Is Lineapelle leather fair good for shoe start-ups?

One of the fun parts of starting your own shoe brand is selecting the leathers, materials and components for your shoes. But it can be easy to feel you are choosing blind and will make a mistake. Visiting a leather and component trade show like Lineapelle can help you learn what you like, and which materials are right for your shoe.

Where is Lineapelle trade show?

The largest Lineapelle leather and components fair is usually held in Milan each February and September. The dates and location overlap with MICAM shoe trade show so it is normally possible to visit both. Read my Should I visit MICAM shoe trade show as a start-up? blog post for travel information and to see if a combined trip makes sense for you.

You will also find much smaller versions of the Lineapelle trade show in New York City and London each January and July. These mini fairs focus primarily on leather tanneries, with a few textile, shoe accessory and component exhibitors.

What should start-ups look for at Lineapelle?

Leather

Leather trade shows are a great opportunity to feel leather which is impossible to do online. You will start to experience the difference between calf, cow, goat and pig leathers; split, full grain, nubuck, suede and bonded leather; chrome-tanned and veg-tanned leather.

Ask tannery sales reps which type of leather they would recommend for your product. Your shoe factory or sourcing agent will also give you guidance on this.

Ask for swatches of the leathers you like. If you only need a couple of colours, these may be snipped off the hides and given to you at Lineapelle. You can order swatch books (containing several leathers in all available colours) or swatch cards (one leather in all available colours), which are shipped to you later. You will normally have to pay for shipping of swatch books and cards.

Note that bespoke colours of some leathers are possible, but high minimum order quantities (MOQs) are required for unique colours not shown in the season’s swatch books.

Tannery in Italian is conceria.

Leather alternatives

Alternatives to leather used for shoe uppers or linings can be found at Lineapelle. They come in two categories:

– Materials with a sustainability story made from plant fibres, recycled substances or other innovative materials

– Synthetic materials that look like leather and are made from plastic (often PU or PVC)

Ask plenty of questions about innovative materials. Understand how they are produced, exactly what they are made from, and whether they have been used successfully for the type of footwear you are making. These are essential pieces of information which will inform your material decisions. They will also enable you to plan your marketing communications with regards to environmental claims and sustainability.

Textiles

Many of the textiles on offer at Lineapelle are suitable for making shoes or bags but not all of them will be suitable for your type of footwear. You may also find that particular materials will be better suited to certain areas of your shoes, boots or sandals e.g. a more delicate fabric may be used on the quarters or boot shaft but not on flex areas such as the vamp.

At Lineapelle, you will find textile suppliers offering brocades and highly detailed fabrics, tweeds, canvas and many other textiles.

Components

Lineapelle fair also hosts suppliers of soles, heels, insoles, cushioning, and internal components like stiffeners and shanks.

If you have particular requirements for any of these components, it is worth visiting suppliers’ stands to see what is possible and ask questions of the sales reps.

Bear in mind you can’t just mix and match any sole, heel and last. The bottom plate of a last must match the outline of the sole and a heel must be the right height for the pitch (angle of steepness) of the last and have the right shape (contour) at the top where it joins the shoe.

Suolificio means sole supplier in Italian, and tacchificio means heel supplier.

Shoe accessories

You can also find a treasure trove of shoelaces, buckles, zips, eyelets, chains and jewels at Lineapelle.

Note that hardware (metal elements) such as buckles, zips and studs can add significant cost to your footwear. Make sure you understand the financial impact before adding multiples of these.

Trends

A free trend presentation is available to watch live at the Milan, New York City and London Lineapelle trade shows.

You can also purchase the glossy trend book. Expect to find trends for the following year’s spring/summer at the January and February shows, and the following year’s autumn/winter at the July and September shows.

Innovations

Technological innovations for use by the footwear and leather industries are inspiring to discover at Lineapelle.

For instance, I found a product which can grow or shrink the leg width of a boot to match its wearer…and stay at that size.

What else should start-ups know before attending Lineapelle?

– When you attend a large trade show, it’s useful to have a plan of action. Consider your priorities from the categories I mentioned above, and look up relevant exhibitors on the Lineapelle website ahead of your visit. Request appointments with any on your must-see list.

– If you are flying into Malpensa airport for Lineapelle Milan, you may want to make use of the free shuttle bus to and from the fair (details on the Lineapelle website). Arrive early to guarantee your seat.

– Lineapelle Milan is located at Rho Fieramilano which is connected to Central Milan by Metro red line (M1). Pay for the Metro by swiping your contactless credit card or Apple Pay at the entry and exit barriers. Alternatively buy a paper ticket from a machine to obtain a receipt for your bookkeeping.

– Upon arrival, pick up the free visitor’s guide where you will find a full directory of exhibitors along with maps of each hall

– Leather is usually measured in square feet (ft²) but leather alternatives, synthetics and textiles are usually measured in linear metres (m) with the width differing depending on the supplier. Make sure you convert accordingly when comparing material prices.

 

I hope to see you at Lineapelle soon!