Shoe production as a business: list of equipment, description of manufacturing technology, nuances of business organization.

Vladimir Grigoriev was the first in Russia to set up the production of sneakers according to individual measurements and sells them all over the world

Vladimir Grigoriev might not have started his own business if at one time he could buy sneakers and sneakers “not like everyone else” in shoe stores. But shoe brands were offering almost the same thing, which gave rise to the idea of ​​​​launching the production of custom-made sneakers. The client can choose the color, decorative elements and materials for the model he likes. The founder of the Afour brand, Vladimir Grigoriev, told the website about how to organize a fitting at a distance and why custom-made shoes can be not only classic.

Entrepreneur from St. Petersburg, founder of a shoe brand Afour. Education: St. Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering (Department of Economics). Since 2007, he has been creating custom shoes with a friend, but due to the 2008 crisis, the partner decided to leave the project. Since that time, Vladimir has been independently developing his shoe company Afour.

There is assortment, but there is no choice

I've always loved interesting shoes. When I was 14-15 years old, I started skateboarding, and one of the important attributes of this activity is sneakers. It was considered especially cool in the area to have pro-model sneakers dedicated to some professional rider. There wasn’t much money, and we didn’t come up with anything. They even bought our Dynamo sneakers and customized them - they sewed on suede inserts and reinforced the tongue with foam rubber. Often this was a collective effort: everyone came up with something of their own. The need for invention is cunning.

When there was money for branded sneakers, it always became an event. Several other people traveled with the buyer to help with advice when choosing. By that time, the assortment in the stores was already large, but very monotonous. This is the minus of the stores. If a model sells well, the store buys mostly it - and pays less attention to really interesting things. The larger the store, the more difficult it is for it to experiment.

Thus, almost everywhere everything was the same. You come to the store, there are 40 pairs of sneakers. Of these, two are more or less interesting. You come to your friends - and everything is the same, because they made the same choice as you.

Work through the base

In 2007, an acquaintance called me and offered to sew sneakers together. I was surprised - how is this possible? It turned out that he wanted to launch the production of sneakers; his mother just worked as a shoe designer at a factory in St. Petersburg. All I had to do was draw a sketch of the shoes. And even though I was doing graphic design and working in an advertising agency at the time, I wasn’t able to draw sneakers from scratch. The result was either garbage or copies of famous brands. A week later, I called a friend and confessed my failure.

At that time, he had a classic shoe-making studio - primarily sneakers. Things were not going well: there were no more than two or three orders a month. I realized that my friend had burned out on his idea and was close to closing the studio. But I, on the contrary, caught fire, I became interested. And the thought came to me that I needed to “work the base” a little more. This means developing ready-made models, selecting components for them, and limiting the client’s choice only to the color of the top.

Once the idea was formed, I told a friend about it. To launch a new type of atelier, we needed about 200-300 thousand rubles. In six months we made a website, opened group“VKontakte” came up with “blanks for coloring” (you could draw in Paint or with a felt-tip pen on paper). At that time, we were both busy with our main jobs and invested everything we earned into a new project.

The first clients began to appear, but in 2008 the crisis struck. He hit us hard. People then refused to buy anything at all, especially sneakers from an unknown brand. Sales fell sharply, and my partner said that he was not ready to “raise” all this for the third time. “If you want, you can take this business for yourself, but I went surfing in Vietnam,” he said.

All by myself

This time I decided to go all the way from the very beginning. First of all, this meant learning to sew, cut and do all the operations myself. At the first production, we were often told that “this cannot be done,” although we showed them successful examples from other manufacturers. To this we were told that “there is super technology abroad, but here no one will do that for you.” This approach did not suit me. And I decided to master all the sewing processes in order to clearly understand whether it is possible to do what I want or not.

Plus, the factory where we sewed everything refused to cooperate with me. I started looking for a new production and found a shoemaker who had his own workshop. He wanted to close it, but, fortunately, he did not have time to either terminate the lease agreement or sell the equipment. In fact, I leased its production. The shoemaker leased the equipment to me, I started working on it and eventually planned to buy it out.

I found and read a bunch of textbooks, sat down at the sewing machine in production and began making my first “Frankensteins”. Of course, they were crooked and slanting. To learn how to sew evenly even the most simple model, it takes time. From the first production there were four patterns left on which I practiced. When it became possible to sew, I began to “tighten”, that is, to mold the workpiece on the block and make the finished product.

Only after six months of “training” did I realize that I could complete the first order. They became boots for a friend's wedding

I started accepting orders in 2009. At first I did them all myself. And in his free time, as before, he was engaged in design, but now on a freelance basis. I worked right in the workshop. I spent half a day cutting, half a day solving customer problems.

This went on for a year. Then I took the shoemaker. I sewed models all week, and he came on the weekend and “tightened” the products. He did it more professionally. At that moment, I achieved my goal: I went through all the processes and understood all the nuances that need to be taken into account. This still helps me in communicating with employees. It’s easier for me to solve technical issues by understanding cause-and-effect relationships.

My company is called Afour. What I liked about this combination of sounds is that it sounds like the word “euphoria.” This is the feeling I get when we produce new model and the satisfied customer receives his order. I remember almost all clients by sight. They are part of our big family.

Something special

Once I learned how to sew basic patterns, I realized I needed to learn how to design. It is most important. If the model is poorly designed, it will not be sewn well. I started working on this issue at the same time. After some time, I designed my first model, since then it has always been and is in our assortment in one form or another. These are classic sports style boots.

The next stage is website development. I was going to work on order and wanted to make the ordering process convenient for the client. To do this, I came up with an online shoe designer, where a person can rotate the model, select any part of it and color it in desired color. This is a technically difficult task, and I spent a long time looking for performers. Agencies assigned million-dollar budgets. As a result, I found a programmer through my friends, and we made a website together, for very reasonable money. The first from Russian manufacturers.

