How Are Shoes Made? From Design to Finished Sneaker
You lace up a new pair of sneakers and head out the door. But have you ever wondered how much work goes into making just one pair?
At HUB Footwear, we begin developing every collection around 18 months before it reaches the shelves. While you're shopping one collection, we're already designing the next. Our retail partners place their orders about a year in advance, which means we have to decide on colours, materials and styles long before the shoes are available in stores.
Predicting what people will want to wear more than a year from now isn't easy, but it's one of the most exciting parts of designing footwear.
So, what actually happens during those 18 months?
Let's take you behind the scenes and show you how a sneaker goes from an idea to the pair on your feet.
It All Starts with an Idea
Every sneaker begins with an idea.
Our designers create new models that reflect the identity of HUB Footwear. Trends play a role, but our goal is to create sneakers with a distinctive HUB character that remain relevant long after the season has passed.
Designing a sneaker involves much more than sketching. Every idea is translated into detailed technical specifications that tell the factory exactly how each part should be produced. Throughout development, multiple prototypes are made, tested and refined until every detail meets our standards.
Only then is the design ready for production.
Choosing the Right Materials
The next step is selecting the materials.
Together with our factory, we source different types of leather, suede, mesh, linings, laces and soles. Every material is chosen to match both the design and the season.
Besides appearance, we also evaluate comfort, durability, flexibility and how each material performs during production.
All of our leather & suede sneakers, we choose leather from LWG-certified tanneries, supporting more responsible and transparent leather production.
Once every material has been approved, production can begin.
From Patterns to Individual Parts
A sneaker is made up of far more pieces than most people realise.
Each design is divided into dozens of individual pattern pieces, all of which are digitally created before being cut with extreme precision.
Every piece needs to be cut perfectly. Even the smallest deviation can affect the fit or finish of the final sneaker.
Building the Upper
Once every panel has been cut, the individual pieces are stitched together to create the upper, the complete top section of the sneaker.
Because leather, suede and mesh all behave differently, every seam requires precision and experience.
This is also where signature details are added.
As more pieces come together, the sneaker slowly begins to take shape.
Giving the Sneaker Its Shape
Although the upper is complete, it still doesn't look like a finished shoe.
That changes when it's pulled over a shoe last, a foot-shaped mould that gives every sneaker its final shape.
Using specialised machinery, the upper is stretched tightly around the last, creating the silhouette that defines the finished sneaker.
Attaching the Sole
Once the upper fits perfectly around the last, the sole is attached using specialised adhesives.
The sneakers then pass through a heating oven, allowing the adhesive to cure properly and creating a strong, long-lasting bond between the upper and the sole.
At this point, the sneaker finally starts to look complete.
The Final Finishing Touches
Before every sneaker leaves the factory, it receives its final finishing touches.
The laces are added, loose threads are removed and every pair is carefully cleaned.
Next comes quality control.
Besides the factory's own inspections, our HUB Footwear team regularly reviews production to make sure every sneaker meets our standards for materials, construction and finishing.
Only then are the sneakers packed and prepared for transport.
From Factory to Your Feet
By the time you open a shoebox, around 18 months of design, development and craftsmanship have already gone into your sneakers.
While you're enjoying your new pair, our designers are already working on the next collection. Long before production begins, hundreds of decisions have been made about colours, materials, construction and finishing.
Every pair is the result of careful design, skilled craftsmanship and countless hours of work.
Hopefully, the next time you lace up your favourite sneakers, you'll look at them just a little differently.
This is Part 1 of our Behind the Sneaker series.
Curious why developing a sneaker takes so much time, or what makes one sneaker more expensive than another? In the next two articles, we'll take you even further behind the scenes of footwear design and production.