Sourcing guide

How to Write a Footwear Tech Pack (with a Checklist)

By DOING SHOES · 2026-06-29T00:00:00.000Z · 8 min read

A practical guide to writing a shoe tech pack that gets you accurate quotes and right-first-time samples — what to include, the common gaps that cause extra sample rounds, and a checklist you can reuse for every style.

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A tech pack is the difference between “make me a running shoe” and getting back the shoe you actually pictured. It is the specification a factory quotes and samples from — and the quality of your tech pack largely decides the quality of your first sample. Get it right and you save weeks of revisions and a stack of sample fees. This guide covers what to include, where people go wrong, and a checklist you can reuse.

Why the tech pack matters more than people think

Most extra sample rounds, surprise costs and “this isn’t what I ordered” arguments trace back to a vague spec. A factory cannot read your mind; it builds what the tech pack says. The clearer the document, the closer the first sample lands and the more accurate the quote. A good tech pack is the cheapest quality-control tool you have.

You do not need to be a footwear engineer to write one. You need to be specific and complete. And if you only have an idea, a manufacturer with development capability can build the tech pack with you — but even then, the more you bring, the better.

What a footwear tech pack should include

A workable shoe tech pack covers these sections:

1. Shoe overview

• Style name and number
• Category and intended use (e.g. trail running, casual sneaker, safety)
• A sketch, render or reference shoe (a physical reference is gold)

2. Materials (the bill of materials)

• Upper: material, weight, colour, finish (e.g. engineered mesh, knit, leather, suede)
• Lining and insole: material and any comfort or performance features
• Midsole: material and density (EVA, phylon, PU, rubber)
• Outsole: material, compound and any performance need (grip, abrasion)
• Hardware and trims: eyelets, laces, zippers, tapes, logos

Be specific. “Mesh” can mean a dozen things at a dozen prices. Where you can, name the material and a target weight or a reference you have seen.

3. Construction

• Construction method (cemented, vulcanized, injection, Strobel, stitch-down)
• Any waterproofing or membrane requirement
• Reinforcements, toe puffs, heel counters

Construction drives both cost and character, so state it. If you are unsure, describe the performance you want and let the factory advise — that is part of custom development.

4. Measurements and sizing

• A base size with key measurements
• Your full size run for grading
• Fit notes (true to size, roomy toe box, etc.) — best paired with a physical reference

5. Colourways

• Each colourway with materials mapped to parts, ideally with Pantone references

6. Branding and packaging

• Logo artwork, placement and method (printed, embroidered, moulded)
• Labels, size tags, printed insoles
• Box, tissue, hangtag and polybag requirements — relevant for private label

7. Quality and compliance

• Inspection standard and AQL level
• Any market compliance needed, e.g. REACH/RSL for the EU

The gaps that cause extra sample rounds

Watch for these, because they cause most revisions:

• Vague materials. “Soft foam midsole” instead of a material and density.
• No fit reference. Numbers alone are hard to feel; a reference shoe communicates fit instantly.
• Missing construction method. It changes the shoe and the price.
• Logo details left to the factory. Specify placement, size, method and colour.
• No inspection standard. Decide the AQL level before production, not after.

Every one of these is a question the factory will otherwise have to guess or ask — and guessing means another sample.

A reusable tech pack checklist

Before you send a tech pack, confirm you have:

• Style name, category and intended use
• Sketch or reference shoe (physical if possible)
• Full bill of materials (upper, lining, insole, midsole, outsole, trims)
• Construction method and any membrane/waterproofing
• Base-size measurements and full size run
• Fit notes
• Each colourway with materials mapped and Pantone refs
• Logo artwork, placement and method
• Packaging and labelling spec
• Inspection standard / AQL level and any compliance requirement

If you can tick every box, your quotes will be comparable and your first sample will land close.

If you don’t have a tech pack yet

That is fine — plenty of brands start with just an idea and a reference shoe. The move is to work with a manufacturer that offers OEM and ODM: bring what you have, and they engineer the rest into a buildable spec. You still get the benefit of a tech pack; you just co-create it.

The bottom line

A footwear tech pack is not bureaucracy — it is the cheapest way to get the shoe you imagined, the first time. Be specific on materials, construction, measurements and branding, set your inspection standard up front, and include a physical reference wherever you can. Do that and you turn sampling from a guessing game into a short, predictable process.

Have a tech pack or just a sketch? Send it over and we’ll come back with a costed sample and an honest timeline — or help you build the spec from your idea.