Product development refers to the creation of new styles and collections based on new designs, sketches or tech packs.

The design can be provided by you (if you have experience with that) or you can get help by our in-house design team to interpret your ideas and create sketches ready to begin the product development phase.

The outcome of product development is a sample (a pair of shoes in case of footwear or a handbag) which purpose is to show you how the production will look like. You may also use the sample for marketing, fashion shows, events, etc. with the purpose of generating interest and pre-orders.

Once the sample is approved by you, the production (or bulk order) can commence.

Note: in certain cases when styles are technically complex, our team may decide to add an intermediate step and develop a prototype before the actual sample is made.
A prototype is usually manufactured with raw materials and does not represent the final item. Its purpose is to validate the overall concept and still be able to make necessary modifications.

Detailed sketches and tech-packs, made by an experienced designer.

If instead you have an initial idea but not a professionally made sketch, then our team can help recreate the style, turning it into a feasible product and making it ready for development at the shoe factory.

This process would also provide you with a more accurate preview of how the style will look like in real life. You can ask for more information via Contact Us.

The cost varies depending on complexity of the design, materials, hardware and embellishments (if any) or if particular shoe making technique is necessary.

As a general rule, an approximate range is 800 to 2,500 Euro per style.
It can be higher if the style requires a specific custom setup, for example a custom heel, custom rubber sole, custom hardware, etc.

Development cost excludes: shipping, insurance, Customs & import duty*.

(*) charged at the destination country and depending on local trade regulations.

• Technical analysis ⇒ in-depth study of your design down to the smallest detail, ensuring no misunderstanding and misinterpretation happen. Any open question is answered to be 100% aligned on feasibility
• Extensive material sourcing ⇒ no single supplier reliance. We are connected with the best Italian leather suppliers, tanneries, sole providers, hardware makers, jewelry makers, etc.
• Logo setup
• Other setups and tooling, such as metal moulds for custom rubber soles, custom heels, custom hardware and embellishments, etc.
• Shoe last development and paper pattern making
• Prototype (if required)
• Final sample making

The development includes everything needed to produce a sample. We send out a “product specification” PDF that summarizes the style technical details and materials used.

We do not reuse shoe lasts already produced for other brands as this is their intellectual property and we respect it.

We make ad-hoc shoe lasts for each brand who wants to produce with us, as this is key to their success and differentiation from the competition.

The sourcing service starts with our ability to access a number of trusted materials and accessory suppliers across Italy, with whom we established a successful business relationship over the years.

We research several options viable for the specific product you are making and we discuss with you what would work best. We negotiate the best material price, we manage delivery to our facilities, we cross check quality and manage any return should a defect be spotted.

It depends on the complexity of the design, how particular your materials are and how long the sourcing phase takes. A high level estimation can be between 8 and 12 weeks, from the moment we finalize and freeze the design to sample shipment.

Also worth noticing that technical challenges may arise during the development process, as a product is being built for the first time, requiring testing and potentially several iterations to meet the expected looks and quality. For this reason, the timelines we provide are estimates and should be taken as an indication only.

Speaking about timelines, keep in mind twice a year when Italian factories, workshops and suppliers are not operational (3 weeks in August, 2 weeks across New Year).

If you are planning a collection launch, a photoshoot or a marketing event, we recommend to schedule it only after you receive the goods. There may be many factors bringing delays, linked and not linked to manufacturing. For example a last minute issue in the finalisation of the products requiring re-make, shipping delays, destination country holding up the goods at the Customs, etc.

As you repeat this process twice or more, the lead times tend to become shorter and clearer.

We encourage checking what our customers say about us: in the home page, in the consulting testimonials and in the Success stories.

We work primarily for private label brands and we can only post a limited number of (their) products – you may check our Instagram account for some examples. Upon request, we can provide customer reference.

Another good way to understand if we are a good fit is to talk with us.