Our standard for shoe manufacturing is 10 working days after approval of the layout. Many private shoe making companies are chasing our standard, but cannot achieve it. They have average term Making shoes to order takes more than a month.

We have a lot of things in our production that you won’t find in other factories. For example, unique machines for cutting out soles. The fact is that all sports shoes produced in Russia are made with ready-made soles, which are simply glued in production. We sharpen all our soles ourselves. And for their production we use modern materials. They are better suited to the technical characteristics of walking than the soles of much larger companies.

Of course, we lag behind major sports brands in technology, so we don’t meddle in sports. We make shoes for every day. But our technology itself is much more correct than that of most companies.

Our production is located in St. Petersburg, on the territory of one of the oldest shoe factories in the Moscow Gate area - “Victory Factory No. 2”. There used to be a whole shoe cluster in this area. Now some kind of infrastructure has been preserved there, and some of the components are sold right on the spot. Thus, we save a lot on logistics.

We rent a couple of small workshops. Compared to classic shoe production, this is a micro-business. Production is divided into several stages: cutting, sewing, making soles and connecting them with the rest of the product, packaging.

Size matters

Previously, we only sewed standard sizes. But then we realized: no one, except people who are passionate about this issue, knows what shoe size they actually have and how it should fit correctly.

Two or three years ago we decided to take a closer look at this issue. We figured out the design, and we wanted the shoes to fit perfectly. Moreover, we sew to order. And according to the law, if a person makes a mistake with the size, we cannot change his shoes. It is almost impossible to sell such a pair to anyone else.

I came up with a feature called a “size slip” - this is a fitting shoe model. By classic scheme When making shoes to order, the buyer is sent a mock-up. I decided that for our price category this story is very expensive and long. We have developed a “simplified” shoe model. It repeats the shape of the future block on which the client’s order will be placed. We started sending out these slips and asking if it was tight and if everything was okay.

We made the size slips essentially free, and everyone liked them. They cost 1000 rubles, but this amount is returned when purchasing shoes. Their production is inexpensive - delivery is more expensive. The sock is made of transparent material. The client tries on the slips and sends a photo. Our specialists study the image and make a decision on the right size shoes

There is a misconception that shoes must fit very tightly because they will eventually stretch. In fact, this only applies to the width: the shoes do not stretch in length. There are rigid elements in the heel and toe that hold its shape. When we walk, the foot moves a little relative to the sole. The required distance for this movement is 0.5-1 cm in front of the fingers. If it is not there, then the toes rest against the toe, and tension arises.

The fitting system reduces the risk that the shoes will not fit to almost zero. But there were also such situations. You can try on slips in different ways, and you need to approach this process carefully. Many people are accustomed to the style of online shoe stores, when three pairs are delivered to your home and you need to try them on in 15 minutes. But in fact, 15 minutes is not enough even to try on one pair. We ask you to walk around your home or office in our slips for at least half an hour.

In the instructions for trying them on there is a questionnaire where you need to answer five or six questions. It takes a couple of minutes. But some write to us: “everything is fine for me,” or “it’s pressing from all sides.” We look at the photo and understand that everything is not at all as people wrote. But in every situation we try to be on the client’s side and take all these points into account. Even if he says that everything is fine, we still ask for answers to the points of the questionnaire.

“Standard design” shoes that do not fit can be returned. But we do not accept returns on individual orders, and therefore we do not send the order until we are firmly sure that the shoes will fit. We would rather send the customer 1-2 more pairs of size slips.

Ordering process: measure seven times

The ordering process is as follows. The client selects a model on the website. We send him detailed instructions on how to take measurements. Using it, he takes several measurements of his foot, draws an outline, scans or photographs it and sends it to us. We study the size, taking into account all possible errors, and send him size slips. The process of studying data and making slips takes two days.

Once the customer approves the size, we launch the order into production the next day. In total, the first order (including the dispatch and approval of slips) takes about 20 days. But this period depends on the client’s efficiency: how quickly he takes and sends all measurements and approves the size. For a client from Moscow, it can be done in 15 days. Of course, the farther from St. Petersburg, the longer the wait. But that doesn't stop our Australian customers.

Customers who want to get shoes “right now” have to explain that they are in the wrong place and need to go to the store. We often get calls from marketing agencies who threaten to “catch up on traffic” and “drown us in a sea of ​​orders.” We refuse because we don't need spontaneous purchases. They are a huge disadvantage for us. Recently, a client ordered three pairs of shoes at once. Fortunately, there was a payment error when ordering. We contacted the customer and it turned out that he had not read the instructions and was not aware of any measurements! He told us: “Why take measurements, I’m size 43?”

Often people come to our showroom, try on slips, and it turns out that their actual size is smaller or Furthermore, which they considered “theirs” all their lives. They just have wide feet or some other individual characteristics. No one explains this in regular stores. And the legs greatly influence the overall health of the body. If the shoes are chosen incorrectly, the sole does not absorb shock - your knees and back hurt. You should never skimp on shoes, no matter how much you might want to.

Teenagers are not the target audience

Our main client is from 23 years old. Younger people don't come to us because they don't understand the value of our shoes. They want something more fashionable and cheaper. Young people also rarely pay attention to the naturalness of materials.

Our customers can already figure out what they want, and not buy what they are sold on in advertising. For example, sneakers from Kanye West cost 15,000 rubles. They're just plain black sneakers, but guys are standing in line for them because they say "Kanye West" on them. And they stand in a crowd to buy the same sneakers! And we are for shoes to be different. Do you like black? Why not try black and yellow? We try to encourage people to be themselves.

