Shoes & sneakers are popular fashion accessories that probably any beginner dropshipper has once thought of selling.
To help you decide whether this dropshipping niche is worth your time, this article will break down its demand as well as its pros and cons. We’ll also show you the best suppliers, tips, and resources to start selling shoes & sneakers without inventory as profitably as possible.
Are Shoes & Sneakers A Good Dropshipping Niche?
Although the global footwear market size is massive (estimated to grow from $222.6B in 2020 to $269.9B in 2025, registering a CAGR of 3.8%), it’s highly competitive with well-known players like Nike, Adidas, Puma, Timberland, etc. Major brands also actively strengthen their eCommerce presence by engaging customers through social media platforms. Hence, shoes & sneakers are a very tough niche to start dropshipping for beginners.
![US footwear market size](jpg/us-footwear-market-sizec1cc.jpg?resize=590%2C300&ssl=1)
Having said that, there’re still newer eCommerce & dropshipping footwear names in the market that come up with unique product angles and achieve huge success. A few of them are MensLuxuryBoutique, Allbirds, Crocs, and On.
If you have the necessary skills and knowledge, we believe you can still compete in this niche and make good money out of it.
How Much Money Can You Make Dropshipping Shoes & Sneakers?
According to CSIMarket, the average net profit margin of the footwear industry is about 11.09%. And, as reported by Yotpo, the median eCommerce fashion order value is about $97. It means you can make about $97 * 11.09% = $10.76 in net profit for every sale.
The average conversion rate of the fashion industry is between 1.01% and 1.41%. So, for example, a shoe & sneaker dropshipping store like MensLuxuryBoutique with 50,000 visitors/month could make about 50,000 * $11.09 * [1.01% ~ 1.41%] = [$5,600 ~ $7,818]/month.
Pros & Cons Of Dropshipping Shoes & Sneakers
Below are the pros of dropshipping footwear:
- Large Audience Base: Every person buy shoes & sneakers at some point during their lives. There is also no shortage of ad interests related to footwear you can target for your Facebook, Pinterest, and TikTok ad campaigns.
- Numerous Products With Various Styles: Many dropshipping suppliers provide abundant kinds of shoes & sneakers with different colors, shapes, and sizes at affordable prices.
- Upselling & Cross-selling Potential: It’s simple to upsell and cross-sell relevant products like clothing, bags, jewelry, watches, and other fashion accessories.
And, here are drawbacks of this dropshipping niche:
- Extremely Competitive: As we have mentioned, besides fellow dropshippers, you would also have to compete with established brands like Nike, Adidas, and various other emerging brands.
- High Return Rates: The clothing & footwear industry is heavily size-based. Suppose customers receive shoes that don’t fit them. They would be very likely to return the products.
Best Dropshipping Suppliers For Shoes & Sneakers
Here’re the 14 best shoe & sneaker dropshipping suppliers.
1. Sobeyo
![](jpg/sobeyo-homepaged2ef.jpg?resize=944%2C572&ssl=1)
Since 2014, Sobeyo has been striving to research and design footwear that strikes the perfect balance between durability, comfort, versatility, and style.
This US fashion dropshipping vendor started out with a small selection of ballet flats and wedges and now has expanded into other categories, including boots, Mary Jane shoes, and sandals for both women and girls.
Pros
- 5-15-day shipping via USPS, FedEx and DHL.
- Support Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Paypal.
Cons
- Has no in-house dropshipping app (But you can sync Sobeyo’s catalog to your store via Syncee).
- Doesn’t provide personalized labeling or packaging.
- Only ship to the USA and Canada.
Pricing
- Shoes & Sneakers: Starting from $13.96.
- Shipping Costs: Free standard shipping within the 48 contiguous USA states.
- Subscription Fees: You can start dropshipping for free from Sobeyo.
2. Griffati
![](jpg/griffati-shoe-dropshipping-supplier4794.jpg?resize=1024%2C482&ssl=1)
Griffati is an EU dropshipping supplier of original shoes and sneakers from Nike, Adidas, and 300 other premium Italian & international designer fashion brands like Alexander Mcqueen, Calvin Klein, Diesel, Dolce & Gabbana, Givenchy, Gucci, Guess, etc.
There’re currently more than 300 luxury dropshipping footwear styles on the platform, along with over 20K high-ticket products in men’s & women’s clothing, accessories, and bags at discounted prices.
Pros
- Global blind dropshipping with an average delivery time of 3-5 days to EU countries via UPS and DHL.
