What MOQ can you realistically expect from a shoe factory in China.

Every importer asks “what is your MOQ?” in the first email. Every honest factory answers “it depends” — and then a less honest one types 500 anyway, because that is what the search page rewarded.

We publish a real floor: 600 pairs per color (mixed sizes) for styles we already run; 1,200 pairs per color for custom styles — new tooling is a separate conversation. That is why the number is a starting point, not a fixed figure for every style. Sampling and bulk lead time are confirmed per style after we see the brief: a number written before the last, the material set and the line assignment are known is a placeholder. It will move.

What actually moves the number

• Tooling. A style that can run on an existing last and mould is a different conversation from a style that needs new tooling.
• Material set. A common mesh and a rubber outsole already in the partner network is not the same as a special compound with a long mill lead.
• Construction. A leather casual shoe and a plated performance runner do not share a line load or a wastage rate.
• Colourways and size runs. Four colourways at 600 pairs is not one colourway at 2,400 pairs.

When you send a target quantity and a target market, we come back with one concrete figure rather than a range. That is the opposite of the “MOQ 500, price FOB $x” template you see on marketplace listings.

Two low-commitment routes that are real

If the honest answer is that your quantity is too small for a new tool, there are still two routes worth talking about.

• Ready stock. Availability, size run and price are confirmed per style on inquiry. No new tooling. You list it, you see sell-through, you reorder or you stop.
• Trial production. A limited run of your own style, evaluated case by case. We confirm feasibility, tooling implications and timing before you commit to a larger volume.

Neither route is a promise that every design can be made in any quantity. It is a way to find out if the shoe sells without betting the whole programme on the first purchase order.

How to ask so you get a usable answer

Send: a reference pair or tech pack, the market you sell into, the target quantity, and whether you need your own last. A human replies within 12 working hours. Sampling time is confirmed per style. Bulk lead time is confirmed after sample approval. Payment terms and Incoterms are confirmed with the quotation — not copied from a blog.

Capacity on the partner campus is 20 million pairs and 10 million garments a year, with 16 intelligent lines and 68 stitching lines. That scale is why a trial run and a later programme can live on the same floor. It is not a reason to invent a number on this page.

Related reading: low MOQ / trial orders, ready stock, startup brands, and how to verify the plant before you pay anyone, including us.