Inside a Sneaker Factory in Portugal

The Glass Factory team visits JLS Shoes, a family-run footwear manufacturer in Felgueiras, Portugal, led by Loik Fernandes, his sister, and their father. Known for precision and design-driven development, JLS produces high-quality sneakers and shoes for global brands. From sketching and 3D outsole modeling to hand cutting, stitching, and finishing, every step blends engineering and craftsmanship. You can reach out to this factory directly on https://glassfactory.info if you want to work with them! IG:   / manufacturer   IG:   / glassfactory   TikTok:   / wlasry   TikTok:   / glassfactory.info   Discord:   / discord   Book a consulting session: https://calendly.com/wlasry/60min 0:00 The Art of Shoemaking 0:29 Meet Loik Fernandes, Founder of JLS Shoes 1:00 Inside the Sample Room 1:17 From Client Brief to Design Sketch 1:49 Creating the Outsole and 3D Mold 2:27 Pattern Making and Last Development 3:18 The “Shirt” of a Shoe Explained 3:33 Pattern Pieces and Reinforcements 3:58 Material Selection and Cutting 4:50 Stitching and Assembly 6:03 Louis’s Story and Passion for Sneakers 8:02 Understanding Leather Quality 9:01 Automatic Cutting and Laser Mapping 9:35 Pre-Stitching and Reinforcements 10:15 Sewing and Finishing the Upper 12:43 Gluing, Lasting, and Outsole Attachment 13:45 Pressurizing, Freezing, and Finalizing the Shoe 14:36 Quality Control and Finishing Touches 15:25 Shoe Pricing Breakdown and MOQ 17:36 Why Passion Defines Quality