Driving a "Wedge" in Your Shoe Collection

It's a woman's prerogative to own a number of shoes in different styles - may they be pumps, wedges, sneakers, or training shoes. One of the most sought after wholesale shoes for the past years are wedges. Though chunky, wholesale wedges have become a fashion statement because they can be easily paired up with any outfit. And now that we're getting into the warmer months, chunky heeled open-toed shoes and sandals are getting more prominence in wholesale shoe displays once again.

However, though they are perfect with most ensembles, there are still a few tips the ladies who love wearing them must consider in wearing wholesale wedges. Read on and find out:

• Wholesale shoes such as wedges don’t normally fit with ultra-tight jeans or any tight-fitting clothes. It draws attention to your legs and the bulkiness of the wedge, the type of attention you don’t want to draw to yourself. Unless you're model stick thin, you are going to look very bulky or worse, like an overly stuffed encased sausage with tight clothes and wedge footwear.

• Slingback wedges can look good on women with thick ankles. Women with thin-looking ankles will look very awkward on these types of wholesale shoes. The effect is opposite with ladies who have thick ankles. Compared with chunky wedges, their thick ankles would appear slimmer, which should make them look better. 

• Strappy wedges can go well with long skirts that reach just below your knees. Additionally, wedges are the best match for dresses, wrap up skirts, and flare bottom pants. They achieve a classic look that is sophisticated and attention grabbing.

• Espadrilles are wedges made of canvas and are perfect with denim and pants. These wholesale shoes are available in open-toe, closed toe, and slip on styles. Espadrilles would look beautiful with pants that have flared bottoms or with dresses, completing a carefree look perfect for the summer (or even spring). 

• Though wholesale wedge shoes are often used for casual days or events, they can also be worn to work. However, opt for closed-toe wedges for a more formal outfit that invites respect and authority. Of course, other rules for more formal footwear apply - nothing too flashy, more subdued designs, and nothing noisy!

Wedges are best worn during summer. However, they can also be worn all year round. Just like any wholesale shoes, proper care is a must for this type of footwear to live a longer life.

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Color Your Shoes Right

Women may own pairs and pairs of trendy wholesale shoes but there are styles that not only go perfectly well with any outfit but make a woman stand out as well. The right pair of shoes can exude glam and sophistication in a formal setting. Though new styles of footwear come out every season, there are wholesale shoes styles that never go out of style.

Gold shoes are funky and chic for formal occasion. Anything in gold will make everyone take a second look. May it be gold pumps, gold sandals, women everywhere are sure to envy you once they see you in a pair. Gold is a color that doesn’t overpower but glimmers understatedly that one can’t help but look. Gold shoes can be worn all year round, not only making it practical, but classic as well. 

Silver shoes, on the other hand, can match any outfit and bring out the sophistication in you. No matter what dress you wear, silver is the perfect match. Silver high heels are sexy and attractive while silver mules are causal but fabulous.

Red shoes bring out the sexiness in any woman. They are confidence builders and the ultimate attention getter. Women who sport red pumps or red sandals know that red shoes can be a woman’s best friend. Men adore women in red shoes and these pairs are perfect with dresses.

What about white? Unfortunately, when we think of white shoes, the images we conjure in our heads would either be that of a hospital or laboratory, sneakers, and shoes brides wear to their wedding. White shoes are not really the pair you would go for if you want to look elegant, but you’re in the office or even at a party. Go for something classy but muted instead, like beige, ecru, orchid, or champagne. 

Just like every girl needs to own a little black dress, black shoes are a must-have too. Black pumps match every style and every color. They are perfect for evening dresses but can also be used for work-related affairs or corporate events. Go to work with the perfect black shoes and everyone will not just love your work, but your shoes as well.

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Shoptalk: Are Inventory Control Systems Only for Big Businesses?

For anyone who has ever been to one of those big retailer stores that sell almost anything like K-Mart or Wal-Mart, the efficient and seemingly smooth sailing operations of these giant establishments can be attributed to one of the biggest triumphs of modern logistics - inventory control systems.  Almost every week, or in some cases, every day, retailers from the local neighborhood store, online stores with wholesale shoes for women to mega supermarkets welcome thousands of items into their stock sourced from different parts of the world. 

Yes, stores these days do not only get items from their respective countries alone, and despite this seemingly unmanageable situation where deliveries of new items are being done while customers buy items by the minute, the systems implemented by these stores to control inventory has become a central in their smooth operations.

It has become imperative for businesses these days to adapt inventory control systems not only to maintain a smooth flow of operations, but also to inform them of which items in their inventory are “moving” fast, meaning are selling, that they need to stock up on.  Knowing which products among a lot, for example, particular models among wholesale shoes, are selling and which are just occupying shelf space would give the business owner enough information to know which items he would like to get more of, which to move from the warehouse to the store, and which to store for an upcoming spike in demand. 

