Shoes samples are an important element of the footwear business as they allow the customer to discover for real what have been imagined for so long. However, most of the time, it is also a problem as it requires a special effort from the producer.
From the origins…
The ideas for designing a sample can come from the customer itself but, generally, this is after a discussion with the factory that everything happen. Together, they decide which last and sole to choose, which materials, colors, finishing, etc.
After the green light from the client, all the elements are collected and sent to our technicians in order to draw all the elements of that shoe. And so begins the process of making a first prototype.
From the prototype to the sample…
Before talking about shoe samples, it’s crucial to discuss about prototypes. From the first sketches, the factory produces a first prototype which will be used to define the fitting and understand the proportions of the shoes.
More than a sample…
Once everything has been discussed regarding fitting, proportions, etc. the factory can start to produce a sample which will include all these rectifications. It allows the client to verify that everything is as intended, to test the quality of the shoe and, if necessary, make some final corrections. The goal here is simple and consists to produce the sample the most approximately of the final shoe during the production.
Then, the final samples will also be used for promotional purposes, in magazines, blogs, fan pages, catalogues, etc.