Dropshipping is one of the business models that is growing the fastest in the eCommerce world today. In fact, close to one-third of all online businesses are dropshippers. It’s popular because it saves time and money on things like fulfillment and logistics. This gives dropshippers more time to focus on customer service and marketing, which are two important tasks that will eventually turn visitors into paying customers.
When deciding what products to sell through dropshipping, clothing items like sunglasses, bags, watches, and especially shoes should be high on your list. We’ll explain why in a moment. In past articles, we talked about dropshipping tips for selling the most popular sunglasses, handbags for women, and watches. Now, we’ll talk about another important category: men’s shoes.
A short history of footwear
Humans have worn shoes since the beginning of time. This is because our bodies have changed over time, making our feet more sensitive. People are thought to have started wearing something on their feet to protect them from the weather around 50,000 years ago. However, the oldest real example of shoes is a pair of sandals discovered in California. They were made only about 9,000 years ago.
Before the Middle Ages, shoes were usually just a piece of leather or cloth wrapped around the foot. In the 14th century, people started to wear shoes that were both structured and sized. They also started to wear different shoes based on sex and rank.
But shoes didn’t start being made in larger numbers until the 1850s, when the first shoe factories opened. Modern machines like the sewing machine, which was invented in France in the 1830s, were made to do things that used to be done by hand. These machines made shoes cheaper and faster to make. This is why there are so many different styles, colors, and shapes of shoes on the market today.
Is it worth it to dropship men’s shoes?
Yes. Men have a lot of choices when it comes to shoes these days, so the demand for men’s shoes keeps going up. This is clear from the amount of money the footwear market is making right now:
- In 2022, the market for shoes is expected to be worth $381.90 billion.
- From 2022 to 2027, the growth is expected to be 5.88% per year.
Best Men’s Shoes to Stop Dropshipping in 2023
Men’s slip-on shoes
When it comes to dropshipping shoes for men, the casual segment is one to keep an eye on. No matter what their age or other characteristics are, every man has at least one pair of casual shoes that they can wear every day.
Casual shoes for men cover a wide range of styles, but you can tell what they are by how they are made. This usually means that the shoe is bigger, made of materials like canvas and leather, and has a flat rubber sole. Casual shoes can either have laces or not. If they have laces, they are usually thicker and either flat or round, unlike the laces on formal shoes. This group includes shoes like sneakers, espadrilles, boat shoes, driving shoes, and loafers.
Casual shoes can be worn on nights out, when running errands, or to family gatherings where comfort and personal style are important. This pair of Velvet casual shoes by Dolce & Gabbana is an example of a style you could sell in your dropshipping store. They are sure to catch the eye of potential male buyers.
Men’s dress shoes
When getting dressed up, you need a pair of formal shoes to go with your outfit. Formal shoes for men are also called “dress shoes,” and they must be worn to events where following rules is important. There may be a wedding, a business meeting, or a trip to the theater.
Formal shoes tend to be slimmer and darker than their casual counterparts. Most of the time, they have round, waxed laces that are thinner than those on casual shoes. This helps them go with nicer clothes. Also, the heel part of the sole of formal shoes is separate from the rest of the sole. Formal shoes are usually made of leather, but they can also be made of a mix of leather and rubber, depending on how durable, comfortable, and weather-proof they need to be.
Dolce & Gabbana’s Black Calfskin Formal Shoes and Saxone of Scotland’s Leather Men’s Oxford Shoes are two examples of formal shoes with thin, elegant laces and leather and rubber soles that you can buy in bulk at dropship-empire.marketplace.
Loafers for men
If you plan to dropship shoes or want to add more to what you already sell, make sure to include different styles of men’s loafers, which are very popular right now.
Loafers are a great choice if you want a shoe without laces that will be comfortable and make you look professional. They come in many different styles and versions, like the popular Penny loafer, the Tassel loafer, and the Belgian loafer.
Some of these are already in dropship-empire.collection of men’s shoes, like the black loafers made of calf leather by Saxone of Scotland and the red Slipper loafers made of a mix of high-end materials like silk and linen by Dolce & Gabbana.
Men’s boots
When the colder months come, every man needs a pair of designer boots to keep their feet dry and warm.
Most boots are made of leather, which lets them mold to your feet and be so comfortable you’d never want to take them off. As for the soles, if you sell seasonal boots for fall and winter, you should avoid those with soles made of only leather and instead stock those with rubber soles or a combination of leather and rubber. This is because rubber soles give your customers a much better grip on any surface they might want to use them on, especially when the weather is bad.
Dolce & Gabbana’s Derby Leather Boots and Brown Calfskin Boots made from calf leather are two high-end styles you should have in your dropshipping store.
Sneakers for men
Sneakers were first made for sports and other active things. But since the athleisure trend is still going strong, they have also made their way into men’s everyday wardrobes. Because of these things, if you’re dropshipping shoes for men, you should make sure that your store has sneakers.
Most of the time, their soles are made of rubber, which makes them flexible and good for sports. They can also have soles made of synthetic materials. The top of sneakers can be made of canvas, leather, or any other comfortable synthetic material.
These days, you can find sneakers that look like anything. For example, Philipp Plein Sport White Sneakers can be worn with a more casual outfit when boots or loafers would be too much, but the goal is still to look neat and casual. The elegant White Calfskin Sneakers by Dolce & Gabbana are also a good choice for customers who want a more polished, business-casual look.
Sandals for men
When the weather gets warmer, your customers will want to put away their boots and high-top sneakers. Men’s sandals can be a great choice for those who want a more casual look. On hot summer days, this type of shoe can be the coolest thing to wear out, and it can also be a more stylish alternative to sneakers. T
When it comes to sandals, there are two main types: the utilitarian ones with web straps and the classic leather ones that make you want to wear linen shirts. Popular styles of Dolce & Gabbana’s leather men’s sandals could be a great addition to your store for men who want to ditch their sneakers in the summer and wear sandals instead.
Men’s moccasins
A man’s summer shoe collection isn’t complete without a pair of moccasins. Men’s moccasins are usually made with U-shaped toes, but they can also be made of suede, leather, or fabric. This summer, you can wear these shoes to semi-formal events by pairing them with tailored pants and a shirt.
If your store sells men’s shoes through dropshipping, you might want to offer different kinds of moccasins in your spring and summer collections, like these orange or white Dolce & Gabbana Leather Moccasins.
To conclude
Adding the above-mentioned styles of men’s shoes to your dropshipping store is a good way to get more people to visit your site and get them to buy more than just one item. Even more so when you have a large selection of seasonal and classic shoes that appeal to a wide range of people. As a dropshipper, it’s important that you work with the best dropshipping supplier so you can get access to new styles and make sure you’re selling your customers high-quality goods.