Susannah Davda, known as The Shoe Consultant, is a footwear expert and consultant who helps businesses and individuals in the shoe industry. With extensive experience in the footwear sector, she provides a range of services, including consultancy for shoe brands, retailers, and manufacturers. Her expertise covers product development, brand strategy, and market insights. Susannah is known for her deep understanding of shoe design, production, and retail, and she often shares her knowledge through workshops, speaking engagements, and online content. Additionally, she has a passion for helping start-ups and established brands navigate the complexities of the footwear market. We learn more about Susannah and her business achievements…

So, Susannah, let’s talk shoes! Where did you develop a passion for being a shoe expert?

My shoe expertise has developed and evolved over the many years I have worked in the footwear industry. My passion for shoes began as a teenager in the late 1990s, when I was a sales consultant in a shoe shop. I realised people were designing, selecting, and producing the footwear I was selling, and I wanted to be part of that world.

You are providing a course on creating a shoe brand; why do you feel this is a popular target market?

Actually, this is a niche market. It takes someone with an entrepreneurial mindset and a great concept to start a footwear business. My How to Start a Shoe Brand course is a comprehensive guide for when aspiring shoe brand founders are ready to get started. Because I operate in a niche, my courses and consultancy services are easier to find.

What were some of the challenges of launching an online training course?

Creating a complete course that provides its students with a working guide, in-depth knowledge, and context was a significant undertaking. The greatest investment for me was time. There was initial planning, script writing, filming, editing, and captioning of many hours of video, as well as the creation of downloadable templates and guides.

What will attendees learn from being on your course?

My students receive the guidance they need in order to launch their shoe brand. From conducting essential research to pricing, financial planning, working with a designer, finding a factory, and marketing their shoe brand.

What are the most important aspects to consider when sourcing a new supplier?

Aspiring shoe brand founders need to know that any factory will be taking a risk by agreeing to create their prototypes. The factory only starts to make money when they are paid for bulk production, so founders need to prepare a concise package of information to persuade factories. This is a risk worth taking.

How can you best decide on the right branding strategy?

A shoe brand strategy must have its customers at its heart. When you are planning your brand, you will have assumptions about who your customer is, the shoes they want, and how you can reach them with marketing. It is important to prove or disprove these assertions prior to deciding on your branding strategy.

How does brand positioning influence pricing for a product?

Customers are used to paying a certain amount for footwear at a particular level of quality and prestige. Founders need to decide on their brand positioning with the help of market research prior to pricing their products. They must analyse their competitors’ products and prices in depth before determining their own.

What are the key elements of a premium brand?

Creating an elevated brand look and feel are essential for a premium shoe brand. Not only should the shoes be of high quality, but the brand identity, communications, and, most importantly, photography must be at a premium level.

On the other end, how can you create a brand with mass appeal that is affordable considering how saturated the market already is?

I believe the only way to create a successful new mass-market brand is to beat established businesses to an emerging consumer trend. This worked well for Allbirds and Veja when they launched, just as customers were waking up to the necessity of purchasing sustainable products.

What do you attribute the success to brands such as New Balance and Under Armour entering the market where Nike and Adidas dominate?

Both New Balance and Under Armour have been established for a long time. They each have loyal followers and court new customers using complex marketing strategies, including collaborations and influencer marketing.

How can a new shoe brand penetrate such a competitive industry?

The best way to succeed as a new footwear brand is to create shoes that people are actively searching for but not finding.

How can influencer-making strategies provide a cost-effective marketing strategy?

Selecting microinfluencers who speak directly to your specific customer group can be a cost-effective way to harness their power. Being specific about deliverables when agreeing on influencer partnership terms is crucial.

Who are some of your favourite fashion brand entrepreneurs?

Laura Schofield from Otto + Ivy has created a highly engaged community that eagerly awaits each product launch or restock of existing styles. I also admire how Rosamund Muir utilises deadstock materials in her products, giving them a new life and saving waste.

Tell us more about taking good product photography shots for marketing…

Photographing shoes is easy. Taking good photos of shoes that will entice someone to purchase them is much harder. There are numerous considerations, including choosing the right lens or phone camera settings to avoid the shoes looking distorted, lighting your shots, ensuring colour accuracy, and shooting your shoes at flattering angles.

What technology do you need to create good photogrammetry photography? 

You can take excellent shoe photos using your phone camera and simple lamps, but you need to know how to use them to the best effect. If you are ready to upgrade, you could purchase a DSLR camera and a professional lighting kit.

There are additional tools you need to create good shoe photos, which I share in my How to Photograph Shoes to Sell course. There you can also find step-by-step guides to editing your shoe shots in Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, and Canva.

How do you plan on developing your training and consulting services?

My clients’ needs are ever-evolving, so I will create additional products and services to reflect their requirements. For now, I am working with small shoe retailers on their shop fit, product selection, and marketing, as well as continuing to support aspiring shoe brand founders.

What has been the range in attendance for your courses?

My How to Start a Shoe Brand course and How to Photograph Shoes to Sell course are both available for people to sign up whenever they are ready. Numerous students have benefited from these courses and will continue to do so.

How do you like to unwind after a busy day?

I love to read modern novels about interesting people in parts of the world I am not familiar with.

What music inspires you to be creative?

I find silence best for generating new ideas. Instrumental deep house is good when I am concentrating on writing. It entertains the part of my mind prone to wandering.

Lastly, what one piece of advice would you give anyone with a struggling start-up fashion brand?

Ignore what other brands are doing and instead reflect your customers’ needs, tastes, and desires in your products and marketing. We buy from brands we trust and feel emotionally connected to. Work towards building those ever-stronger connections.

Are you excited at the thought of starting a shoe brand, but uncertain of all the steps to take it to market? Susannah runs a comprehensive online course will take you from a head full of ideas to being well on your way to launching your shoe brand. So, no more excuses, you can finally start the shoe brand you have been dreaming of! For more information visit: shoeconsultant.com.