TRADEMARK STRATEGY FOR A SHOE BRAND

Core Goods to Cover

These fall under Class 25 of the Nice Classification:

Footwear (this includes all types: heels, flats, sandals, sneakers, boots, etc.)

Clothing & headwear (you may want to cover these too if you plan to expand into apparel or accessories)

You might also include:

Class 18 – Bags, handbags, purses (most luxury shoe brands sell matching accessories)

Class 35 – Retail, online retail, and wholesale services (if you’re selling under your brand name)

Top Trademark Classes for a Shoe Brand

Class	Description	Why It Matters
25	Footwear, clothing, headwear	The bread and butter — must-have.
18	Leather goods, handbags, accessories	Expansion-ready for brand evolution.
35	Retail and e-commerce services	Protects your name on websites, boutiques, pop-ups.
14 (optional)	Jewelry	Many fashion brands extend into this.
3 (optional)	Cosmetics/perfume	Common cross-branding territory (YSL, Dior, etc.)

Other Things to Consider:

Your logo and stylised name – register both the word mark (name) and logo.

Packaging – if it’s distinctive (like red soles for Louboutin), consider design rights or non-traditional trademarks.

International protection – use Madrid Protocol to expand into key markets (US, EU, China, UAE, etc.)

Influencer & social presence – secure your handle names and consider TM protection under Class 38 or 41 for content and media.

More shoes. Teenager party at my house!

Shoes are sexy; just ask Manolo Blahnik. But what about trademarks? What goods and services and what should I be focusing on when it comes to trademarking my shoe brand.

TRADEMARK STRATEGY FOR A SHOE BRAND