Viettano: From Idea to Custom Dress Shoe Brand
Caity Cronkhite is the founder of Viettano, a direct-to-consumer dress shoe brand built around customization. Each pair is made to order based on the customer's size, style, and material preferences. Retail prices range from $250 to $500 per pair. Caity needed a manufacturer in Vietnam who could handle bespoke production at that quality level and ship directly to individual customers.
Finding a manufacturer who can handcraft one pair at a time
Bespoke shoes are one of the hardest products to source. Most footwear factories are built for volume: thousands of identical pairs per run. Caity needed the opposite. She needed a manufacturer who could produce individual pairs, each with different sizing and material combinations, at a quality level that justified a $250-$500 price point.
The manufacturing model also had to support drop shipping: each finished pair would ship directly from the factory to the end customer, not to a warehouse. That meant the factory needed to handle individual packing, labeling, and international shipping on a per-order basis. Most Vietnamese footwear factories aren't set up for that.
Factory sourcing, on-the-ground visits, and sample placement in two days
Factory Identification
Our sourcing specialist Lam reached out to 5 shoe manufacturers across Vietnam, screening for bespoke capability, willingness to produce made-to-order at low volumes, and the ability to handle direct-to-customer shipping. Three factories returned quotations within 4 weeks.
Sourcing Report
We delivered a sourcing report with factory profiles, quotations, and capability assessments so Caity could compare her options side by side. After reviewing the report, she decided she wanted to see the factories in person before making a decision.
Guided Factory Tour
Caity flew to Ho Chi Minh City in October 2024. Lam organized and guided a 2-day factory tour across HCMC and Hanoi, visiting 3 manufacturers. By the end of the first day, Caity had placed samples with 2 of the 3 factories she visited.
Post-Visit Support
After the factory tour, we continued to support the relationship between Caity and her chosen manufacturer through the sample development process and into production. The transition from factory visit to brand launch happened in under 8 months.
"We used one of the manufacturers that Cosmo connected us with, and they have been FABULOUS."Caity Cronkhite, Founder of Viettano, on the day she launched the brand
From Idea to Launched Brand in Under a Year
Caity went from her first conversation with Cosmo Sourcing to a live brand with a manufacturer producing made-to-order dress shoes in Vietnam. Viettano launched on June 17, 2025, with products available at viettano.com.
"Lam was a great help, and I will definitely reach out if I need anything else as we continue the process with manufacturers."Caity Cronkhite, after returning from her factory tour in Vietnam
We work with startups, not just established brands
Caity came to Cosmo Sourcing with an idea and no manufacturing contacts. Less than a year later, she had a live brand selling custom dress shoes made in Vietnam. She's since served as a reference for other Cosmo clients and has referred new business to us directly. That's the kind of relationship we build.
Visit Viettano →Have a Product Idea?
Whether you're launching your first product or expanding an existing line, our team in Vietnam will help you find the right manufacturer and get into production.
