Custom Cardboard Shoe Boxes

Sizing for Trainers, Boots and Heels

Shoe boxes are usually sized for the largest shoe in a size range, then used for a band of sizes. Measure a pair placed heel to toe, side by side, as they would sit in the box, including any tissue or paper stuffing. Add 10 mm to the length and width and enough height for the tallest part of the shoe.

Trainers with chunky soles need more height than flat shoes. Ankle boots need a taller box; knee-high boots often need a long, deep box with the boots laid flat and the shafts folded or supported by card inserts. Heels are usually laid toe to heel to save width.

Children's shoes are much smaller and often sold in lots of sizes. Grouping them into two or three box sizes keeps stock manageable without wasting space.

Do not size too tightly. Customers need to lift the shoes out and put them back, often several times while trying them on. A little space around the shoes, filled with tissue, makes that easy and keeps the shoes from rubbing against each other in the box. Our guide to measuring a pair of boots explains how to allow for the shaft.

Card or Corrugated Board

Folding card boxes are light and smooth, with crisp print, and they suit shoes sold in shops where boxes are not posted. Corrugated boxes are stronger and better for online orders, heavier boots and boxes stacked high in a warehouse. E-flute gives a good balance of print quality and strength; B-flute suits heavy boots.

Kraft board has a natural look that suits outdoor, workwear and handmade footwear. White board shows colourful designs best and suits trainers and children's shoes. Many brands choose kraft outside and print the inside in a bright colour for a surprise when the lid comes off. If parcels go straight to customers, corrugated shoe boxes for the post remove the need for a second carton.

End Labels and Stockroom Sense

In a shoe shop stockroom, boxes are stacked end-on. Staff find the right pair by reading the end panel, so it should show the style name, colour, size and barcode clearly. Many brands print a standard end panel design with a blank area for a size label, which saves printing a separate box for every size.

Colour coding helps too. A coloured stripe for each style, or a different lid colour for men's, women's and children's ranges, speeds up finding the right box. For online fulfilment, the same end labels help pickers grab the correct pair quickly.

If you sell through other retailers, ask them how they prefer end panels laid out. Some have strict requirements for barcode position.

Online sellers often reuse the shoe box as the shipping box, adding a label to the lid. If you do this, keep a plain area on the lid for the shipping label so it does not cover your logo, and choose corrugated board so the box survives the journey. Where sizes change often, end panel size labels on a printed box keep stock flexible.

Printing and Finishing

The lid is the main branding surface, but every face is seen at some point. A simple logo on the lid with a pattern on the sides, or a bold all-over print, both work. Printing inside the lid or base is a nice touch for online brands, where the opening moment is part of the experience.

Matt varnish keeps print clean through repeated handling. Soft touch laminate suits designer shoes. A foil logo on kraft looks smart and costs little. Tissue paper and a branded sticker inside complete the presentation.

Our free design proof shows lid and base flat, with folds marked, so you can check how the print wraps around corners.

Size the Box to Your Largest Pair in Each Band

Shoe boxes are usually ordered in size bands rather than one box per size, so start by grouping your range: small, medium and large for adult shoes, with boots on their own. Measure the largest pair in each band laid side by side, including the shaft height of boots lying flat, and add room for tissue. Decide whether the box is two-piece for shop use or a one-piece corrugated shoe box for posting, and what the end panel must carry: style, colour, size and barcode in a type size a stockroom can read from a step ladder.

Send the inside dimensions per band, the style, the board, the print and quantities, and a custom quote arrives by email within one working day. The free proof shows the end panel at scale so you can check the label area. Production takes 4 to 7 working days after approval, boxes arrive flat by tracked courier to UK mainland addresses, and crushed or misprinted boxes reported within 10 days are reprinted or refunded.