The older generation buys our shoes quite often. We have a separate classic line, and serious men buy shoes from us. But there are many competitors in the “classics”. True, we are making a slightly more modern analogue. Our soles are lighter and your feet get less tired throughout the day. For the classic line, we made it larger, implying that older people will buy the classics.

Foreigners are buying more limited editions. Some of them collect unusual sneakers. And it’s cool for them to have a pair from Russia, which was probably “stitched” by a bear

Our sneakers and boots are bought in the USA, Germany, France, and Australia. Some customers bought more than two pairs. Our shoes are only available in South America and Africa.

Materials

We mix modern materials with those that have been used in shoes for a long time and have proven themselves well. Leather is a membrane material. It releases air and absorbs excess moisture, making the foot feel comfortable. We use it for the top and lining, combining it with a cotton insert in the toe area, where the most heat and moisture are released. For sneakers, we purchase “intermesh” with high breathability. Sometimes we use textile materials.

The soles are made of EVA material - ethyl vinyl acetate. It cushions and absorbs the energy of the foot very well. Under body weight, this material adapts to the foot. It is more often used in sports shoes and orthopedics. The moving part, the tread, in our shoes is made in Italy. Depending on the season, we select different types of tires. For winter shoes– softer and more viscous, for the demi-season and summer it is tougher and better resistant to abrasion.

We buy some of the material here in Russia, and order some abroad. Most of the materials are imported, but there is also Russian leather. We select the material according to the design, its technical properties, quality and price ratio. We will not refuse good Russian leather just because it is Russian.

Of course, it is not true that nothing is produced in Russia. But we actually have a very destroyed infrastructure, and many things are really very difficult to find in Russia. Materials are most often produced by large factories - in a very specific range and in very large volumes. This - the main problem. In principle, you can find what you need in our factories. But then you will have to buy a huge volume.

Our manufacturers and suppliers do not like to work with small batches. It’s easier for them to process one huge order, and then sit for the whole year and do nothing. When I came and said that I needed 100 pairs, they almost drove me with a nasty broom, because the minimum volume everywhere is from 10,000 pairs. I tell them: “Guys, when I reach 10,000, I will simply not come to you out of principle.” And now they call and say: “Why don’t you come to us?”

And this is the general picture of Russian suppliers. Until you shake the bills in front of their noses, they won’t even move. They don't want to work for the future. And then they complain that our shoe industry is stagnating and there are no orders.

Soles

The most expensive component in our shoes is the soles. We ordered them abroad. Working with representative offices of foreign suppliers also has its own characteristics. For example, the cost of soles from one Italian company increased fivefold due to fluctuations in exchange rates. Moreover, when the exchange rate rose, the price rose. And when it fell, the price did not change. And now I hear the question from them: “Why haven’t you bought soles from us for a long time?” But I can’t buy them at that price.

The funny thing is that I was the first Russian customer of this company. I saved a large amount for the first batch because they didn't sell small quantities. And not only did they delay this delivery, but they also brought more soles than necessary. And they began to sell them to my competitors individually.

We were very badly burned by this. And at that moment I decided: we will not save another large sum to purchase a new large batch of soles from some other supplier. We will make them ourselves.

Sheet materials for soles are easier to buy than ready-made soles. This is more labor-intensive, but there are many advantages to this approach. From the same batch of material I can make a large assortment. If a certain style ceases to be in demand on the market, I can make a new style from the same material. In this situation, you can order large quantities of material.

Although our volumes have grown, some materials are still sold in very large quantities for us. Sometimes we offer our competitors to buy a batch of material together and split the costs. I would like to import materials directly from foreign manufacturers, without greedy unfriendly intermediaries, but for this the volumes must be larger. I adequately perceive intermediaries, but sometimes it’s a shame to give money simply because they do their job poorly.

Delivery

Within Russia we deliver orders by courier services. True, they often have to be changed. We never found a service that satisfied us for a long time. After some time of operation, courier services begin to “deteriorate”, and we have to look for new partners.

The main reason for this is that courier companies at some point begin to grow and recruit staff. And in pursuit of profit, they try to hire cheaper couriers. And such employees work extremely poorly.

With our previous delivery service, such incidents began in mid-November that we were shocked. To the point that the courier calls the client who ordered delivery and offers to pick up the parcel at the warehouse. We call their manager, and he says: “Well, yes, we are not doing a good job, but what can I do.” And on the website of this “dynamically developing company” they declare “super customer service”. When we wrote a complaint in November, they promised to answer us in December, but they answered only in February. And this is because we refused to pay until we received a response to the claim.

If something is wrong with delivery, clients call us and say: “And your courier...” And we call the courier service and figure out what the problem is.

For international shipments we use Russian Post. Lately she has started to work much better. In 2017, the post office introduced a rule that to send abroad you only need to issue one piece of paper. This saves a lot of time. Sending abroad by courier service is very expensive, comparable to the cost of the shoes themselves.

Economy

The cost of our shoes is very high, almost half the retail price. Both production and service require a lot of labor. Due to the individual nature of our work, we have almost no wholesale orders.

The price largely depends on the materials the client chooses, as well as whether there is embroidery, embossing, printing, etc. Some order “full mince” with several embroideries and rare leather. The price of one pair of Afour shoes is from 6,500 rubles (these are leather slip-ons). The price usually includes size slips if necessary. The upper limit is around 20,000 rubles, but if the client wants, for example, python skin inserts, it will cost even more. There is a loyalty system: a cumulative discount (up to 10%) grows with each purchase.

We are often asked why we don't find investors. It is difficult to attract them because there is no clear infrastructure, and the business plan moves to the level of sensations and predictions. We don’t even have analogues to get approximate statistics. Every year we have a little growth. We then analyze which actions contributed to growth and which ones slowed it down. Based on these results, we plan further development.

