Case Study: Custom Snap Button for a Footwear Factory in Switzerland
Source:Vintage Embroidery Ribbon /
Time:2026-09-18
Snap Button for a Footwear Factory in Switzerland
A Footwear Factory approached us with a snap button requirement for the Switzerland market. The brief was specific: a defined look, a hard launch date and a unit cost that had to survive freight and duty. This case study records what was specified, what went wrong in sampling and how the bulk order was delivered.
The challenge
- Shade drift between the approved lab dip and the bulk lot
- Shrinkage that only showed up after the first wash
- A spec that lived in an email instead of a tech pack

What we specified
| Item | Snap Button |
|---|---|
| Client type | A Footwear Factory |
| Market | Switzerland |
| Order volume | 2,000 pieces across 4 specifications |
| Base material | Silicone |
| Standard size | 12 mm Width |
| Finish | Nickel-Free Electroplating |
| Sampling rounds | 4 |
| Delivery window | 6 weeks from PO to ex-factory |
| Compliance | REACH SVHC Screening |
How it was resolved
- We rebuilt the specification around Silicone and locked the tolerance before bulk.
- The finish was moved to Soft-Touch Rubber Coating after strike-off tests showed better durability.
- A pre-production sample was approved and retained as the golden reference.
- Production ran with in-line inspection and a mid-run photo report.
- Cartons were packed to the client's own barcode and ratio specification.

Result
- 2,000 pieces delivered inside the 6-week window.
- Unit cost held within 4.5% of the original quotation.
- Inspection-related rejection stayed under 1.0%.
- The specification is now on file, so reorders reproduce the approved sample.
What we would repeat
Lock the material standard before sampling. Once the base changes, every downstream approval has to be redone and the calendar slips.
Planning something similar?
Send the reference sample or tech pack and we will come back with a costed specification, a sampling timetable and the compliance documents your market requires.



