Inside Story by Dancing Queens – with co-founder Sophie Köster
Where are our dance shoes made, and how do we ensure they not only look good but also perform well? That's our promise. Dancing Queens. But how is that possible, and what's behind it? We spoke with Sophie Köster, Co-Founder from Dancing Queens, discussed logistics chaos, international supply chains and challenges.
Spoiler: It will be honest, personal – and very exciting.
The best way to explain this is using the example of... Fuego dance shoesWe order our dance shoes through a retailer who Production sites in Asia You book. These spaces aren't always available immediately. For example, you might have to wait 30 days just to get a space, and only then can production begin. Production then takes another 60 days, and then suddenly you get the message: All the goods are ready for collection. But that's precisely where the trouble starts. Craziness.
Conflicts like those in the Middle East influence Transport routes Enormous. Rail transport is currently not an option, ships take over 100 days – and that's not only slow but also expensive. So often the only option left is air freight, which expensive and not so sustainable That's how we'd like it to be. Large volumes need to be split up, routes adjusted, and customs documents submitted on time. Unfortunately, new problems can always arise. With the Fuegos, for example, we had to repack everything because the cardboard boxes were wet – that cost us a whole day. Then, documents for the customs declaration in China were missing, which meant another two-day delay, pushing everything back even further.
What sounds simple is in reality a problem that needs to be solved anew every day. puzzle with countless last-minute changes.
We order directly from the factory in China – in bulk quantities exceeding 3,000 pairs. This allows us to deliver regardless of availability in Europe and ensures a constant supply through container imports.
Our dance shoes and clothing come from a wide variety of countries: China, Germany, Italy, Portugal, and Turkey. Whenever possible, we use road or rail transport to ensure the sustainable production of our dance shoes. In rare cases, however, air transport is the only option.
We store our dance shoes and dresses in our central warehouse in Germany. This was a deliberate choice. Shipping worldwide from within the EU is faster than from Switzerland. However, we also offer returns to both Switzerland and Germany. Customers from the rest of the world can easily send returns to Germany, while Swiss customers can return items to Switzerland, which is much simpler and more cost-effective for them. That's why it's important for us to provide two return locations.
Our SMOVE Dance Sneaker The leather items are handmade in a factory in Portugal.
The flat Dancing Queen shoes and Heels dance shoes They are handcrafted with great attention to detail – depending on the model, in Italy or Turkey.
Our customer favorites - the SMOVE Dance Sneaker - we produce in excellent cooperation with the German company Rumpf.
Our high-quality dancewear, such as the popular Sports tops, comes directly from a great partner in Turkey.
We source the Fuego Dance sneakers made of vegan leather directly from the factory in China.
Honestly? It's all about gut feeling. We're deeply embedded in the dance community, recognize trends early, and take our customers' feedback seriously. We work closely with production companies in Europe, for example in Italy or Portugal, to develop new things. We often produce a small test run and then scale up based on our customers' responses.
Our new [new features] are definitely a big win. SMOVE dance sneakers For men and women in beige and grey. Another immense advantage is that all SMOVE Dance Sneaker We have our own brand new insole and the fact that the insole, which is a massage insole, can also be reordered separately from us.
Another highlight is our new, flat dance shoe Joy, which we were able to offer immediately with both insoles and outdoor soles. The model has been a huge hit with you all.
What always frustrates me a bit are the made-to-order products that aren't delivered on time. These are products that our customers order and then have freshly manufactured by the producer. If we can't meet the delivery deadline because the producer doesn't deliver the dance shoes, it's disheartening.
It's also frustrating when the production plan doesn't work out – like with the presale of our new flat dance shoe. It sold incredibly fast – which was fantastic – but we couldn't increase production as quickly as we would have liked.
The biggest challenge for me is the conversion of our systems. We want to streamline the ordering process at our suppliers optimize so that we get the right one Quantity Having it at the right time. This isn't working as we'd like yet and presents me with significant challenges. However, we are working diligently on this and hope to resolve the problem soon.
Sometimes better, sometimes worse. I try to reprioritize daily and work according to the 80/20 principle. Clear time slots for family and work help, but as a managing director, you're always somehow reachable. It remains a big challenge – but also a wonderful one.
The conversation with Sophie impressively demonstrates how much passion, planning, improvisation – and sometimes nerves – go into every pair of dance shoes from Dancing Queens It's not just about fashion or function, but about a community growing together, about passion, and about finding the ideal dance shoes for all dancers – no matter how turbulent the supply chain is.
Thank you, Sophie, for your honest insight and for answering the question: "Where are our dance shoes actually made?"
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