Brian Oerth

Footwear sourcing and quality assurance for North American brands across two production lanes: vetted leather footwear factories in India through an exclusive partnership with a 45 year network, and premium leather production in Portugal. Factory audits, AQL inspection programs, supplier evaluation, and on the ground QA from first sample to final inspection. Also building TechStep QC, an AI powered footwear defect detection platform in beta. Based in Miami. 18 years on factory floors, including Director of Quality Assurance at Steve Madden.

Description: Founded Redbridge as a consulting practice alongside my corporate QA role, advising select brands and suppliers on factory qualification, QC program design, and sourcing strategy.

Oversaw quality performance for $100M+ in annual footwear production across global supply base. Managed quality operations across 4 countries and over 20 factory partners supporting U.S. brand distribution. Reduced overall product claims by 75% through standardized inspection protocols and strengthened supplier accountability. Verified and documented chargebacks and claims to ensure accuracy and compliance with company policies. Managed 20+ QA and QC staff globally; implemented standardized KPI dashboards to track performance and risk. Built a regionally tailored inspection model that cut quality incidents in half. Partnered with sourcing, design, and compliance to reduce rework and speeding time-to-market.

At Eastmount Shoes, I managed the footwear sampling and development process from concept through commercialization, coordinating cross-functional teams to ensure sample accuracy and production readiness. By proactively identifying and resolving construction, fit, and material issues during development, I improved bulk production quality and reduced downstream risk. I led a team of developers and assistants, overseeing timelines, technical execution, and factory communication across multiple programs.

At Foremost Footwear, I oversaw the end-to-end sampling process while supporting major accounts, coordinating directly with factories to ensure prototype accuracy and production feasibility. I conducted on-site factory walkthroughs to gather technical feedback and address construction and material issues early in development. By strengthening communication between sales, development, and factory teams, I improved sample approval timelines and reduced commercialization friction.

At Eastmount Shoes, I supported the full product development cycle while building foundational expertise in footwear manufacturing across multiple factory partners in China. I worked closely with pattern makers, sample rooms, and production teams to understand last construction, materials testing, upper assembly, and tooling processes. Through extensive factory exposure, I contributed to supplier development efforts and strengthened Eastmount’s manufacturing base with a focus on quality, reliability, and production readiness.

Built foundational expertise in footwear manufacturing through extensive factory exposure across China, supporting supplier development and production readiness initiatives.