Footwear line development, from brief to first production
For outdoor brands with a loyal following that are ready to add footwear or a new category. We plan, develop, source, and launch the line with you, and I lead the work myself, drawing on a footwear career that spans Nike, adidas, Under Armour, and Huk.
- Best for
- Outdoor apparel and gear brands adding footwear
- Timeline
- 8–14 months, brief to delivery
- Led by
- Me, Iiley Thompson Sr.
- Factories
- U.S. and Asia
Start with a narrow line built for the customer you already have, then plan backward from your launch date. You'll need a line plan, tech packs, the right last, tooling across your size run, two or three sample rounds with wear testing, a specialized factory, and enough budget for a first production run and the launch.
Why brands bring us in
An apparel or gear brand can design beautiful product and still lose its first footwear season. The skills don't transfer cleanly. Footwear needs lasts, molds, size grading, bonding and flex testing, and factories that specialize in one kind of construction.
A hunting or fishing brand's customers will judge the first boot against everything else the brand makes. That's why we plan the line around what your customer already trusts you for, then develop and test it in the conditions they'll put it through.
What you get
- A line plan built around your customer and your price and margin targets
- Design direction and complete tech packs with a full bill of materials
- Last selection or development, and tooling released only when fit is right
- Managed sample rounds with lab and field wear testing
- Factory selection, costing, and contracts that protect your tooling
- Production oversight and inspections through delivery
What happens, in order
Plan
Customer, use case, line plan, price and margin targets, calendar, factory shortlist.
2–4 wksDesign & spec
Concepts, tech packs, bill of materials, last and material decisions.
4–8 wksLasts & tooling
Lasts finalized, molds cut, first prototypes built.
6–10 wksSamples & testing
Fit, function, and finish across two or three rounds, with wear testing.
8–16 wksProduction
Confirmation samples, purchase orders, inspections, freight.
12–20 wksLine development questions
How many styles should a first footwear line have?
Fewer than most brands want. Every style adds lasts, tooling, samples, and minimums. A tight first line built around what your customer already buys from you is easier to get right and easier to sell through. We set the number together in the line plan.
Can you start from an existing platform instead of new tooling?
Sometimes, and it can save months. When a proven last and outsole fit your product, we can build your upper and details on that platform. When your product needs to do something new, it gets its own last and tooling.
Do we need our own designer?
No. Some clients bring their design team and we handle development; others need design direction from us. Either way, design decisions are made with cost, fit, and factory capability in view from the start.
What do we need to have ready before we start?
A clear customer, a launch window, a decision-maker on your side, and a budget that covers development, tooling, samples, a first production run, and the launch. Our launch guide walks through each one.
Tell us what you're building.
Share the brand, the category, and where you are today. If it's a fit, you'll talk directly with me. We're glad to sign your NDA before the first call.
- Phone
- (615) 229-6265
- Based
- Cannon County, Tennessee
- Factories
- United States and Asia