Footwear Industry Immersion

Ever wished you could walk inside the right factory for YOUR BRAND?

3 full days on-site experience that takes you inside the Portuguese Shoe Industry (and handbags) and gives you the roadmap to develop and produce your own brand in Portugal.

October 7, 8 & 9, 2026/Felgueiras & São João da Madeira, Portugal/Limited to 15 spots

Scroll

Why do you need this Footwear Industry Immersion?

Imagine the transformation

Before the Immersion

Confused how to make your shoe samples and production in Portugal.
No connections to factories or suppliers, just forms and unanswered emails.
Stuck with ideas but no tangible materials and components to move forward.
Uncertainty how to reach out to manufacturers and suppliers.
Overwhelmed by MOQs, pricing and timelines, so you keep postponing your launch.
Wondering if your shoe brand dream is actually realistic for your budget.
Wasting time and money on wrong decisions about materials and partners.

After the Immersion

Five senses of clarity about how shoes will really be made in Portugal for YOUR brand.
Direct, in-person contacts and relationships with factory managers and key suppliers.
Confidently choosing materials and components for YOUR project on site.
Comfortable talking to commercial directors, as you’ve met them in person.
Realistic strategies to deal with MOQs, costs & lead times, planning your launch smoothly.
Clear vision on what’s feasible for your brand and budget, and tools to manage it.
Saved a lot of time and significant money selecting the right suppliers and materials.

At the end → Know who to contact. What to ask. Which materials and factory to use. What to do next.

Here's what you get when you join

3 full days. Portugal. With the right people.

This is the only Footwear Industry Immersion programme that combines direct shoe factory access with expert mentorship and peer learning.

Production Knowledge

Visit factories producing sneakers, heels, barefoot shoes, boots, handbags and belts. See the complete production line — cutting, assembly, finishing, quality control — and leave understanding construction methods, realistic timelines and quantity management.

Direct Industry Contacts

Meet partners you can actually work with: factory managers and material suppliers. Get phone numbers and emails, and build relationships with people who will personally reply to your emails.

Physical Materials Library

Visit suppliers, touch, smell, feel and evaluate leather swatches, textiles, biomaterials, soles, heels, hardware and more. Request catalogs and order samples directly for your collection development.

Expert Guidance at All Times

Nancy and her team are available during factory visits and the time in between — ask anything about shoes, materials, your project, budget, timeline and processes.

Your Custom Production Strategy

A personalized roadmap for your brand: which factories align with your vision, what’s realistic for your budget, and your timeline to market.

Peer Group Networking

You’re not attending alone — you’ll integrate a small group of entrepreneurs just as serious about launching, learning side by side and sharing ideas, doubts and real challenges.

The Footwear Industry Immersion that moves YOU & YOUR BRAND forward

Visiting factories without context can easily become just a very cool field trip.

This is different.

For 3 full days, you’ll experience the footwear industry from the inside with direct access to factories, suppliers and the people behind them.

You’re not just observing. You’re asking questions, touching materials and seeing production happen in real time.
You’re not learning theory. You’re learning from the reality of the factory floor.
You’re not doing it alone. You’re sharing the experience with founders who are serious about building their brands.

You leave Portugal knowing what to do next and who you can rely on.

What's included

Three full days experiencing the Portuguese footwear industry

Included

— Me & my team by your side
— Local transport between the pick-up point and all locations
— Lunch and snacks

Full Day-By-Day Itinerary

Day 1Open Horizons

Wednesday · 07/10/2026

Braga — pickup point to be defined

Factory 1Lasts Factory

Factory 2EVA; Rubber; TR; Injected & Prefabricated Soles Factory

Lunch

Factory 3Sneaker Factory

Factory 4Pre Fab Soles Factory

Supplier 1Fabrics for Footwear & Leather Goods

Factory 5Tannery Factory

Braga — return · to pickup point to be defined

Day 2Create Connections

Thursday · 08/10/2026

Braga — pickup point to be defined

Factory 6Soles & Heels

Supplier 2Buckles & Embellishments

Supplier 3Leathers

Lunch

Factory 7Handbags, Belts & Accessories Factory

Factory 8Shoe Factory

Braga — return · to pickup point to be defined

Day 3Integrate

Friday · 09/10/2026

Braga — pickup point to be defined

Factory 9Shoe Factory

Technology CenterLab

Lunch

Peer Group WorkAt Portugal Production’s Office

Braga — return · to pickup point to be defined

Factory Visit

Supplier Visit

Technology / Lab

Work Session

Lunch

Wait! There is more

Bonus

1:1 Session (Post-Immersion)

After you’re back home, we do a 1:1 session. You bring your questions, your designs, your concerns — I help you translate what you learned into your tailored project. This is where confusion becomes clarity.