Our peak sales seasons are from September to December and from March to the end of June. In other months the demand is less. On average we make about 100 pairs per month

I couldn’t get a loan from a bank, so I borrowed money to develop my business from friends and acquaintances. I am an individual entrepreneur, and for some reason banks don’t like us. Some banks asked what I do. When I answered that it was production, they refused me immediately - “We don’t finance production at all, we’re not interested in that.” The banking system does not consider manufacturing micro-businesses at all.

We plan to achieve full payback for the project by the end of 2017. Every year we try to increase sales by 20%. But since we are developing at our own expense, in the first years the growth was very small. Now 20% is an achievable result. In 2016, the growth was about 30%.

Market and competition

Despite the reign of brands, small companies are beginning to appear in Europe and Russia that are doing something interesting out of love for shoes, and not just out of a desire to sell something. Otherwise, many of our manufacturers sell outright counterfeits of well-known brands. If earlier similar manufacturers made “abibases”, now they have become insolent and sculpt their logo on the products. But this is a dead end.

The only “value” of such shoes is the price. But tomorrow someone else will come and offer the same thing for 100 rubles cheaper. This does not develop the industry; they simply buy products from China with their logo stuck on them. It’s a shame when such “manufacturers” act under the banner of a “Russian brand”.

At the same time, there are guys who have their own style. It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but they are doing something individual and I believe they will evolve. When a neophyte comes to me who wants to get involved in shoes and asks for my advice, I advise him with great pleasure. I am for “Made in Russia” - it was cool.

There are not very many companies making custom shoes. We have no direct competitors, because we have chosen a niche that is difficult for individual orders: sneakers and modern materials. Classic shoes are usually made to order. There are usually standard components, there are no problems with them. And your only task is to do everything well.

But in Russia, no one produces real sneakers and no one knows how to make them. So all our competitors in the field of custom shoes work in other shoe categories: classic or avant-garde. There is no competition between us as such. We are friends, communicate and try to help each other.

Payment system as an ally

Abroad, the history of a good product and its collaborations plays a very important role. Therefore, interest in us arose there, and the emergence of PayPal accelerated this process. Before this, foreigners were wary that they had to pay for the order with a card through a Russian service. They said that the bank prohibited them from making purchases in Eastern Europe. When PayPal came to Russia, I was one of the first in the country to open an account in this system.

Foreign clients pay only through PayPal. If this payment system had not arrived, our foreign orders would have ended at the payment stage. Now they make up 10-15% of total sales, depending on the season.

Technically, working with PayPal is not at all difficult; everything here is at a very high level. They have a standard fee for each transaction, there are no subscription fees. Plus, now they have very fast withdrawals of money through the system. Having received payment via PayPal today, I will receive the money in my bank account tomorrow. For small businesses that value turnover, this is also a big advantage. Some similar services allow you to withdraw money only after two to three weeks.

This system protects both the buyer and the seller. One day we received a letter from PayPal: “Do not put the order into production, as there are suspicions that the card was used without the owner’s knowledge.” This system allows you to safely make purchases around the world. If the buyer has problems receiving the order, he can submit a claim through PayPal, and if it is justified, the payment system will return the money.

There were situations when a client submitted a claim to us via PayPal. In response, we sent all correspondence with the client confirming that we had fulfilled all our obligations. And PayPal took your side, rejecting the client's request. In fact, he is like an unbiased mediator, and we recommend him to everyone.

Team

The Afour project team consists of 10 people, including those who work outsourced. Some operations do not require the constant presence of employees, but we still try to ensure that these works are performed by the same people (fashion designers, designers, cutters). This turns out to be “permanent outsourcing”.

I myself work as a “man-steamer”; in fact, my responsibilities range from cleaner to financial director. If I hired employees for all these positions, the costs would amount to millions, and I would not be able to recoup anything soon. I model myself, I like it, but now I try to work mainly as an art director.

Promotion

We essentially have only two sales tools: a website and a production showroom. But the main driver of promotion is the product itself. We initially made it so that it should sell itself. “Word of mouth” is the most effective and reliable way of advertising for us.

We also promote our product through collaborations. For example, we made sneakers for a brand of bags and backpacks, matching their style, and promoted it all together through common channels. There were also collaborations with artists. With their help, we made “capsule collections” for stores, for example “Nevalenki”. Especially for them, we made a surreal model of women's shoes “EggyPop”. On our scale, it made a lot of noise in its time. You still sometimes see these boots in photos on social networks with comments: “A man with scrambled eggs on his shoes in the subway!” We also collaborated with St. Petersburg brands ANTEATER and Asya Malbershtein.

Of course, we periodically use both public advertising and paid advertising on Facebook. But we try to do it as organically as possible. We try not to provoke spontaneous purchases. When we ask new clients how you heard about us, they usually tell us one of two things: either “recommended by friends,” or “followed us for a long time and decided to buy.” And we know that the person came prepared, including for our fittings.

We are now preparing a new version of the online designer for the site; all our models and all the materials we use will be loaded into it. In the previous version we had only 12 colors in stock, now the range will be much wider. The designer itself will be much more functional. This is our main task.

We are also installing a new machine that will allow us to make soles faster. Thus, their cost will be slightly reduced. This will allow us to maintain prices for the third year in a row. We try to compensate for inflation by optimizing production and reducing costs, without losing quality and level of service.

We are also planning to open a showroom in the center of St. Petersburg to make it more convenient for clients to come there. We have been planning this for several years now. The business is small, we are developing at our own expense, and opening a store without preparation is very difficult. But now, finally, a concept has been formed on how best to do this, and at the same time not get lost among other shoe stores. I would like to open it by autumn 2017.

