How to start a running shoe brand: the steps from idea to first run
Most running shoe brands that make it start with one good shoe, not a collection. This guide lays out the steps from an idea to your first production run, in the order they happen, with the decisions that matter at each step.
1. Choose one shoe for one runner
“A running shoe” is too broad to design, price or sell. Decide:
- Who it is for: a beginner doing 5 km, a marathoner, a trail runner, a runner with wide feet.
- What it does that the shoes they wear today do not.
- Where it sells: direct online, running stores, or both. That decides your margin and your packaging.
Write this down in three sentences. Every later decision, from foam to colour, gets checked against it.
2. Write a tech pack
The tech pack is the document a factory samples and quotes from: drawings with numbered parts, a bill of materials, colourways, measurements with tolerances, construction, last and outsole, artwork, packaging and testing. Our guide on how to make a footwear tech pack goes through it page by page.
You do not need a perfect tech pack to start talking to factories. You do need one that shows what is fixed and what is open.
3. Decide: existing tooling or new
This is the biggest decision for your timeline and your minimum order.
| Existing last and outsole | New last and outsole | |
|---|---|---|
| First sample | Faster | Weeks slower: the mould comes first |
| Upfront cost | Low | Mould and last costs |
| Minimum order | Easier to negotiate | Usually higher |
| Uniqueness | The sole may appear on other brands’ shoes | Yours alone |
For a first shoe, an existing outsole with your own upper, foam choice and colours is often the smart start. Save the custom outsole for the model that proves demand.
4. Shortlist factories
Look for factories that already make your construction (most running shoes are strobel-lasted with a cemented sole) and take orders near your quantity. Our guide on how to find shoe manufacturers in Vietnam covers where to look and which questions to ask. Send every factory the same tech pack and the same questions, so you can compare answers.
5. Run the sample rounds
Expect two or three rounds before you approve a confirmation sample. Each round answers a question: does the idea work, does it fit, is it exactly what production should match? At every round, check measurements, materials, construction and fit in that order, and send the factory one numbered comment sheet with photos. The full checklist is in shoe sample rounds.
6. Test it properly
- Wear tests: several runners, several sizes, real runs over a few weeks. Ask them to note hot spots, heel slip and where the upper creases.
- Lab tests: at least sole adhesion and outsole flexing; abrasion and slip resistance for road and trail. Agree the methods and pass levels first.
- A size run: check that the fit holds from the smallest to the largest size, not only in the sample size.
A running shoe that falls apart at 200 km does more damage to a new brand than a late launch.
7. Place a first order the factory will accept
Ask early how the factory counts its minimum: per style, per colour, per size. Then shape your first order to fit: one colourway, a trimmed size run, materials shared across parts. Our guide to shoe MOQ in Vietnam lists seven ways small brands get below the usual minimum.
8. Plan the launch around production
Work backwards from the date you want shoes in customers’ hands: shipping and customs, production, the confirmation sample, sample rounds, the first sample. Then add a buffer for holidays at the factory, such as the Lunar New Year in Vietnam. Pre-orders can fund part of the first run and tell you which sizes to make, but only promise dates you can keep.
The timeline at a glance
- Concept and tech pack: your own pace.
- Factory shortlist: a few weeks of conversations.
- Sampling: roughly two to four months, more with new tooling.
- Testing: runs in parallel with the later sample rounds.
- Production and shipping: after the confirmation sample is approved.
The short version
- One shoe, one runner, one clear reason to exist.
- A tech pack with numbered parts and tolerances.
- Existing tooling for the first model.
- The same questions to every factory.
- Two or three sample rounds, one comment sheet each.
- Wear tests, lab tests and a size run before you approve.
- A first order shaped to the factory’s minimum.
- A launch date worked back from production.
Starting a running shoe brand and want a development partner on the ground in Vietnam? Book a 20-minute call.
Questions founders ask
How long does it take to launch a running shoe brand?
From a finished design to shoes in hand, plan for several months: roughly two to four months of sampling, then production and shipping. A new outsole mould, or a shoe that needs many fit rounds, adds time.
Can I start a shoe brand with a small first order?
Yes, but with limits. Factories that work with small brands often start around 500 to 1,000 pairs per style and colour. Using an existing outsole and last, one colourway and stock materials gives you the best chance of starting lower.
Do I need to design a new outsole?
Not for a first shoe. Many brands launch on an outsole the factory already makes, which saves the mould cost and several weeks. A custom outsole can come with the second or third model.
What should I test on a running shoe before launch?
Wear-test it on real runs with several runners and sizes, and ask a lab for at least sole adhesion and outsole flexing. Abrasion and slip resistance are worth adding for a road or trail shoe.
Should I start with shoes or apparel?
Apparel usually needs less tooling and smaller minimums, so some running brands start with apparel and add footwear later. If the shoe is the reason your brand exists, start with the shoe and keep apparel small.