Sizes, half sizes and widths
A footwear buyer needs to see exactly which sizes are available, and how many, before committing. In LINK, size, width and color are variants of a style, each with its own stock. When a size sells out it stops being offered, so the buyer adjusts the order rather than you finding out after the fact.
- Full and half sizes
- Width options, such as medium and wide
- Colors and materials
- Men’s, women’s and kids’ size scales kept separate
Size runs and case packs
Many footwear brands sell opening orders in size runs: a set of pairs per color across the size scale, weighted toward the sizes that sell most. Others sell by the pair with a minimum per style. Brands that receive production in cartons often ask for case multiples so the cartons do not have to be broken.
In LINK, a size run can be set up as a kit so the buyer adds the whole run in one step. Per-product minimums and case multiples handle by-the-pair orders, and an order minimum keeps small orders worth shipping. The cart enforces all of it before the order is sent.
At-once and future orders
Footwear buyers place two kinds of orders: at-once orders for stock you have now, and future orders for the next season’s production. Keeping them apart avoids confusion about what ships when.
A simple setup in LINK is one catalog for in-stock styles and another for the upcoming season, with products allowed to be sold beyond stock so buyers can order before production. Scheduled publishing opens the season on a date and a catalog page can expire when the order window closes.
Building a size run that sells through
A size run should reflect your customer, not just the full scale. Many women’s styles sell most in the middle sizes, while the smallest and largest sizes move slowly; men’s scales and kids’ scales have their own shape. Use your own sales history if you sell direct, and ask stores what they reorder. A run that is weighted correctly means fewer leftover pairs in the store and a faster reorder.
Offering two run sizes is a practical middle ground: a full run for shoe stores and larger accounts, and a smaller run for boutiques that carry footwear as an add-on to apparel. Both can live as kits next to by-the-pair ordering for reorders.
Price lists for every kind of account
Shoe brands often sell to independent shoe stores, boutiques that carry a few styles, larger accounts and sometimes distributors abroad. Per-customer price lists let each of them open the same catalog and see the prices agreed with them. Multi-currency and catalog translation help when you sell outside the US.
Shows, reps and reorders
In the US, FN Platform runs alongside MAGIC in Las Vegas and is one of the best known footwear markets, and there are regional and specialty shows across the country. Dates change, so check each organizer before planning.
Footwear is a rep-heavy business. In LINK, reps get their own login and permissions and can take orders from a phone or tablet during a store visit or at a show. Order history makes reorders quick: a store can see what it bought last season and restock the sizes that sold.
Running footwear wholesale with LINK
Import styles and sizes from a spreadsheet (or connect another system through the open API), set price lists, size runs and minimums, and share one link by email, SMS, Instagram DM or WhatsApp. Buyers order without an account or app. Payment and shipping are agreed directly with the buyer, and there is no commission on orders.