Build your shoe brand!

Step 1
Find a shoe designer and work with him to design a line of shoes for your brand. The product lines you offer should have certain common characteristics, such as a comfortable fit, a high-fashion look or use specific materials. These characteristics should become the philosophy of your brand and make it easily recognizable.

Step 2
Identify a shoe manufacturer who can implement the shoe designs you approve. A smaller shoe manufacturer may be interested in making lower quantities of the shoes initially until your brand takes off. Get written quotations for manufacturing the various shoe designs and minimum order quantities.

Step 3
Set price points for the shoes in your brand such as Kids Ugg Boots. Looking at Daniel Footwear, they are a an independent retailer with over 30 stores in the UK, plus an award winning e commerce store. Within the boutique stores and online, you will find an extensive collection of designer shoes, bags and accessories which are of high quality, on trend and at competitive prices. To get there success they had to work and experiment with different price points for their shoes. The prices should be appropriate for the market you are targeting as well as cover the manufacturing cost of the shoes and contribute toward your overhead. You will need a retail price and a trade price if you plan to market the shoes to retail stores.

Step 4
Become a member of shoe manufacturers and retailer associations, such as the American Apparel and Footwear Association and the National Shoe Retailers Association. These organizations work to help regulate the industry and minimize trade restraints. Membership can provide you with valuable information about the shoe market.

Step 5
Get a graphic designer to create a logo for your shoe brand. Check with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to make sure your brand name is unique and that no other company is using it. You may face legal complications if you choose a name that is very similar to another business.

Step 6
Decide on the legal structure of your shoe business and register it through the U.S. Small Business Administration. You will need to register your business to pay federal and state business taxes. You also will be responsible for collecting sales tax.

Step 7
Create a website and marketing brochures for your shoe brand. This will equip you to approach shoe stores with your products to find out if they are interested in retailing your shoes. In your marketing materials, explain the philosophy of your brand, the unique characteristics of your shoes and the benefits of choosing them.

Step 8
Raise awareness of your shoe brand and products using Facebook and Twitter. You can post information about your brand with friends and family and ask them to share it on their own profiles. The more people who know about the shoes you offer, the more likely you are to create demand for the products.