These are the factories in Vietnam engaged in manufacturing shoes for your favorite footwear brands

Vietnam has secured its position as the world's second-largest footwear exporter, next in line subsequent to China's position. The country's footwear factories aren’t just affordable—they’re quietly powering global footwear brands like Adidas, Nike, Converse, and Vans through long-term contracts enabled by Vietnam’s expanding shoe manufacturing infrastructure and province-spanning logistics ecosystem. In this comparative analysis, we reveal how Adidas, Nike, Vans, and Converse build and scale their shoe manufacturing hubs in Vietnam.

Adidas’s footwear manufacturing operations in Vietnam present a valuable lens through which to examine multi-site supply chain management. The company works through contract manufacturers, not company-owned factories. Adidas collaborates with over 100 shoe supplier factories strategically distributed across Vietnam. How is such a complex system administered? Let's figure it out!

The company uses hub-and-spoke logistics to streamline inter-factory and export coordination. All raw materials (textiles, rubber, synthetics, laces, adhesives) are sourced locally, while certain specialized shoe components are imported from China, Korea, and Taiwan. Thereafter, these materials are sent to designated feeder factories or directly to key manufacturing hubs. All of its factories are task-specialized with some factories focused on cutting and stitching uppers, some focused on sole molding, some handle assembly and finishing. Materials and semi-finished shoe products are subsequently transferred between factories via Adidas-coordinated trucking fleets and consolidated shipment routes organized by 3PL partners. Adidas enforces QA/QC protocols for labor conditions, material safety, and environmental controls across all footwear production sites. Final shoe assembly occurs in dedicated full-line factories. Finished footwear products are sent to consolidation centers near ports. Exports head to regional distribution centers (e.g., in Germany, U.S., or Japan).

Vietnam produces 50% of Nike’s total footwear through approximately 50 contract manufacturers, compared to 100+ supplier factories used by Adidas. Nike's footwear manufacturing is completely outsourced and coordinated through Taiwanese mega-suppliers operating in Vietnam (e.g., Pou Chen Group, Ching Luh). Although Adidas self-manages coordination between factories, suppliers, and regional logistics hubs through its own SCM platform, Nike issues production orders but delegates daily execution to its manufacturers. Whereas Adidas splits functions across factories (e.g., upper, outsole, final assembly), betting on collaboration between multiple suppliers under Adidas oversight, Nike contracts mega-factories (e.g., Pouyuen in HCMC) to handle the entire process in-house—including on-site packing and containerization. As part of its portfolio-wide supply chain optimization, Nike also manufactures Converse shoes primarily because Converse has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Nike, Inc. since 2003, utilizing Nike’s infrastructure while maintaining its own brand identity.

Other famous footwear brands manufacturing shoes in Vietnam include Crocs, Puma, New Balance, Clarks, and VF Corporation (e.g., Vans, The North Face, Timberland), all of which rely on contract manufacturing and work exclusively with audited suppliers. Most products made by Nike, Adidas, Converse, and VF Corporation brands are manufactured exclusively for export, as Vietnamese regulations often prevent locally produced goods from being sold in Vietnam without import-like taxation due to Vietnam import tax rules.

If brands like Nike and Adidas have elite footwear supplier networks in Vietnam, why shouldn’t you? Vietnamia connects you with the same level of footwear manufacturers and factory partners trusted by the biggest names in the game. Finding suppliers in Vietnam shouldn’t take months. Skip the endless Google searches—Vietnamia brings verified shoe suppliers and direct communication tools into one platform. Take advantage of Vietnam’s thriving footwear manufacturing ecosystem, fueled by locally sourced leather, rubber, and plastics—ideal for both OEM (built to spec) and ODM (design-to-delivery) models.