- Product catalog in 24 languages.
- 50%-80% off retail pricing.
- Accept Paypal, major credit cards, bank wire transfers, and Klarna.
- Integrate with Shopify, Prestashop, Woocommerce, and Magento.
Cons
- High subscription costs.
- No personalized packages and labels.
Pricing
- Shoes & Sneakers: Starting from $76.
- Shipping Costs: Starting from $16 to Europe and $21 to other non-EU countries.
- Subscription Fees: It’s $190/month to start dropshipping branded products from this brand name dropshipping supplier.
3. Footwear US
![](jpg/footwearus-homepage7191.jpg?resize=1024%2C587&ssl=1)
The next one is Footwear USA. It’s a privately owned manufacturer and dropshipping wholesaler in the US with over 40 years of experience providing more than 1K varieties of quality wide-width shoes.
When working with Footwear USA, you enjoy dropshipping products at wholesale prices with no minimum order requirement (MOQ).
Pros
- Fast international delivery via USPS and UPS.
- Usually process orders within 24-48 hours.
- Accept Paypal and major credit cards.
Cons
- No Shopify app.
- Doesn’t support custom branding.
Pricing
- Shoes & Sneakers: From $10.
- Shipping Costs: From $5.
- Subscription Fees: None.
4. Zaful
![](jpg/zaful-shoe-and-sneaker-dropshipping-supplierf933.jpg?resize=1024%2C500&ssl=1)
Zaful is a Chinese dropshipping supplier with an in-house market research team to discover the latest market trends. Then, by partnering with top suppliers & manufacturers worldwide, the company can promptly produce a wide range of popular and high-quality fashion goods at low prices.
Regarding footwear dropshipping products, Zaful possesses over 150 pairs of sneakers, shoes, sandals, boots, flats, pumps, and wedges in diverse styles, colors, and sizes for different occasions.
Besides, it also gives you access to a massive catalog of casual wear, dresses, jackets, coats, pants, jeans, swimwear, activewear, curve & plus-size apparel, etc.
Pros
- Ship to 260 countries and regions around the world within 3-25 business days.
- Process orders within 24 hours on average.
- Accept PayPal, Visa, Mastercard, Western Union, American Express, Klarna, and Afterpay.
Cons
- No Shopify dropshipping app.
- No custom branding solutions.
Pricing
- Shoes & Sneakers: From $13.67.
- Shipping Costs: From $2.99-$6.99. Free standard shipping on orders over $40. Free express delivery on orders over $99.
- Subscription Fees: Zaful is available as a free shoe & sneaker dropshipper.
5. Nihao Dropshipping
![](jpg/nihaodropshipping-shoe-and-sneaker-dropshipping-supplier04d4.jpg?resize=1024%2C472&ssl=1)
Nihao Dropshipping is a B2B dropshipping subsidiary of Nihao Group – the company behind popular and successful online fashion jewelry and accessories shopping site NihaoJewelry.
In addition to stylish shoes & sneakers, it also provides 500K+ popular items in various other kinds of niches for customers all over the world.
Pros
- Worldwide shipping within 7-15 business days.
- Hot niche & product recommendation.
- Pay with all major credit/debit cards.
- Can connect with Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, and Magento.
Cons
- No personalized packages or labels.
- It might need several days to process and dispatch orders.
Pricing
- Shoes & Sneakers: From $5.
- Shipping Costs: From $10.
- Subscription Fees: Free.
6. SheStar
![](jpg/shestar-shoe-sneaker-dropshipping-supplier6fb7.jpg?resize=1024%2C480&ssl=1)
Shestar belongs to SINTEX APPAREL LIMITED(Hong Kong) – a cheap fashion wholesale dropshipping company with over 30 years of experience in the professional garment & shoe production industry.
Besides having its own factories, it also cooperates with hundreds of other Chinese fashion manufacturers and distributors. All of which are experienced in OEM and ODM.
Shestar features trendy and fashionable dropshipping shoes & sneakers for women that are well-stocked and at competitive factory prices.
Pros
- Global shipping within 6-30 business days via FedEx, UPS, DHL, EMS, etc.
- 3%-10% off on orders over $500.
- Accept Paypal, Credit card, Wire Transfer, and Western Union.
Cons
- Doesn’t support direct integration with eCommerce platforms.
- No personalized dropshipping branding options.
- Processing and handling can take 2-7 business days.
Pricing
- Shoes & Sneakers: From $3.13.
