Custom football boots for junior players — brought to life through the right factory and the right partner.
Visit Ballon Football →John had a clear vision: customised football boots for junior players, from toddlers to 10-year-olds. It was a gap in the market he’d spotted and wanted to fill. The only problem was that sourcing a football boot isn’t like ordering a product off a shelf. You can’t just search online and find a factory that’ll make it happen.
John decided to go straight to the source — Canton Fair in China. But when he arrived and saw the sheer scale of it, the reality hit. This was going to be overwhelming without help. He Googled ‘Canton Fair support’ and Epic Sourcing came up.
He called TK straight away. TK rang back immediately. By the time the conversation ended, John had a liaison arranged, a plan for the next three days on the Fair floor, and the confidence that he wasn’t doing this alone.
It’s like having a Balon representative in China. By partnering with Epic, it made things very simple and helped get our business to where it is today.
John — Director & Founder, Ballon Football
From the moment John made contact, Epic became an extension of his team in China. Crystal — Epic’s on-the-ground liaison — arrived at Canton Fair with a prepared supplier list, ready to translate not just language but vision. What followed was a comprehensive sourcing process that took Balon from concept all the way to first shipment.
Crystal met John at Canton Fair with a curated list of relevant suppliers already prepared. Over three days, she guided him through the Fair floor, translated conversations, and helped him evaluate 15 factories and suppliers — turning an overwhelming experience into a productive one.
After the Fair, Epic managed the full sample process — coordinating with shortlisted factories, consolidating samples at a central point, and shipping them directly to John. Seven sets of samples arrived without John needing to navigate a single logistics headache.
Once John chose his factory, Epic helped cement the relationship — setting up initial contracts, conducting a QC factory visit on the ground, and ensuring Balon’s first order was placed correctly and delivered on time. No guesswork, no foreign language contracts.
John had spoken to half a dozen shipping agents and found it impenetrable. Epic cut through it all — recommending the best route, providing transparent costs upfront, and removing the uncertainty that had been holding the business back.
You arrived at Canton Fair and it blew you away. What was that moment like?
The size and scope of it was incredible. I thought to myself, this is going to overwhelm me. So I jumped online and Googled Canton Fair support — and Epic Sourcing came up. Got on the phone straight away, spoke to TK. He rang me back immediately. Excellent conversation. Unbelievable. He made me feel so comfortable.
What did having Crystal on the ground actually mean for those three days?
She had a list of suppliers ready to go. It was amazing — her organisation, her ability to translate my vision to the potential factories. We spoke to 15 different suppliers. I got about seven sets of samples sent back to me. Without her, I’d have been lost.
What was the moment you knew Balon Football was actually going to happen?
To see your product go from thought process to design to final unit — that was a really exciting day. And then when you see the boots on kids actually playing, that’s an even greater feeling. The feedback from parents and kids has been nothing short of extraordinary.
What would you say to a founder considering a sourcing partner?
Make sure you have solid people that understand the whole logistical process of importing or creating a product — and that’s what Epic do for us. My suggestion is to partner up. It’s a small price to pay for peace of mind. You can’t put a price on that.
Balon Football went from an idea in John’s head to custom junior football boots worn by real kids on real pitches. 15 supplier meetings at Canton Fair. Seven sample sets evaluated. One trusted manufacturing partner selected. Contracts set up, QC completed, first order shipped — all with Epic managing the complexity.
The feedback from parents and players has been extraordinary across comfort, durability, and price. Every box John set out to tick has been ticked. And with Epic’s team on the ground in China, John can focus entirely on strategy, brand, and growth — rather than worrying about where his next shipment is.
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Tell us about your product, your category, and where you are in your journey. We’ll tell you honestly whether Epic is the right fit and what the process looks like.
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Our China and Vietnam-based team identifies and vets manufacturers matched to your product requirements, quality expectations, and budget — presenting you with real, comparable options.
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We manage sampling, quality checks, and production coordination so you can focus on your brand. From first sample to first shipment, we’re with you every step of the way.