As of the moment, it can be argued that systems to manage or control inventory would only be a need for bigger business and just a whim for small vendors.  However, implementing a system would also be beneficial for small and medium enterprises.  By having inventory control systems, small stores can be more effective in maintaining as little stock as possible while making sure that there’s enough for the customer’s demands to be met. This is crucial especially for small shoe businesses that deal with bulk items, so that the business owner will know which among the models he or she has are selling like hotcakes and which ones are not faring so well, which can be avoided in the future. 

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Function and Fashion Combined in Leather Boots

Leather boots were thought to have been worn first by the ancient Mesopotamians 5,000 years ago. Of course, leather boots during ancient times are not the same as those being sold as wholesale shoes for women on websites. Their first incarnation was simple leather foot coverings stuffed with straw.

Later on, at around 3,000 BC it evolved to calf-high laced-up boots. Initially, leather boots were used as protection for the feet and legs from extreme weather and rough terrain. Thus, their first users were horseback riders and military personnel. At the start of the 17^th century, leather boots began to be used as everyday wear. During this time, the boots’ functionality was enhanced and many more fashionable styles were designed.

Popular Styles

At present there are an almost infinite variety of leather boots available in websites that sell wholesale shoes, or in the nearest shoe store in your area. Different brands of leather boots come in various sizes and styles. They can be ankle length, cut up to the mid-calf, knee-high, mid-thigh, and even thigh high boots. Heel size can range from flat heels to very high heels measuring five inches. Toes can either be round, square-shaped, pointed, or open.

While colors like black and brown are popular, boots can nevertheless bought in many other colors. Different styles include ankle boots, lace-up boots, motorcycle boots, riding boots, cowboy boots. They can come with accessories such as fringe, snakeskin, studs, zippers, and fur. They can be worn almost anywhere a woman wants to step foot – at home, at work, at a party, at church, at a club, any many other locations. Most leather boots offer protection against rain and snow. As a rule of thumb, the more stylish it is, the less likely it will be waterproof.

Proper Care

It is not that expensive to take care of leather boots, but you just have to be diligent with it by maintaining it regularly. Even if worn every week, leather boots can last for years if you clean them at regular intervals. Shoe care oil, a brush, and a boot dryer would be the handy things you will need to clean your pair. If course, you may need a reliable shoe repair person or cobbler in case your boots need repair.    

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Increase the Value of Your Wholesale Shoes

 The common perception with selling items in bulk like wholesale shoes for women is that you are providing customers with affordable products, but not really high in the way of value and quality. You will get a lot of comments from customers saying that shoes that are sold in bulk are cheap and therefore, can easily get damaged. You know as a businessman that this mentality is not always correct. Wholesale shoes are affordable because of the quantity you have brought them, driving their process down. But it doesn't automatically mean that they are poor in quality.

Knowing that your products have that kind of reputation, you need to known how to add value to them. That way, you can proudly offer them without being on the defensive all the time. But how is value added in products, anyway?

Here are some tricks in increasing the value of your wholesale shoes :

Brand

A brand should be created, then established, and then promoted.  Anything unknown or has no distinct identity scares consumers. It does not have to be a high-end brand. You don’t need to lie to customers. Just put a brand to your merchandise and cement its reputation by offering products that are affordable but have sterling quality.

Price

After setting an affordable introductory price, jack your price up, as higher-priced products are more often than not, associated with superior quality. This will definitely take time, so make sure that when you are in the introductory stages of your price, that the quality is really top-notch so that by the time you will increase your prices, you have your customers hook, line, and sinker.

Alliances

Endorsements and associations with established personalities gives products credibility and in turn, value. These personalities, especially if they have credibility and a reputation for the finer things in life, will jack up the profile of your product.

After-sales service

Excellent customer support is a must-have for legitimate businesses. There is nothing that says “credibility” and “legitimacy” then letting customers have ways of reaching you or improving their products. For example, is a customer has a broken hell on her shoe, how can she have it repaired? If your company assists customers like her, she and the rest of the consuming public will think your company is top-notch. 

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Don’t Delay the Success of Your Wholesale Shoes Business

Do you find yourself with a brilliant idea like a wholesale shoes business only to be stalled by none other than yourself? Do your plans always end up as nothing more than plans? Are your pipe dreams left in the pipe? Can you see any fruition of your to-do-list? There’s a huge chance you are one big procrastinator.

While it is true that being confident in doing great things at the last minute and holding off matters for later can have its advantages (are there?), the disadvantages of procrastinating always end up outweighing them. The thing is, while you are taking your sweet time delaying matters, someone may already be sneaking behind you and doing the exact thing you are planning. In the end, you end up being too late for the party!