- Shipping Costs: From $15.
- Subscription Fees: None.
7. Kiskissing
![](jpg/kikissing-shoe-sneaker-dropshipping-supplierc3f6.jpg?resize=1024%2C456&ssl=1)
If you’re finding a dropshipping supplier specializing in children’s and toddler sneakers & shoes, take a look at Kiskissing.
It’s also part of SINTEX, having supplied kids’ clothing and footwear for small and medium retailers and merchants in more than 130 countries.
Pros
- International delivery within 6-30 business days via FedEx, UPS, DHL, EMS, etc.
- Accept Paypal and all common credit cards.
Cons
- No dropshipping app.
- No personalized branding options.
- Up to 7 business days of handling times. Large orders might take 9 days to process.
Pricing
- Shoes & Sneakers: From $3.38.
- Shipping Costs: From $15.
- Subscription Fees: Free.
8. Modalyst
![](jpg/modalyst-shoe-sneaker-dropshipping-supplier5dda.jpg?resize=1024%2C502&ssl=1)
Modalyst presents you with an enormous curation of shoes and sneakers. It’s the home of 1K+ US, EU, UK, Australia, and Chinese dropshipping suppliers of all sizes and shapes, from private-label brands, indie companies, eco-friendly fashion manufacturers, to AliExpress sellers.
As of now, there’re over 350K online businesses and entrepreneurs using the platform, who have imported a total of 10M+ products to their dropshipping stores and reached 50M+ worldwide shoppers.
Another strength of Modalyst is that it’s the official technology partner of Alibaba Dropshipping Center, allowing you to start dropshipping Alibaba products with no MOQ easily.
Pros
- International orders take 15 business days to deliver, and domestic ones take 4-7 days on average.
- Payment methods include Paypal, credit cards, and debit cards.
- Can connect with Shopify, BigCommerce, and Wix.
Cons
- High shipping costs on a number of items.
- No custom packaging solutions.
- Processing times can take up to 10 days.
Pricing
- Shoes & Sneakers: From $3.69.
- Shipping Costs: Many items have free shipping options.
- Subscription Fees: You can use Modalyst for free for up to 25 imported products. Paid plans start from $35/month to remove the limit.
9. DHgate
![](jpg/dhgate-shoe-sneaker-dropshipping-supplier4202.jpg?resize=1024%2C497&ssl=1)
DHgate is a very famous international dropshipping supplier located in China to find cheap replica shoes and sneakers.
It has served more than 36 million registered buyers from 223 countries and regions by connecting them with over 2.2M Chinese agents, cheap wholesalers, and retailers.
Pros
- Global delivery within 3-15 working days via China Post, EMS, DHL, FedEx, TNT, Singapore Post, HK Post, etc.
- Local warehouses in US, PL, ES, UK, DE, RU, AU, HK, CA, NL, FR, MX, BE, CH, IT, SG, etc.
- Frequent discounts and coupons.
- Payment methods include PayPal, credit card, bank wire transfers, and Western Union.
- Support direct integration with eBay and Shopify via MyyShop.
Cons
- Not all sellers on DHgate are trustworthy and reliable.
- Has many poor-quality products.
- Logistics delays usually happen.
Pricing
- Shoes & Sneakers: From $9.9.
- Shipping Costs: Many products have free shipping options.
- Subscription Fees: It’s free to dropship from DHgate.
10. Banggood
![](jpg/banggood-shoe-sneaker-dropshipping-supplier4794.jpg?resize=1024%2C482&ssl=1)
Banggood is a cheap Chinese wholesaler & wholesale dropshipper with a network of 37+ overseas warehouses and 100K+ reliable suppliers, offering thousands of styles of high-quality but cost-effective shoes & sneakers.
The company was founded in 2006 in Guangzhou and has emerged to become a top-50 Chinese brand. Banggood app was also one of the most downloaded shopping apps in Europe.
Pros
- Deliver to 200+ countries and territories via Standard Shipping, Air Parcel Register, Railway Direct Mail, Expedited Shipping Service, and EMS Express Mail Service.
- Professional customer service in multiple languages, including English, Russian, Spanish, German, Italian, French, Thai, Japanese, Dutch, Portuguese, Turkish, Korean, and Arabic.
- Pay via Paypal, Visa, MasterCard, American Express, RuPay, UPI Payment, KONBINI, Multibanco, Klarna, AfterPay, etc.
- COD (Cash On Delivery) for Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and Philippines.