An entrepreneur considering shoe production as a business idea must be prepared for serious investments and the need to carefully study all the nuances of the industry. In addition, there is high competition in the segment. And if it is quite easy to compete with domestic factories, then to ensure the same high quality as that of European manufacturers, you will have to try. On the other hand, a serious problem can be caused by Chinese suppliers who, not particularly striving for high performance characteristics of goods, offer the lowest possible prices.

The nuances of this business

Shoe production is a costly and difficult type of business to organize. In addition, the entrepreneur must understand technologies and types of products. Otherwise, it is impossible to create a product that can compete with a huge number of domestic and foreign brands. However, new manufacturers are constantly entering the market. This means, if there is original ideas and a carefully thought-out strategy has every chance of success.

To do this, you need to decide what kind of shoes to produce. Traditionally, it is divided into women's, men's and children's for everyday wear. There is the highest competition here, and the leading positions are occupied by Chinese suppliers of inexpensive goods. This is why many beginning shoe manufacturers from Russia immediately move into narrower segments - making shoes for the military, athletes, dancers, representatives of various professions, orthopedic, etc.

There are a number of factors to consider when choosing a niche. For example, women's dress and sports shoes have a high cost and also require the organization of high-tech and expensive production. In the case of making rubber boots and beach flip-flops, the start-up costs will be much lower. On the other hand, any investment may be justified if the target audience is correctly identified, a design is developed and brand promotion activities are carried out correctly. By the way, the most successful entrepreneurs are often those who managed to create an original solution and promote it using the principle of viral content.

Another component of success is the ability to follow fashion trends. Even shoes of excellent quality will not be sold in the volumes that a new product from a well-promoted brand can claim. At the same time, do not forget about branding - products should be easily recognizable among their “neighbors” on the shelves.

Raw materials

High-quality shoes can only be obtained from high-quality raw materials. Accordingly, you will need to find bona fide suppliers and sign a cooperation agreement. What raw materials are required depends on the type of shoes being produced. For leather models it is necessary good skin. Manufacturers of this material can be searched both in Russia and abroad. The choice is largely determined by the planned production volumes. The minimum order from large suppliers is usually at least one ton of leather. But you can establish contacts with small factories and purchase 300-500 kg. You can familiarize yourself with the list of tannery industries in the Russian Federation, their prices and specifics.

You will also need accessories, dyes, liquid polyurethanes, reagents, creams, oils and others Consumables.

Don't forget about packaging. Shoes are sold in boxes wrapped in paper. You can order such containers at the nearest factory of the corresponding specialization. At the same time, the main thing is to think about the design of the boxes - it’s different for different models.

Production of leather shoes

Equipment for the production of

Today in the specialized market there are many manufacturers of a wide variety of footwear of all varieties, and its list is quite impressive. In addition to the industrial conveyor, mechanisms and devices are used that perform certain operations.

Special machines are used for cutting. Hydraulic punching presses and automatic cutting systems are used. These machines require special cutters (dies), which are manufactured individually for a specific shoe model. But this is justified only for industries with high turnover. For small batches, it is more advisable to use hand legs complete with tables, cutting plates, punches, etc.

The main cutting equipment includes:

• twining machines and machines;
• punching press;
• machines for turning leather, lowering edges and rolling backdrops;
• embossing press;
• guillotine for small parts of leather.

Subsequent stages of production will require equipment of various functional purposes. These are machines for forming various components of finished shoes - soles, insoles, heels. Applicable:

• leather peeling machines;
• machines that produce leather edges;
• presses that duplicate additional lining material to increase wear life and improve the quality of shoes;
• glue-spreading machines facilitate the work of gluing tape and soles;
• a machine that bends the edges of the material and trims off the excess;
• equipment for working with different types braids;
• equipment for volumetric formation of a stripe on a toe (vamp);
• presses that produce embossing and die cutting of the top layer of material to make decorative elements, designs, and ornaments;
• machines that fasten shoe accessories.

The sewing process takes place using industrial shoe machines. sewing machines, which must perform various functions. A full work cycle will require five sewing machines:

• Flat – for assembling small workpieces;
• Core - for assembling bulk workpieces;
• For stitching the lining, use a zigzag machine;
• Heavy class machine - for sewing decorative seams and edgings;
• Repair.

Shoe equipment is divided according to its main purpose:

• moisturizing the heel to give it the necessary elasticity;
• gluing the heel into the workpiece and tightening - forming the entire heel part;
• tightening the sock onto the last;
• lining processing;
• tightening the boot;
• steam finishing and firing of threads with a hairdryer;
• moisturizing the sock;
• smoothing out defects with steam;
• cooling using a refrigerator;
• spraying glue;
• back seam taping;
• around the top layer of material;
• attaching the insole to the shoe;
• sole pressing;
• heel attachment.

The following equipment is required for the final production processes:

• Polishing machine with a rotating shaft and brushes (finisher);
• Device for forming the boot;
• Chamber for painting and applying waterproof components;
• Equipment for gluing soles.

Production technology

The process of making shoes from leather, suede and their substitutes is quite complicated. It provides for a number of operations:

1. Cutting. At this stage, parts are cut out of the material. To make one shoe or boot, you may need about 30 or more pieces.
2. Making insoles. In some cases, it is more profitable to work with ready-made insoles from a third-party manufacturer. If you decide to set up your own production, you will need to buy a whole range of units.
3. Marking of blanks. Marks are applied to the cut parts, along which the seams will be made at the next stage. Next, the edges are fired, painted and sanded.
4. Sewing. The parts are sewn together in a certain sequence, then thermoplastic inserts are placed into the blanks, for which the pairs are laced and placed on a metal foot heated to 150 ° C, which is then quickly cooled to -20 ° C.
5. Assembly of products. The workpieces are placed on a ruffler, where they are straightened and cleaned of possible contaminants. Semi-finished products are sent to a special oven with a temperature of 60 ° C, and then the excess at the edges is trimmed off. Afterwards, the sole is glued or sewn to the top of the product.
6. Polishing and lacing. At the final stage, the shoes are polished with sheep's wool, lubricated with wax and laced by hand.