Exclusive WhatsApp Group

You’re not alone after these three days. An exclusive, private group of founders who’ve been through the immersion — direct access to me, direct access to my team, ongoing support, and real conversations to really help you.

They Walked In. They Saw It Differently.

What founders say after they’ve walked the factory floor?

Three full days on the factory floor can change how you see your brand and the decisions you make next.

“There’s a lot of things to figure out”

Lollie Lauren · Fashion Student

“Understanding how things are done, it’s really important!”

Cynthia Curioca · Founder of Cariele

“It’s an absolutely amazing experience”

Rana Cheikha · Founder of Rana Cheikha

“Everything is possible now”

Sylvia Molina · Founder of Misha Shoes

Wall of shoe samples in a Portuguese factory library

Why Portugal?

One of Europe’s largest footwear industries

Portugal is home to one of Europe’s leading footwear industries and this is where you’ll experience it from the inside.

Felgueiras and São João da Madeira are at the heart of it, producing footwear for some of the brands you already know and admire.

The expertise is here. The factories are here and the people behind them are ready to meet you.

Portugal Production’s team will take you inside.

You’ll walk the factory floors, see how things are really made, ask questions and learn directly from people who have been doing this for decades.

Real footwear. Real people. And YES, some shoe fun too.

Is this for you?

This is for you if you...

are launching a shoe brand in 2026/27
have an idea but no production experience
get confused about materials, construction, costs
grew tired of sending emails that go unanswered
are ready to invest in clarity

This is NOT for you if you...

already have an established brand
have great factory relationships
won’t launch until 2028 or later
are just looking for a vacation (though Portugal is beautiful)
don’t want to ask questions and learn

Limited to 15 spots

Footwear Industry Immersion

October 7, 8 & 9, 2026 · Felgueiras & São João da Madeira, Portugal

Recommended Plan

The Immersion Plus

Limited to 3 spots

Get your own sample developed
3 full days on-site in Portugal
Factory & supplier visits (materials, sneakers, heels, boots, handbags)
Lunch and snacks each day
Local transport between the pick-up point and all locations
Your custom production strategy roadmap
1:1 session with Nancy after the Footwear Industry Immersion
Exclusive WhatsApp founders group

€1347

The Immersion

3 full days on-site in Portugal
Factory & supplier visits (materials, sneakers, heels, boots, handbags)
Lunch and snacks each day
Local transport between the pick-up point and all locations
Your custom production strategy roadmap
1:1 session with Nancy after the Footwear Industry Immersion
Exclusive WhatsApp founders group

€997

The Immersion (Pay in 2 Installments)

3 full days on-site in Portugal
Factory & supplier visits (materials, sneakers, heels, boots, handbags)
Lunch and snacks each day
Local transport between the pick-up point and all locations
Your custom production strategy roadmap
1:1 session with Nancy after the Footwear Industry Immersion
Exclusive WhatsApp founders group

€498.50

Limited to 15 spots.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

No. You don’t need perfect tech packs or finished designs. Many founders come with sketches, mood boards, or just ideas — we’ll help you understand what’s possible within your budget and timeline.

Get in touch with Portugal Production’s team

Why I created this

Why I created the Footwear Industry Immersion

Nancy Oliveira talking with founders on a factory floor

When I transitioned from sports to the shoe industry, I had no idea how shoes were actually made.

I was emailing factories that never replied, confused by materials I couldn’t touch and making decisions based on Google instead of reality. It was overwhelming.

Then everything changed when I started walking in factory floors. Production started making sense. Materials felt real in my hands. Factory managers became people who answered my questions. I went from “shoe idea” to understanding exactly how to make it happen.

That’s the clarity I want every founder to have, without the years of trial and error. So I created this Footwear Industry Immersion, because screens and theory only get you so far.

With my own brand (Namorarte), my sourcing agency (Portugal Production), and 15+ years helping 100+ footwear brands launch, I know exactly which factories work with new founders, which materials fit different budgets, and how to have conversations that get you taken seriously.

That’s why I’m bringing a group of 15 founders into Portugal’s shoe ecosystem, to help you stop guessing, stop sending unanswered emails, and get the real industry knowledge that turns your shoe dream into your shoe business.

— Nancy Oliveira — Portugal Production