Do shoe brands own their factories?
Almost never. Most brands design their shoes and hand production to a partner factory, often called an OEM (original equipment manufacturer) or ODM (original design manufacturer). The factory brings the know-how and the machines, makes the shoes, and carries the manufacturing risk. The brand's job is mostly to design and sell.
It's a model that works, and our founders know it well. They've spent more than thirty years making shoes in Asia, much of it in partner factories for other brands. David started out at 17 in his father's shoe factory.
So why didn't we do the same?
When we started SOLK, we assumed we would. Two things changed our minds.
The first was size. A small new brand is rarely a factory's top priority.
The second mattered more. Shoemaking uses a lot of chemicals, and a factory that makes shoes for many brands has many different ones moving through it. For us, that's a problem. Every material in a SOLK is chosen and tested so the shoe can come back to us and be composted, and we can't risk something from another brand's production finding its way in.
David compares it to a nut allergy. If you're allergic, "made in a facility that also handles nuts" is enough to put the packet back on the shelf. The only way to be sure that only our materials touch our shoes was to make them ourselves.
How did we get there?
We started small, making shoes ourselves on a modest scale. It soon became clear that if SOLK was going to grow, we'd need a proper home for it. In 2021 we decided to build our own factory in Ho Chi Minh City, purpose-built for making SOLK.
It was a big step, and an expensive one, and more than a little nerve-wracking. But it's what makes the rest possible.
What does owning it change?
Every pair comes from one place. If you buy a SOLK, it was made in our factory. We don't produce anywhere else.
We control what goes in. Every material and process sits under one roof, and every component is screened by an independent lab for more than 200 hazardous substances. If something doesn't meet our requirements, we catch it before it reaches a shoe.
We can learn and change course. Owning the factory gives us room to trial new materials, learn from what doesn't work and adjust quickly, without waiting on someone else's schedule.
We can combine old craft with new tools. Stitching is still done by hand, because hands still do it best. Alongside that, digital pattern layout helps us place every piece on the leather so less goes to waste.
What's it like inside?
People visiting for the first time are usually surprised by how much goes into a pair of shoes: dozens of pieces, many small steps and a lot of handwork. Leather is laid over wooden horses to keep it smooth while it's worked on. Linings for each pair are cut from close together on the same skin, because every hide varies slightly in colour.
Quick answers
Do most shoe brands own their factories?
No. Most design their shoes and have them made by partner factories, known as OEM or ODM manufacturers.
What is an OEM shoe factory?
A factory that makes shoes for other brands, bringing the equipment and production know-how while the brand handles design and sales.
Where are SOLK shoes made?
In our own factory in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. We don't produce anywhere else.
Why does owning a factory matter for a shoe like ours?
It's the only way to be sure only our tested materials go into our shoes, with no risk of contamination from other brands' production.