The shoe production technology is quite complex and requires an extensive fleet of equipment. It is generally not possible to determine its cost and composition, since everything depends on the type and volume of manufactured products. You can get a general idea of ​​prices and assortment on thematic sites, for example, Tiu.ru. The lines of European manufacturers such as Durkopp Adler, FAV, Gilardi, Camoga enjoy a good reputation.

How shoes are made self made masters of their craft:

Production of felt shoes

On an industrial scale, felt boots and other felt products are made from semi-coarse sheep wool, which is purchased from sheep farms. On the territory of the Russian Federation, most of them are concentrated in the Volgograd region. You can also purchase wool in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, etc.

After delivery to production, raw materials are checked for quality, sorted and placed in boxes. At the first stage, the wool undergoes a special treatment, after which it is aged for 24 hours and transferred to long-needle carding machines. The resulting fibers are loosened on scattering and carding machines. Next, the semi-finished product undergoes chemical treatment and is sent for compaction, resulting in a thick and soft fabric, from which various felt products are subsequently produced.

The felt boots themselves can be made either manually or industrially. The canvas is once again tested for quality and placed in a felting machine, where the final felting is performed under the influence of heated water and mechanical factors. To reduce the process cycle time, sulfuric acid can be used, however, due to its danger to personnel health, this method is used quite rarely.

Afterwards, the felt boots are once again rolled, doused with steam and dried at a temperature of about 100° C, trimmed and submitted for cleaning. The finished felt shoes are placed in pairs, insoles are inserted, packaged and sent to the warehouse. If necessary, at the same stage, products are decorated with embroidery, appliqués or other methods. There are also models with rubberized soles, which are “applied” by vulcanization.

To open a small workshop for making felt boots, you will need to buy a carding machine (about 150 thousand rubles), a steam press (about 30 thousand rubles), washing machine(90-100 thousand rubles), weighing equipment (10-12 thousand rubles). 2-3 people are enough to service the workshop.

Large-scale production will require more significant investments. A set of equipment with a capacity of 50-70 pairs of felt boots per shift will cost 800 thousand - 1 million rubles. You may also need an embroidery machine and a machine for vulcanizing soles.

The above equipment makes it possible to produce felt boots different colors and models. Additional income can be obtained by producing decorative goods from felt, shoes for fishing, tourism, boots with soles and other goods. For example, these could be car or door mats, slippers, bags, insoles, vests, and treatment belts.

Production of rubber shoes

This industry has prospects in the Russian Federation, since many regions are characterized by heavy rains. Also, such products are an integral part of the uniform of representatives of many professions. As an example of a successful business, we can cite such domestic manufacturers as Pskov-Polymer, PC KhimProm, Dailos LLC, Tomsk Rubber Footwear Plant LLC, PKF Duna-Ast LLC and Sardonyx LLC.

Work on creating rubber boots begins with the development of models, which will require the involvement of a technologist and a designer. Modern shoes should be durable, comfortable and beautiful. There are three ways to make rubber shoes - assembly (by gluing), stamping and molding. They differ in the number of parts and how they are connected. The largest number of elements contains glued shoes like galoshes (13-21 parts). The other two methods make it possible to reduce the number of elements by 3-4 times.

The process begins with the production of sheet rubber. To do this, a mixture of rubber, filler, vulcanizing agents, reaction catalyst, pigments and regenerate is placed on calenders, where sheet rubber is formed for the manufacture of shoe upper parts. The sole is cut out of special profiled sheet rubber. Also, textile materials are coated and covered with a rubber mixture on the calenders. However, to increase production profitability, it makes sense to use PVC instead of rubber. This material is 25-30% cheaper than a rubber base, and in terms of consumer properties it is in no way inferior to it.

The materials used for the manufacture of internal and intermediate parts are rag mixtures with the addition of unvulcanized rubberized textile scraps. For the manufacture of linings, backdrops, insoles, socks, and decor, various cotton fabrics.

When it comes to the production of rubber boots, boots and shoes, the most common method is the molding method, where the creation of the frame and the vulcanization of the products are carried out simultaneously. At the first stage, the parts are cut out. Then a kind of “stocking” is created from textiles, which is put on a metal block and “wrapped” with rubber elements. The preform is placed in the mold of a vulcanizing press, where the rubber is converted into rubber. Next, the shoes are sent for trimming and pressing, undergo quality control, are packaged and sent to the warehouse.

Molding method:

The average cost of a production line is about 2.5 million rubles. There is no need to save money, since the characteristics of the equipment determine the quality of the final product.

Production of sports and special footwear

The production of sports shoes differs significantly from the production of other types, primarily in the use of complex modern technologies, high cost of equipment, raw materials and fittings.

Technologies are used here to make shoes as comfortable, light and stylish as possible, as well as provide them with special features. The main difficulty is that existing manufacturers are in no hurry to disclose information about their own developments, so a new market player will have to invest a significant part of their funds in finding their own solutions. And it's expensive.

An example is the recently introduced 3-D printing technology, which is used to create sneakers that perfectly follow the line of the foot. Today, mass production of “printed” sneakers is just being introduced by Adidas, but there are prerequisites that in a few years the solution will be released to the masses.

Another example of innovative implementations is Nike's Flyknit technology. Shoes are made using continuous weaving, without lining or textile inserts. This allows you to minimize the number of seams that can cause discomfort during intense sports.

