Enquiry
Send a drawing, a sample, or a target.
Tell us what the sole has to survive and at what volume. An applications engineer replies with a material recommendation, a tooling plan and a quotation, not a brochure.
- Drawing, 3D file or physical sample
- AI, STP, IGES, DWG, a 3D scan, or post us the shoe you want matched.
- Sole system and target hardness
- Shore A for rubber and TPR, Shore C for EVA. If you are unsure, describe the use.
- Size range and grading
- EU, US or UK, and the full span: tooling is priced per size, not per style.
- Colour and finish
- Pantone or a physical chip. Note if the sole must be non-marking.
- Volume per colour and per style
- Both the first order and the annual expectation; they price differently.
- Performance targets and test standards
- Abrasion, slip, flex or ageing requirements, with the standard you certify against.
Sending a drawing or 3D file? Attach it to an email. We work from AI, STP, IGES and DWG files, 3D scan data, or a posted physical sample.
Worth reading before you write.
The guides answer the questions that decide whether the reply you get is a quotation or another round of questions: whichhardness scalebelongs on your spec, howEVA, rubber and TPRtrade off against each other, and whata size run of mouldsshould cost. What we need back from you to quote is listed on thedevelopment page.
What buyers ask first.
The questions that come up in every sourcing conversation, answered before you have to send the email.
Every answer below is backed by a rig on site or a report on request.
How we testWhat types of shoe soles does Hongsole manufacture?
Six families: vulcanised rubber outsoles, foamed rubber soles, TPR soles, rubber outsoles bonded to an EVA midsole, one-piece moulded rubber/EVA soles, and IP injection moulded soles. All are made to customer drawings or samples rather than sold from a stock catalogue.
Can you match a hardness, tread pattern or colour we already use?
Yes. Send a drawing, a physical sample or a performance brief. Rubber compounding is done in-house, so hardness, colour and abrasion targets are formulated rather than sourced from a third party.
Which shoe materials should I choose: rubber, TPR or an EVA midsole?
It depends on what the shoe has to survive. Vulcanised rubber gives the best abrasion life and wet grip but is the heaviest and needs steel tooling. TPR moulds fast, colours cleanly and costs less, but stiffens in the cold. EVA is the lightest and most cushioned, yet compresses over time and is poor as a bare outsole. A rubber outsole bonded to an EVA midsole is the usual answer when a brief asks for both wear life and cushioning.
What hardness can you hold, and which scale do you quote in?
Rubber and TPR are quoted in Shore A, EVA in Shore C, and the two scales are not interchangeable. In production we hold 60–65 Shore A on casual and lifestyle rubber outsoles, 65–70 Shore A on safety and work outsoles, 60–65 Shore A on foamed rubber at around 0.40 g/cm³, and 60–65 Shore A on TPR. On EVA we hold 55–60 Shore C at 0.25 g/cm³ for casual and slipper soles, where the EVA is the wear surface, and 40–45 Shore C at 0.20 g/cm³ for sport and running midsoles. Combination and IP injection soles are quoted per programme, because the layers carry different targets.
Do you make the moulds in-house?
Yes. A dedicated 4,000 m² tooling plant runs wood carving through CNC machining and produces roughly 500 sole moulds a month, so tread revisions do not wait on an outside mould vendor.
What testing is done before shipment?
Eight rigs on site cover DIN abrasion, footwear slip resistance, tensile and tear, density, vulcanisation cure, scuff marking, shrinkage and yellowing, and conditioned thermal ageing. Independent CTI laboratory reports are issued per programme on request.
How much does a custom outsole mould cost?
Industry pricing for an aluminium outsole mould runs roughly US$350–500 per mould. Two things matter more than the unit figure. Tooling is charged per size rather than per style, so a full size run means a dozen or more moulds and complete tooling for a shoe programme can reach five figures. And the charge is recoverable: we refund the tooling cost in full once a programme reaches 100,000 pairs. We cut rubber tooling in steel and EVA tooling in aluminium. Send the sole and the size run and we will quote the moulds against it.
Who owns the mould once it is paid for?
Ownership, storage and transfer are set by contract before tooling is cut, and the tooling charge itself is refunded in full at 100,000 pairs. Raise both in your first enquiry; they are the terms overseas brands most often discover too late.
What file formats can you work from?
AI, STP, IGES and DWG files, 3D scan data, or a physical sample posted to the factory. If all you have is a reference shoe and a performance target, that is enough to start.
What is the minimum order quantity and the lead time?
Our minimum is 1,000 pairs per colour on existing tooling, and 2,000 pairs per style with 1,000 per colour where new tooling is cut. Samples from existing tooling come back within 10 days, new tooling within 15 days, and a development sample including its tooling in 3 to 4 weeks. From mould approval to finished goods is 30 to 60 days depending on volume.
Which markets do you already ship to?
Hongsole supplies footwear customers in the United States, Canada, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Russia, Japan, Australia, India, Thailand, Pakistan and mainland China.
Where is the factory located?
Dongguan, Guangdong, China. Five plants across Daojiao and Houjie towns cover tooling, rubber, EVA sole stock, IP injection and TPR/combination work.