Shoe MOQ in Vietnam: what small brands should expect

The first number most founders hear from a shoe factory is the minimum order quantity, or MOQ. It is also the number most often misunderstood. This guide explains what to expect in Vietnam, what the minimum is actually counted on, and how small brands start below it.

The short answer

Factories in Vietnam that work with smaller brands often start at around 500 to 1,000 pairs per style and colour. Large factories built for volume programs may ask for 2,000 to 5,000 pairs per style [1]. A factory with a published minimum may accept less for a first trial, especially when the shoe avoids a custom last and unusual materials [1].

Treat every figure you read online, including these, as a starting point for a conversation. Each factory sets its own minimum, and it moves with the season, the materials and how busy the lines are.

What the minimum is counted on

“Our MOQ is 500 pairs” can mean very different orders. Ask which of these applies:

Counted per	What it means	Example with a 500-pair minimum
Style	One design, all colours and sizes together	500 pairs in total, split as you like
Style and colour	Each colourway counts on its own	2 colours = 1,000 pairs
Size	A minimum for each size in the run	Harder to meet at the edges of the size run
Material	A minimum for each material or colour of material	A special leather can set its own floor

The difference between the first two rows is the most common surprise. A founder plans one style in three colours, budgets for 500 pairs and finds out the real order is 1,500.

Why the minimums exist

Minimums are not just a sales tactic. They come from how shoes are made:

• Materials come in fixed lots. Mesh is sold by the roll, foam by the sheet, and dyed leather or rubber by the batch. A custom colour often has its own minimum at the material supplier.
• Every size needs tooling. Each size needs its own last and cutting knives. A new outsole needs a mould for each size, or each pair of sizes.
• Setting up a line costs the same at any quantity. Planning, cutting, stitching and lasting take the same preparation for 300 pairs as for 3,000.

When you understand which of these drives a factory’s number, you know which lever to pull.

Seven ways small brands start below the MOQ

1. Use an existing outsole and last. Open tooling removes the biggest fixed cost. Many successful first shoes are built on an outsole the factory already makes.
2. Launch with fewer colourways. One strong colour at the minimum beats three colours below it.
3. Share materials across colourways. Keep the same mesh, foam and lining, and change only the colour of one or two parts.
4. Choose stock materials. Materials the factory or its suppliers already hold avoid the material supplier’s own minimum.
5. Trim the size run. Start with the sizes that sell most and add the edges later.
6. Accept a small-order surcharge. Ask the factory what it would take to run your quantity. A known surcharge is better than a factory that quietly pushes your order to the back of the queue.
7. Plan the second order now. Factories are more flexible with a brand that shows a realistic plan beyond the first run.

A worked example: 500 pairs across a size run

Here is how a 500-pair first order of one men’s running shoe in one colour might be spread across sizes. This is an illustration, not a recommendation; your own sales data or pre-orders should decide the split.

US men’s size	7	8	9	10	11	12	13
Pairs	30	60	95	110	95	70	40

If the factory sets a minimum per size, the small sizes at either end are where you will feel it. That is why trimming the size run (point 5) can matter as much as the total.

Questions to ask about MOQ

• Is your minimum per style, per colour, per size or per material?
• What minimum applies if we use your existing outsole and last?
• Do any of our materials have their own minimum at the supplier?
• What would it cost, per pair or in total, to run below your minimum?
• How does the minimum change for the second order?

Apparel works the same way

For activewear, the logic is similar: minimums are usually counted per style and per colour, fabric has its own minimum at the mill, and custom-dyed fabric raises the floor. Sharing fabrics across styles is the apparel version of sharing outsoles.

If you are planning a first run and want to check whether your quantities fit a Vietnamese factory, book a 20-minute call.

Sources

1. Cosmo Sourcing, Dress shoes manufacturers in Vietnam: how to source formal footwear (sourcing agency guide, figures reported as typical ranges): cosmosourcing.com
2. Cosmo Sourcing, What does minimum order quantity (MOQ) mean in manufacturing?: cosmosourcing.com