What you can make · Soft goods

Custom shoes & heels

Heels, sneakers, boots, sandals, loafers, slippers; one custom pair or a private-label run. What they cost by quantity, the ways to get them made, what manufacturers need from you, and who makes them.

Commish turns your idea, or a photo of something close, into a spec with request images and a price ladder, then collects quotes from the manufacturers you pick. Free; you pay the manufacturer directly. In ChatGPT, install Commish once, then describe what you want.

What it costs

Planning ranges in US dollars, including one-time setup (screens, molds, samples), before shipping and import duties. Real quotes depend on size, colors and materials.

Ways to get it made

Tips

• Have a photo of something close? Edit it to your spec and run a visual search: factories already making a similar style can modify it for much less than a new design.
• One pair or a few: custom shoemakers on Etsy or a local cobbler. 100+ pairs: ODM factories, e.g. Chengdu (women's shoes) or Guangdong in China, Agra or Chennai in India.

Design rules

• Shoes are built on a last (a foot-shaped form) for every size: a new shape needs new lasts and sole molds per size, so small runs are far cheaper as a modified existing style (ODM).
• State sizes in one system (EU, US or UK) plus width, and the heel and platform heights in cm or inches.
• Comfort in tall heels comes from a platform (it lowers the effective height), a thicker or block heel, a padded insole with arch support and an ankle strap.
• Order one sample pair in one size to check fit and comfort before making the other sizes; approve a physical swatch for leather and suede colors.

What manufacturers need from you

• Style: pumps / court shoes, sandals, ankle boots, boots, sneakers, loafers, ballet flats, mules, slippers
• Color: e.g. burgundy; add a Pantone code or a photo reference if it must match
• Upper material: leather, suede, patent, satin, knit, vegan leather
• Sizes: size system and pairs per size, e.g. EU 37 x 1; width (regular or wide)
• Heel height (optional): e.g. 10 cm / 4 in, plus platform height if any
• Heel type (optional): stiletto, block, kitten, wedge, platform, flat
• Toe (optional): closed round, closed almond, closed pointed, square, open toe, peep toe
• Comfort features (optional): padded insole, arch support, cushioning, heel grip, ankle strap
• Outsole (optional): leather, rubber, non-slip

Files

• Reference photo and side profile
• Sizes and pairs per size
• Material and color swatches or a Pantone code

Safety and legal checks

• EU: shoes must be labeled with the materials of the upper, lining and outsole (Directive 94/11/EC); imports need a country-of-origin mark.

Who makes it

Manufacturers Commish works with for this, in a fixed order. You can also ask any manufacturer to quote through Commish, including local shops.

Do you make this? List your company free and get quote requests with a full spec.

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