- Integrate directly with Shopify.
Cons
- It can sometimes take up to 60 days for orders to reach destinations.
- No personalized branding services.
Pricing
- Shoes & Sneakers: From $9.99.
- Shipping Costs: From $1.45 or free shipping.
- Subscription Fees: Free.
11. EPROLO
![](jpg/eprolo-shoe-sneaker-dropshipping-suppliere0fd.jpg?resize=1024%2C507&ssl=1)
EPROLO is a fast shoe & sneaker dropshipping supplier that provides you with an all-in-one dropshipping solution, from product sourcing, inventory management, quality control, fulfillment, custom packaging to worldwide shipping.
By working directly with Chinese manufacturers, EPROLO gives you access to over 300K low-cost products in diverse dropshipping niches, including not only footwear, fashion apparel but also beauty & hair, sports & outdoors, phones & accessories, consumer electronics, home improvement, knives, and coffee-related goods.
Pros
- Worldwide shipping with an average delivery time of 5-8 days to the US/UK and 8-12 days to Europe via CNE, DHL, USPS, YANWEN, ePacket, Canada Post, Australia Post, etc.
- Hand-picked winning dropshipping products.
- Support custom packing bags, labels, hangtags, gift cards, and scotch tapes.
- Provide print-on-demand solutions.
- Process orders with Paypal and credit cards.
- Integrate with eBay, Shopify, WooCommerce, and Shoplazza.
Cons
- A number of products have high shipping fees.
- Shipping delays might occur.
Pricing
- Shoes & Sneakers: From $1.64.
- Shipping Costs: From $10 (Some items can be shipped for free).
- Subscription Fees: Free.
12. CJDropshipping
![](jpg/cjdropshipping-shoe-sneaker-dropshipping-supplier0605.jpg?resize=1024%2C606&ssl=1)
Another fast dropshipping supplier in China like EPROLO for shoes & sneakers is CJDropshipping. Having been around since 2014, it now owns a comprehensive supply chain management system with 200+ warehouses all over the USA, Germany, Britain, France, and other Asian countries.
CJ also provides sourcing solutions to help you dropship products from Taobao, 1688, Tmall, AliExpress, and any other shopping websites.
Pros
- Worldwide delivery within 2-25 days via CJPacket, USPS, DHL, EMS, PostNL, etc.
- Custom labeling and packaging services.
- Offer print-on-demand products.
- Winning product photography and video creation.
- Payment methods include Paypal, bank wire transfer, credit card, Payoneer, and Midtrans.
- Integrate with eBay, Shopify, WooCommerce, Lazada, Shopee, and more.
Cons
- Some items have relatively high shipping costs.
- Logistics delays might occur.
Pricing
- Shoes & Sneakers: From $5.
- Shipping Costs: From $10.
- Subscription Fees: Free.
13. JetPrint
![](jpg/jetprint-shoe-sneaker-print-on-demand-dropshipping-suppliera5a5.jpg?resize=1024%2C704&ssl=1)
For merchants wanting to create custom footwear with your logos and images to sell online, check out JetPrint. It’s a high-quality print-on-demand dropshipping supplier that has catered to over 30k Shopify customers, featuring brandable high-top canvas shoes, sports sneakers, trendy mesh kit sneakers, leather boots, and baseball sneakers.
Besides, JetPrint also gives you access to 200+ other personalizable & all-over-print items, including t-shirts, hoodies, jackets, custom watches, blankets, bedsheets, custom doormats, and more.
Pros
- Global delivery within 25 days from Shenzhen and Hong Kong SAR.
- Powerful mock-up generator.
- Pay with Paypal, Visa, Mastercard, and other credit cards.
- Integrate with Shopify and WooCommerce.
Cons
- Production lead times can be up to 6 days.
- No custom packaging.
Pricing
- Shoes & Sneakers: From $26.99.
- Shipping Costs: Free to most countries.
- Subscription Fees: Free.
14. InkPodFulfillment
![](jpg/inkpod-shoe-sneaker-print-on-demand-dropshipping-supplier4505.jpg?resize=1024%2C692&ssl=1)
An alternative cheap print-on-demand dropshipper for custom footwear to JetPrint is InkPodFulfillment. It commits to helping designers create and realize their own business with a flexible supply chain distribution solution supported on powerful SaaS software tools.
The company heavily focuses on the shoe & sneaker industry with 40 different styles currently available in its catalog.
Pros
- Worldwide shipping within 7-15 days.
