. The biggest expense is equipment, especially for a small workshop. Here. A rough calculation of the investment in a small workshop:

Intellectual property registration – 800 rubles;
Equipment purchase – 1,850,000 rubles;
Rent of premises – 50 000 rubles;
Purchase of shoe materials - 150 000 rubles;
purchase of accessories – 20 000 rubles;
wages – 250 000 rubles;
Advertising – 20 000 rubles;
Unforeseen expenses – 50,000 rubles.

In total, you will need about 2.5 million rubles to start a small business for the manufacture of shoes. To this must be added monthly expenses of 390,000-540,000 rubles: these include renting the premises, labor costs, advertising, unforeseen expenses, utility costs and the purchase of materials.

For a larger company, investments will amount to 140-150 million rubles.

profit and profitability

Depending on the type of shoes made, the profit margin can be 80-150 %. If a small business has established distribution channels, the investment will pay off in the first year of operation. For a large company, the period is 3-4 years. Such a project has a long-term perspective. Profitability can reach 30-40 %.

A company that produces shoes will bring stable income, provided there is a competent approach and good planning. The main thing is to wisely choose the type of production (manufacture of women's, men's or children's shoes), taking into account the demand and the state of the market, buy the right equipment, hire qualified personnel and think about the distribution channels in advance.

Shoe manufacturing technology

materials for shoes

materials for soles