Starting a Shoe Brand? Here’s How to Give it an Attractive Brand Name

This is a Guest Article written by Grant Polachek, Head of Branding for Squadhelp

The process of launching a shoe brand begins by establishing a great name. But finding one is more than just looking for a name you love or one that sounds really fun and trendy; it also consists of finding a name that communicates values to your audience. 

Customers want a strong brand name that they can clearly identify, remember, talk about, and recommend. And developing a strong brand name is the first step to providing your company with a distinctive identity, making promotion easier, and improving your sales. 

Now, coming up with the perfect name for your shoe brand could be challenging.

Numerous business owners have difficulty coming up with a brand name that is practical, unique, and has a domain name and social media handles.

But whether you’re planning on starting an athletic shoe brand like Nike, a men’s luxury shoe brand like Carlos Santos Shoes, or a cowboy boot brand like Lucchese, these three simple tips will allow you to select a unique and captivating name for your shoe brand. 

So, with that said, tie up your shoe laces as we begin exploring them.

Finding the Perfect Business Name in Three Easy Steps

Know Your Shoe Brand

The most crucial element in your shoe business isn’t only your classy, high-performance shoes, but also your brand. 

And although your overall business structure is focused on designing and delivering the best shoes in your niche, your brand should concentrate on the character and personality of your brand. This would help you finetune the experiences you build for buyers when they see, touch, or wear your shoes.

Taking the time to know as much as you can about your brand will make it simpler to choose a great name that accurately captures your brand's personality and values.

Let’s take a moment to consider Nike. At a glance, the brand’s name communicates inspiration, strength, high-performance, and victory. You'd notice how extremely effective it is for one of the world's finest shoe companies. 

The same goes for Carlos Santos, a brand name that evokes a feeling of class, luxury, and timelessness.

And this works excellently for a brand that’s been thriving for over seventy years. 

So, in order to properly grasp your brand, make sure you critically research it. Through researching, you'd be able to clearly understand your brand, making your brainstorming smoother and faster.

Begin Brainstorming

Gather your creative team, if you have one, and start brainstorming. It's time to put the knowledge you've learned about your shoe brand to work and start looking for names that fit the criteria for your brand. 

Keep in mind that the brainstorming phase isn't for assessing the name you found. Simply get your pen and paper ready and start searching for words that communicate the core message of your brand.

And, don’t be afraid of listing names that you’re unsure about. You never know whether you can transform them into great names. Here are a few simple tools to help you simplify your naming process:

Use rhymes;

Use a thesaurus;

Use slangs in the shoe industry;

Use a business name generator;

Use visual names, specifically relating to colors.

Furthermore, it's essential to have a mix of ages on your creative team because their perspectives on modern vs. traditional business names will give you a variety of naming angles to take into consideration.

Before ending your brainstorming session, try your best to come up with at least 200 names that reflect your shoe brand's true essence. By doing this, you will have a broad collection of names to choose from when you begin to refine the list.

Authenticate Your Ideas 

We all really hope that the name you selected as your favorite among the ideas you came up with is the best possible fashion brand name! That said, ensure any name(s) you intend to use passes these simple checks. 

Validate your names by checking for:

• Customers' Feedback: When confirming your brand, customer input is crucial. Endeavor you gather feedback from a small sample of your target audience as this will tell you if your customers love the name you’ve created or not.
• Matching Domain Name: Your shoe company needs a website, especially if you intend to run an ecommerce store. So, ensure you verify that the domain name for your potential brand name is available. 
• Trademark: While the process might seem a little tiresome today, it can save you a lot of trouble in the future, as most words are already protected in some way by trademarks. Getting help from legal professionals would help simplify your trademark process.

Picking a great brand name for your shoe brand will boost your company's overall productivity, giving you an advantage over competitors and making your target market enthusiastic about your business.

Grant Polachek is the head of branding for Squadhelp.com, 3X Inc 5000 startup and disruptive naming agency. Squadhelp has reviewed more than 1 million names and curated a collection of the best available names on the web today. We are also the world's leading crowdsource naming platform, supporting clients from early-stage startups to Fortune 500 companies.