- Support credit card payments.
- Integrate with Shopify.
Cons
- Production takes 4-7 days.
- No custom packages.
Pricing
- Shoes & Sneakers: From $26.99.
- Shipping Costs: Included in product prices.
- Subscription Fees: It’s free to dropship from this Chinese print-on-demand company.
How To Start Dropshipping Shoes & Sneakers Profitably
Here’re some tips and resources to help you start making money dropshipping shoes & sneakers.
1. Best ECommerce Platform To Create Shoe & Sneaker Store
Shopify is the best platform for dropshipping. The reason is that it’s easy to use, fast to set up, stable, and effortless to scale up.
Additionally, Shopify provides you with over 100 themes to design a beautiful and unique shoe & sneaker dropshipping store.
On top of that, with a market of 4200+ apps, you can easily extend your store functionality to cater to all your business needs.
Consider checking out our comprehensive guide on starting dropshipping successfully with Shopify for more information.
![Shopify homepage](jpg/shopify-platform-homepage5d24.jpg?resize=1024%2C592&ssl=1)
2. Markups For Footwear Dropshipping Products
The standard markup in the shoe industry is anywhere between 100% and 500%.
In the case of Nike, the company usually sell their products to wholesalers for $50, and that sneaker will be retailed at $100 – a 100% markup.
We also recommend that number for beginner dropshippers. It’s enough to cover all of your expenses (especially advertising) and not too costly for customers to buy.
So, for instance, if a sneaker costs $25, your listing price should be around $50. Then, depending on your conversion rates and profit margins, try raising or lowering the price and see how things turn out.
3. Best Platforms To Promote Shoes & Sneakers
We recommend that you focus on using these 5 platforms below to help you promote and generate sales for your footwear dropshipping store.
- Facebook: The interest “footwear” has 648.0M audiences on Facebook. And, the average CPC for interest “Footwear” is $0.29, while the average CPM is $5.8. Hence, it could be very profitable to advertise shoes & sneakers using Facebook.
- Instagram: Fashion (including footwear) is one of the top interests on Instagram (42%). Statistics also show that 80% of users have bought something based on Instagram influencer recommendations.
- Google Shopping: This is a free and paid listing service from Google that displays offers from various sellers and advertisers, allowing users to quickly search for products on online websites and compare prices between them. By using Google Shopping, you can reach millions of potential customers.
- Pinterest: 66% of users on this platform buy something after seeing a brand’s Pins. Furthermore, women’s fashion and men’s fashion are also among the most sought-after categories on the platforms (46% and 13% respectively).
- TikTok: 49% of TikTok users purchases a product after seeing it advertised, promoted, or reviewed at least once on the platform.
- SEO & Blogging: When it comes to making a large purchase like shoes & sneakers, 81% of shoppers use Google for additional information. And, 69% are more likely to buy from a website that addresses their questions.
4. Tips To Increase Footwear Conversion Rates
If you’re stuck generating your first footwear dropshipping sale, here’re some tips to try implementing:
- Use high-definition images: Fashion goods like shoes & sneakers must have sharp, clear, and zoomable images to let customers scan details. We also recommend using photos featuring models wearing the products to better help shoppers vividly imagine how they would look with them.
- Import reviews from past customers: According to Spiegel Research Center, a product with as few as five reviews boosts its conversion rate by 270% compared to a product with no reviews. And, the number will skyrocket even more if the reviews contain authentic and home-taken photos from real buyers.
- Include an accurate size chart: As we have mentioned earlier, sizing is a big problem that makes shoppers hesitate to buy apparel online. Therefore, having a size chart is a must to reduce friction.
- Provide great return & refund policies: To further comfort your customers (zero-risk bias), you can offer a generous policy that allows them to return or get back a percentage of their order if they accidentally purchase a pair of shoes that doesn’t fit them.
- Create a brand value: Don’t just think about selling your shoes, think about what value you can bring to your customers or the world. For example, Allbirds took sustainability as the core differentiator to challenge even giants like Nike and Adidas. Or, TOMS gives a pair of shoes to a child in need for every pair it sells.
Conclusion
This post only scratches the surface of building a successful and sustainable shoe & sneaker dropshipping side hustle.
Other factors like researching winning products, branding, and customer service are also vital and can make or break your entire online business.
If you’re interested in learning more about these topics, check out our complete dropshipping checklist.
The rightful owner of The Clever Business. I review & curate the leading suppliers so you don't waste time scouring the internet.