Ten English guides for brand buyers sourcing athletic footwear in China. A real published MOQ floor — 600 pairs per color (mixed sizes) for existing styles; 1,200 for custom styles. No fake lead time. No pair price on a webpage.
ISO 9001 / 14001 / 45001, locked campus figures, and who Steed is versus the plant. Market tests stay under NDA.
How to inspect a Chinese shoe plant before you wire a deposit — video, audit, visit, documents.
Who owns the last, who pays for tooling, and which model fits a first programme.
Why a first-email MOQ is a placeholder, and the two low-commitment routes that are real.
The sequence from tech pack to approved sample. Timing confirmed per style — not a blog calendar.
Quote, freeze, bulk, four QC gates, packing, sea. Dates after the sample exists.
Which route matches the risk: test a market, or own a last.
Uppers, midsoles, outsoles. What each layer does, and what to put in the brief.
The cost structure behind one figure. Tooling, packing and tests named, prices not published.
ISO systems vs destination-market tests vs shipment inspection. Four QC gates.
Material, whole shoe and chemical — the three layers behind any test report.
Who pays freight, insurance and duty. Ocean time typically 25-40 days to EU and US.
Guides will not replace a quotation. Send the market, the reference shoe and the quantity. We reply within 12 working hours.