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Tooling · outsoles & midsoles
Custom Sole & Mould Development
A shoe stands on its sole — and a sole is only yours if the tooling is yours. DOING (DOING INT'L CORP. LIMITED) develops the sole structure in 3D, cuts the moulds for it — aluminium or steel, depending on the sole and the run, and moulds the finished units in Quanzhou and at partner tooling bases elsewhere in China.
Can a footwear factory make a sole mould to my own design?
Yes. DOING SHOES develops custom outsole and midsole tooling in China — based in Quanzhou, and at partner tooling bases elsewhere in the country. 3D sole structure design, mould cutting in aluminium or steel, then moulded units in EVA, rubber, TPR or combined constructions. A new sole mould takes about 25–36 days end to end. Tooling stays dedicated to your brand under NDA.
Watch a sole mould being made
Real footage from our tooling workshop — not stock video.
From 3D structure to cut steel
How long a sole mould takes
Real timings from our tooling shop. Mould making is the long pole — the design steps before it are quick.
1 · 3D sole drawing
1–3 days
The sole structure is drawn in 3D from your design or reference sample.
2 · 3D wooden master
3–5 days
A physical master model is cut from the 3D file so the shape can be checked in the hand.
3 · Mould making
20–25 days
The mould is cut from the approved master — aluminium or steel — the longest step by far.
4 · Mould trial
1–3 days
First units are moulded and checked, then the tooling is corrected if needed.
Total: about 25–36 days from signed-off sole design to a mould that runs. Upper development and sampling run in parallel, so a new style does not wait on tooling alone.
Sole units from our own tooling
EVA, rubber and combined constructions — four sole units, each shown from the side and from below — different stacks, tread patterns and flex layouts, all moulded from tooling we developed.
Sole & mould development — buyer questions
Do you make your own outsole moulds?
Yes. We develop the sole structure in 3D, then cut the moulds for it in aluminium or steel. Because the tooling is made for your design, the sole shape, tread and stack height are yours — not a catalogue sole shared with other buyers.
How long does a new sole mould take?
About 25–36 days end to end: 3D sole drawing 1–3 days, 3D wooden master 3–5 days, mould making 20–25 days, then mould trial 1–3 days. Mould making is the long pole; the design steps before it are fast, so the sooner the sole shape is signed off, the sooner the clock starts.
What sole materials can you tool for?
EVA, rubber, TPR and combined constructions — for example a moulded EVA midsole with a rubber outsole bonded to it, or a single-density injected unit. The photos on this page are all soles from our own tooling.
Who owns the mould?
Tooling developed for your design stays dedicated to your brand and is not reused for other buyers. NDA on request.
Can you match a sole I already have?
Send the sample. We can develop tooling to the same geometry and tread, or use it as a starting point and change stack, flex grooves or tread pattern to suit your category.
Next: how a full custom shoe is developed → · all development capabilities →