For example, if you are thinking of getting your plans of putting your shoes business online and you keep on delaying it, there's a huge possibility that someone else somewhere in the world also has the same idea, but is not wasting any time and has his  business website up tomorrow. While you have finally mustered the motivation and urge to start your project, that other businessman has already established a market. That's a good number of customers less from you.

So, how can you avoid procrastinating and have your wholesale business plans up and running before anyone else beats you to it? 

Here are some points to consider to be successful in the Shoe Industry:

• Procrastinators tend to delay mainly because of being overwhelmed.  Work for them should be broken to smaller chunks.

If you find yourself staring at a very long to-do list and thinking, "This is too much. Let me have a vacation first," then snap out of it. Break down even your to-do list into a more manageable list. Have 3 items on each piece of paper. You'll see yourself more motivated because you are "on a roll" with finishing your much shortened lists.

• Procrastinators tend to be easily bored.  A change of environment can excite them.

Try to work somewhere you will be "pressured" to. Go to a coffee shop or a library once in a while where everybody is focused on working. You'll find yourself embarrassed as you're just doodling around, wasting time. Besides, there's always something new to look at in a different place, so that's something to make you less bored.

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You Shoe Business in 3, 2, 1...

Establishing a business from scratch can be very hard and risky – especially when it comes to the budget spent on setting up the company and getting the capital to begin with. When you’re starting up a store to sell shoes, you’ll need to undergo a lot of things first.

Besides going through several feasibility studies, you’ll need to go through three steps in order to set up your shoe shop.

Image Source: North Shoes

First, to ensure the success of a store, choosing the right company to partner with is important. You need to find a shop that can provide you with wholesaleshoes for women and men, if you decide to sell to both markets. But before you can go with any store, you need to know if this partner can provide you with quality, comfortable and stylish shoes without causing your business any trouble. While shops with less experience may offer cheaper prices, they may not be able to provide the right customer service that you deserve. In the same way, just because a supplier sells expensive wholesale shoes, it doesn’t mean they can also provide the service and quality you desire. Choosing the company to partner with is essential to your business.

Second, you need to consider your budget. Starting a business is not an easy venture. If you don’t have enough money to fund your business, you may not be able to get your shoes on hand. Maybe you can settle for co-signing products instead or going for a pre-order basis of orders. If you set enough budget for your initial capital, you may be able to purchase your first set of shoes for sale.

Third, now that you have your budget and a company to partner with, it is now up to you on how to choose the shoes to purchase. If you’re targeting women, it’s always best to keep a look out on the latest fashion trends of celebrities. Usually, people like to find affordable, but similar versions of these shoes so you can look for these from your supplier. Those who want to target men will always require the basics – slippers, loafers and black shoes – the pairs of shoes common for men.

Running a business isn’t a piece of cake. It requires brainstorming, proper research and feasibility studies and the time to commit to the venture. Without these, even a large capital may not be enough to guarantee a successful business.

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Footwear Not to Wear to the Office

With so many options in wholesale shoes online available, what should career women wear at the office? Actually, the bigger question is, what should they NOT wear? Varieties of shoes abound, and there are quite a lot of kinds that will definitely not look good when worn in the office.

Here are some of Shoes not to Wear to the Office:

• Shoes with bows and sparkling embellishments

Why Not: Do you see a bow in your shoe? Does your pair rival the sparkle of disco balls and glitter on a Christmas tree? Then, you cannot definitely wear these pairs to the office! Office footwear should be conservative, and while the modern times have loosened rules on what can be worn or not in the office by a bit (at least, women can now wear pantsuits and men need not wear a jacket the whole time), there is still a very visible line between what is acceptable and what is plain and simple loud.

Bows can be worn on your hair, but on office footwear, that would look too casual. Anything that sparkles and shines too much would give the impression of immaturity, and that’s one image you want to avoid in the office.

What to Wear Instead: If you want something more stylish than just a pair of pumps or flats in one tone, you can have a discreet small ribbon on the shoe. Just make sure the design detail is kept at a minimum and in the same color as the shoe. As for sparkles, simple: N-O.

• Flip flops

Why Not: If you are in the beach, during the summer or in the tropics, then it’s high time for you to strut in those thong slippers or flip flops. But the thing is, you are not in the tropics, and you are not in the beach. Flop flops do not match any office attire, unless you’re coming to work wearing shorts and a bikini top with a lei and a welcome drink. Save your flip flops for your Hawaiian vacation.

What to Wear Instead: If you want to keep a more casual feel on your office get-up, then wear flats. That’s the most causal; you can get without looking unprofessional.

