Custom Kraft Shoe Boxes Made to Your Size

Who orders custom kraft shoe boxes?

Anyone who sells shoes in pairs and wants them to arrive looking cared for. A plain brown box with a printed lid feels honest and well made, which suits small footwear brands that sell on craft.

The orders we see most come from trainer labels, children's shoe shops, makers of leather shoes and slippers, and boot makers. Resellers who buy loose stock also use them to re-box pairs before listing them.

A good shoe box gets kept. Customers store shoes in it, reuse it for photos or letters, and see your logo every time they open the wardrobe.

Lid and base or hinged lid: which shoe box style?

Our photos show both main styles, plus a hinged box with a carry handle. They do the same job but feel quite different in the hand.

Lid and base boxes stack neatly on shelves and the lid comes away cleanly when a customer tries shoes on. Hinged boxes cannot lose their lid in a busy stockroom, and they fold from one flat piece, so packing is quicker.

What size box fits a pair of trainers?

Shoes sit side by side, heel of one beside the toe of the other. So the box length follows the longest shoe in the range, the width follows two shoes at their widest, and the height follows the tallest point, usually the heel collar or the tongue.

These four sizes are common starting points, inside measurements in millimetres:

• Kids, about 220 × 140 × 80: infant to junior sizes
• Women's, about 300 × 180 × 100: flats, pumps and low trainers
• Men's, about 330 × 200 × 120: trainers and brogues
• Boots, about 360 × 260 × 130: ankle and work boots with the shaft laid down

One box can usually cover three or four shoe sizes. Measure the largest pair in that group with its tissue, then add a few millimetres. Our guide to inside sizes and clearance for kraft boxes explains why we work from inside dimensions.

Why corrugated kraft for shoe boxes?

Shoe boxes are stacked, pulled from shelves, opened and closed many times before they are sold. Brown kraft corrugated keeps its corners through that handling better than thin card, and the brown surface hides the odd scuff from a stockroom floor.

For baby shoes and slippers a lighter folding board can be enough, and it gives a crisper print. If you want a bright inside to show off a pale shoe, white-lined kraft is available on request. Read how brown, white-lined and corrugated kraft compare before choosing.

Thumb holes, handles and inserts

A round thumb hole on the end panel lets staff pull a box from a stacked shelf and lets air reach leather. It is one of the small details our stacked-box photo shows, and it costs nothing to add to the die-cut.

Handles turn a hinged shoe box into something a child can carry out of the shop. A rope or card handle threads through slots in the front panel. A card insert can hold boots upright or keep a pair from sliding to one end, which helps when the box is opened on camera for a review video.

How should you print a logo on a kraft shoe box?

The lid carries the brand. A single black or white logo in the centre of the lid looks smart on brown and costs less than full colour. If your brand is darker, full colour lets you flood the outside, as in our black-lidded photo, while the inside stays plain kraft.

Think about the end panel too. Shops shelve shoe boxes end-out, so print the logo there and leave a clear space for a size sticker or a stamped code. A short line printed inside the lid is a nice surprise for whoever opens it. Keep it to a sentence or two in one colour, because inside print on corrugated reads best when it is simple and well spaced.

How do you order kraft shoe boxes?

1. Group your shoe sizes and measure the largest pair in each group.
2. Pick lid and base, hinged lid, or hinged with a handle.
3. Choose plain kraft, one or two colours, full colour or inside print.
4. Send your logo; a designer places it on the dieline for free.
5. Check the free proof and ask for any edits you need.
6. Once you approve, we make the boxes in 4–6 business days.

Shoe boxes are quoted in writing from £0.25 per box, and the price for each size group is listed separately. Flat cartons then reach your door in 2–3 business days, tracked, with no delivery charge.

Which mistakes do shoe brands make with boxes?

• Ordering one box for every size, so small shoes rattle in a big box
• Measuring the shoe without its tissue paper or shoe trees
• Forgetting the height of a high-top collar or a chunky sole
• Putting the only logo on the lid, which nobody sees on a shelf
• Choosing a lid that is too tight to lift off with one hand

A well-fitted box makes a pair look cared for. A loose one makes the same shoes look like stock that fell into the nearest carton.

Can a kraft shoe box be posted?

Plenty of online footwear sellers post the shoe box inside an outer carton, so the branded box arrives clean. A shipping label stuck straight onto a printed lid spoils it for the customer.

If you need an outer, our brown corrugated kraft shipping boxes can be cut to fit your shoe box with a little room for paper. Tell us how you post when you ask for a quote and we will suggest the right pairing.

Do shoe boxes work for anything other than shoes?

Yes. The same long, shallow shape suits folded knitwear, handbags, hats, photo prints and craft kits. Clothing brands often order a shoe box size because it stacks well and looks familiar.

If your product is not footwear, send us its measurements and we will tell you whether a shoe box style or a mailer suits it better. Nothing changes in how the box is proofed or made. A brown shoe box with a stamped logo is also a popular way to send a hamper of socks, slippers and a candle as a birthday present.