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By Emir Güven, Export Manager Published · Updated

Choosing a footwear manufacturing partner requires more than comparing unit prices. Material consistency, quality-control records, export documentation and reorder performance can affect total cost and delivery risk. This checklist organises the questions a buyer should verify with each supplier.

1. Leather supply chain — documented or opaque?

For genuine leather footwear, buyers should verify how leather is sourced, specified and matched between orders. Different supply models can work, but each should be documented:

Direct tannery relationship: Ask the factory to identify the tannery, leather specification and lot-control process used for the order.

Finished leather or component purchasing: Ask how the supplier approves incoming material and controls texture, colour and flexibility across batches and reorders.

  • Ask: "Where does your leather come from?" Request the tannery, region and material specification for the leather proposed for your order.
  • Ask to see upper, lining and sock samples. Record the agreed material for each component in the approved specification.
  • Ask about dye lot matching. Confirm how the supplier handles acceptable colour variance across production batches and repeat orders.

Buyer takeaway: Treat leather origin, grade, finish, colour tolerance and component use as written specifications—not verbal assumptions.

2. Handmade production — capacity and QC

Hand-intensive styles have finite capacity. Ask the supplier to state its available capacity for your construction, the production stages handled in-house and any subcontracted work. Capacity should be confirmed against your order window rather than inferred from factory size.

Ask for the QC procedure, not just a quality claim. A useful quality-control response should document:

  • Inspection points in the production line. Ask which construction and finishing stages are inspected, who signs off each stage and how rejected pairs are recorded.
  • Defect classification and remedy. Request the supplier's defect definitions, internal target, batch acceptance criteria and replacement or credit process.
  • Sample approval process. Record the approved reference sample and measurable tolerances for materials, dimensions, colour and finishing.
  • Lead time for reorders and new styles. Request separate written schedules and dependencies for repeat production and new development.

3. Export reliability — records over promises

Every supplier at a trade fair will claim strong export experience. The difference between a claim and a record is documentation. Before committing to a first order, request:

  • Relevant export markets. Ask for examples that match your destination and product category, subject to customer confidentiality.
  • Incoterm capability. Agree the selected Incoterms® rule, named place and responsibilities in the contract; do not rely on the three-letter term alone.
  • Trade fair participation history. Verify claimed participation through exhibitor directories or event records when it matters to your assessment.
  • Customs documentation capability. Ask who prepares origin, movement and commercial documents for your destination, then verify the requirements with your customs adviser or the destination authority.

For planning supplier meetings at the fair, use the MICAM Milano buyer's guide alongside your own sourcing checklist.

4. Customisation and OEM flexibility

Private-label and custom work depend on the supplier's access to lasts, patterns, technical development, material sourcing and finishing equipment. Ask which capabilities are in-house, which are subcontracted and how each change affects sampling, cost and timing.

  • Ask who controls the lasts and patterns. Confirm ownership, modification responsibility, tooling cost and whether the technical files remain available for repeat orders.
  • Ask about minimum order quantities. Request the MOQ by style, colour, material and size run, including any separate requirement for custom development.
  • Ask about colourway additions. Confirm leather availability, colour approval steps, minimum material purchases and revised delivery dates.
  • Ask about label and packaging options. List every required element—such as insole branding, shoebox printing and hang tags—and obtain samples before production.

Official buyer resources

The short version

A supplier assessment should end with written evidence: material specifications, approved samples, QC criteria, capacity, commercial terms, documentation responsibilities and agreed delivery milestones.

MARITZA states that it produces genuine leather women's footwear in Turkey, oversees leather quality through Derimer and works with buyers in more than 20 countries. Current capacity, terms and visit arrangements should be confirmed directly for each inquiry.