Creating the solutions outlined above requires significant financial resources. At the initial stage of activity, it makes sense for a sneaker manufacturer to work with traditional materials, as well as select several patterns that satisfy the needs of the selected target audience.

Classic sneakers contain three structural elements - the upper, midsole and main outsole.

For sewing the top, natural and eco-leather can be used, as well as mesh materials made from nylon and polyester threads, characteristic feature which is light weight and excellent breathability. The difference between leather sneakers made from natural and synthetic materials is the ability of the former to deform during use. The latter are more durable and hold their shape better, but have lower air permeability. There are also a number of specialty sneaker upper fabrics designed to meet specific needs.

The midsole is necessary to provide comfort during active loads, cushioning and support of the foot. That is why the characteristics of this element determine how popular a particular model of sports shoes will be. The following materials are most often used to produce midsoles:

• Philo. It is a lightweight foam composition made from EVA granules with excellent shock-absorbing properties and the ability to take any shape.
• Polyurethane. Some time ago, due to its strength and hardness, the material was in demand in the production of sneakers. However, now, with the advent of new solutions, it is used less and less - primarily due to its heavy weight.
• Filayt. The composition is obtained by adding rubber to phylon. This makes the shoes somewhat heavier, but in return increases their elasticity.
• EVA. Lightweight, flexible and inexpensive material that is often used to produce budget sneakers. Over time, under the influence of the wearer's weight, air is displaced from the foam, and the sole ceases to perform its functions.

Professional sneaker models use more complex materials, such as Lumarlon, Nike Epic React and others.

For the manufacture of the main sole, the main function of which is to provide high-quality grip on the surface, there are also many options. The most budget-friendly of them all is Duralon. It is made from synthetic rubber using the blow molding method. The products cannot boast of durability, but they have excellent shock-absorbing ability.

Another rubber compound is BRS 1000. To make it, carbon is introduced into synthetic rubber. The result is a durable material ideal for running shoe bases. Soles made from the DRC rubber compound are highly durable and can withstand almost any load, which is necessary in sports disciplines such as tennis and athletics.

In cases where it is not possible to experiment with different materials within the line, you can use a universal material - pure rubber. It is obtained by mixing several types of rubber of artificial and natural origin. Thanks to its reliability and good grip and low cost, this solution can be used in almost any type of sneaker.

As you can see, the production special shoes– one of the most complex and costly segments of the industry. However, this is where you can count on maximum profit.

Enterprise registration

The scale of shoe production depends on the desires and capabilities of the entrepreneur. This could be a small studio, a medium-sized enterprise or a large factory with an assortment of several hundred items. Accordingly, different documents will be required. For an atelier, status is enough, in other cases it is necessary. This will allow you to work with large batches of products. A lawyer will help you decide on the choice of taxation system.

When registering, you will need to indicate OKVED-2 code 15.20 “Footwear production”. This will make it possible to produce all types of shoes and parts for them, except orthopedic, asbestos, roller skates and figure skating skates.

Careful attention must be paid to registering the company name and logo. The name should be easy to remember and preferably not too long. When choosing a name, you need to take into account the presence of restrictions. First, you need to make sure that another entrepreneur has not already registered a similar name. Secondly, when using the names of cities, countries and some other constituent entities of the Russian Federation, the law requires obtaining permits, which will entail costs. The name must be registered in Russian, and, if desired, in English and other languages. If an entrepreneur does not have experience in preparing such documents, it is advisable to contact a specialized company.

All types of shoes are subject to sanitary and epidemiological control. The manufacturer of children's shoes will have to obtain a mandatory quality certificate. In the case of adult products, certification is voluntary, but a declaration is still required. In addition, products must comply with state standards.

Product certification

The procedure for certification of footwear in the territory of the countries of the Customs Union (CU) is required not only during production, but also during trade. For adult male and women's shoes certification is not mandatory. Obtaining compliance documents is mandatory only for children. Must have Required documents certifying that the product produced or sold is of impeccable quality.

For an adult, this may be GOST or technical specifications (TU). Today GOST 26167-2005 is in force, for children - GOST 26165-2003.

Certification involves checking shoes for quality, characteristics of the product by name, age, gender, type, materials used, raw materials and components of the bottom and top of shoes, seasonality, methods of fastening parts, finishing. It also includes the characteristics and presence of an insulating lining.

How are shoes made? Making shoes is a very complex and labor-intensive process.

The primary material for shoe production is the last. Namely, a cast of an average foot with parameters, which is made by shoe makers. When the last and heel are ready, designers and fashion designers get down to business, designing the upper of the future shoe. The designer makes sketches and creates a style. Whereas, a fashion designer creates drawings for the design of shoe uppers and production technology. After that, these data (sketches, drawings) are transferred to the experimental workshop, where a shoe sample is created.

The finished sample goes through several stages of testing before it is put on the mass production line.

Mass production of shoes consists of certain operations.

Production steps.

Upon arrival at the warehouse, the original shoes are checked by type, quantity, grade, thickness, width and footage. Only raw materials that meet the requirements of current standards are accepted.

For improvement appearance shoes, the visible edges of the upper parts are processed using various methods: painting, cutting (with decorative cutters with teeth, etc.), hot forming, bending, edging with braid, high-frequency currents (HFC), turning, thermal.

These processes can be demonstrated using an ordinary foam sponge as an example. If you press it, it will shrink, if you release it, it will level out. But if you press it for a while, some of the foam will not straighten. This phenomenon is called residual deformation, due to which the shoes retain their shape.