• Stilettos

Why Not: Those pointy-heeled shoes do give the wearer at least 4 inches of extra height, but who want to look like they’re wearing a murder weapon in the office? Those shoes don’t only look, but can be very uncomfortable to wear, which should be something career women should avoid. I mean, while it is true that they need to look stylish in the office, they also need to feel comfortable, which is, in fact, the main consideration.Not to mention they make that clicking sound on floors that disturbs everyone at the ofice.

 

What to Wear Instead: If fashion and professionalism should be balanced, the kind of shoe you should consider from the wholesale shoes inventory would be pumps. Pumps have heels, which give the wearer additional height, but also look professional and powerful, not to mention they look right with power suits and office clothes.

Image source: Etsy, Citrine's Blog, eBay

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Commandments for Social Media Use for Businesses

Like all other businesses, your wholesale shoes venture could benefit from the hottest thing in the world of online marketing – social media. But there are some rules, actually commandments that you’d need to abide by to keep these platforms on your side. Here are some of them:

Image source: IT Edge News

Thou shalt blog.

Blogging updates information. A new piece of information is always welcome for reactions and comments. These comments are the ones that would make or break your company. Good comments would provide more chances of being known through sharing of your blog. Not updating your blog would let readers forget your store ever existed.  So to protect your company, better have interesting blogs released in a timely manner to make people hungry for more.

Thou shalt create authentic profiles.

There are a lot of fakes online and one must be careful not to be identified as one. Have a site that is credible. Make it look professional. Also showcase your products at their best. If you are selling shoes, then you need to blog about wholesale shoes that would inform customers about your promotions. These are sure ways to let customers know your store is legit.

Thou shalt have a dedicated person or team running your platforms.

Having a dedicated team running the platforms that you have utilized would ensure that the said media are well cared for. Your team would respond to queries and address complaints. They can also deal with any kind of problem that can arise like a server that is down or a site that is not accessible. These technical problems are best handled by experts in the field of social media.

Thou shalt not use social media to fight with anyone, even with trolls.

Fighting does not amount to anything. When you fight online, it would mean that your company would stoop to their very low level. It is better to ignore negative trolls. As for negative comments, try to address the problem and provide suitable explanation that would not out you and your company is a bad light. Explaining your side is good, but never whine nor complain and just stick on how the problem can be solved. Sarcastic and snarky are images that don’t bide well with how your company should be viewed as.

Thou shalt diversify your content being posted on various platforms.

Posting on one platform is not a good idea. This would limit your influence online. Not everyone would be using a particular platform anyway so better choose the social media that have plenty of users. It is better to post in different social media for wider influence than one medium with a limited one plus popularity of social media is unpredictable, one minute it is popular, the next it isn't so to be on the safe side, use different platforms.

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Get Your Shoe Vocabulary In Check

Women’s shoes wholesalers have to be in-the-know of all terms pertaining to wholesale shoes for women. You can't really have a business like this without knowing what your products are. So, get your women's shoes vocabulary by reading below: 

Ankle Strap
A style of footwear with a strap attached at the rear end of the shoe that encircles the ankle.

Ballerina Flat
A ballet-style flat shoe that is good for everyday wear. These wholesale shoes can be dressed up or down, depending on the occasion. Its versatility makes it a best-seller.

Boot
A style of footwear that extends above the ankle and above. This type of wholesale shoes sells out fast!

Bootie
Known as a shootie or a shoe-boot, this is a boot that has the style of a shoe that does not go beyond the ankles.

D’Orsay (“door-say”)
A type of pump with one or both sides cut.

Espadrille
A rubber-soled sandal with and a woven rope or a similar material covering the wedge or the sole area.

Kitten Heel
A tapered low heel with a narrow base.

Mary Jane
A low-heeled shoe characterized with a strap that goes across the instep. The Mary Jane will  never go out of style, so be sure to stock up for your wholesale shoes business.

Moccasin
A slip-on shoe with a soft leather bottom with visible stitches.

Oxford
A low-heeled shoe that covers the entire foot with laces tied over the instep.

Peep Toe
A style of footwear characterized with a narrow opening at the front, slightly showing the toes.

Platform
A shoe or a sandal bearing a high and thick sole, usually with high heels to adjust to the thick sole. Women love this type of wholesale shoes because it gives them height without the pain.

Pump
A slip-on type of shoe with no fastenings, usually having any heel height. Another women’s wholesale shoes classic!

Sandal
A type of footwear fastened by straps.

Slingback
A style of footwear with a strap attached at the rear end of the shoe that encircles the heel.

Sneaker/Running Shoe
A comfortable and lightweight shoe with a rubber sole, usually used for athletics.

Wedge
A heel that follows the shoe’s contour, extending from the back of the shoe to the front, filling the entire shank portion; heel may be of any height.

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