1. Tousling. It is carried out to better attach the sole to the top of the shoe. The place of attachment of the sole is outlined, the lower part of the workpiece (placed on the block) is shrunk with special abrasive cloths. Folds are smoothed with special irons. Ruffles the skin not reaching 1-1.5 mm to the upper edge of the future sole. If the edge of the sole is slightly lower than planned, so that the ruffled surface is not visible and the tightening edge does not tear. In this case, the glued sole along the edge can lag behind up to 1 mm (according to GOST).
2. Attaching the sole to the upper. The machine applies glue to the tightening edge of the workpiece and sends it to the drying machine. Activation of the adhesive film is carried out mainly by the method of thermal shock (temperature 120C for 3-5 seconds). It is complemented by manual work, ensuring accuracy of execution.

Then the padding and sole are applied to the footprint of the shoe. After which the shoes on the last are placed under the press.

1. Removing shoes from the last. It can be performed either on special machines or manually. Requires increased care so as not to damage the finished shoes.
2. Gluing/attaching insoles. An insole is glued or inserted into the finished shoe.

For shoes with heels: when gluing the sole, the heel is glued. Then, after removing the shoes from the lasts, the heel is attached with one screw or nails (3-4 pieces for women's shoes with high and medium heels, 6-8 pieces for wide heels in men's shoes). Then the heel pad and insole are glued in.

1. Finishing operations. On the conveyor, the shoes enter the finishing section: the junction of the sole and the upper is painted over, cream is applied for 10 minutes, polished, and the laces are tied.
2. Final inspection. The quality of each pair of shoes is checked, the suitability of half a pair is checked, the grade is established, the lasts are inserted and packed into boxes.

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Handmade shoes are in great demand due to their quality and durability - usually handmade is based on natural materials and requires higher demands on the quality of the finished product. Accordingly, the price of hand-sewn shoes will be higher compared to products sewn in automated production.

Handmade shoe companies

Even in an age of maximum automation, handmade shoes are not something outlandish. Classic English productions that are highly valued all over the world:

• Loake;

They make shoes from genuine leather and hand-sewn suede. There are significantly more production stages than in mass automated production. A pair can be made within a month, depending on the type of material and complexity of the shape.

In terms of shapes and designs, the most popular handmade boots are:

They differ in the type of lacing. Oxfords have closed lacing hidden by the front of the shoe. The side parts are sewn in a wedge shape, perforation is possible.

Derbies, on the other hand, have open lacing, and the side parts are sewn over the front part so that when the lacing is untied, the boot opens freely. Derby shoes can also be perforated and are considered the most versatile shoe for any occasion.

The entire structure of the shoe is divided into upper and lower parts. The upper part consists of the following elements:

• Sock – covers the toes, withstands the greatest mechanical loads when worn.
• Vamp – covers the back of the foot and connects the toe, tongue and boots.
• Boots - cover the ankle joint, they are sewn to the vamp.
• Eyelet - the upper part of a shoe designed for lacing holes or hooks.
• Heel counter – protects the heel and foot, secures the heel, is made of hard leather.
• Tongue – covers the top of the foot, sewn to the vamp.
• Insole – connects the upper and lower parts.

The bottom part of the product contains:

• Sole – sewn along the contour with the upper part, divided into outsoles, shank, welt and filler.
• Heel – raises the heel and is attached to the sole; the top layer can be rubber.
• Heel protects the heel from rubbing.
• Welt is a connecting element between parts.
• Protective inserts – prevent abrasion of the bottom layer of the heel.
• Filler – fills the space under the insole, increases comfort during use.
• An instep support is a wooden or metal part attached between the sole and the insole.

Knowing the design of shoes allows you to make each detail better, in accordance with its purpose.

Manufacturing stages

Making shoes with your own hands will take a lot of time, but the process itself is simple and depends mainly on the correct measurements and the quality of the starting materials. The whole process can be divided into nine stages.

Sewing custom-made shoes is not complete without this stage, and the same applies to clothing. Taking measurements is carried out mainly to measure the parameters of the future pad.

Having prepared the last according to the measurements, sew a preliminary layout. To create it, they sew on a ready-made last made of thin genuine leather. Here you should decide what type of model the model will have, how the seams are located, whether there is a pattern or perforation.

A blank for a future pair of boots is cut from a sheet of natural suede or leather. It is important to leave a small allowance for compression and seams - you cannot cut strictly along the contour of the measurements, otherwise the shoes will be at least a size too small.

Overcasting stage

The upper parts of the future pair of boots, sewn according to patterns, are connected together. This is a labor-intensive part of the work, since when stitching the upper part of the boots, it may require filing the leather, trimming the edge, and touching it up.

Tensioning the workpiece

At this stage, the last for the future pair of boots, as well as its upper part, is already ready. Now this upper part is literally pulled end-to-end onto the previously prepared block. At this stage, the most important step is laying the insole, since the ease of use of the shoe depends on its correct placement.

Welt patch

A welt is a thin strip of leather that connects all parts of the boot that are already stretched over the last. This invention belongs to Charles Goodyear - thanks to his technology, shoes can be embroidered at the joints with a welt and repaired in the case of, for example, a cracked last or sole.

The sole can be made from different materials– they should be clarified in advance with the customer, suggesting the most suitable option for the desired pair. Leather or rubber soles are often made.

The sewn soles are strengthened with small nails - craftsmen use them to ensure the straightness and reliability of the heel. The latter is made from thick leather in several layers.

Dyeing the sole

After sewing on the sole and stuffing the heel, you need to paint them with the required color - the choice of color depends on the tone of the boots. When the applied paint dries, the cushion is polished to apply the master's signature marking.

Polishing

Hand-made boots end with the most important stage - polishing and bringing the finished pair to perfect condition. After polishing, you get a smooth, elastic, perfectly cleaned pair with strong joints.