Photo by L. Victor
By Shea Parton & Luke Warner
When we begin to co-create a product with a new partner, we always share our process of starting slow and allowing the market to determine the future of each item we produce. We make sure to share the results from our partnerships that have quickly scaled, creating a unique sense of ownership with each of the artisans we work with. So when we came across some beautiful leatherwork from Tel Aviv, we were keen to share with the young, four person team our goal of advocacy through industry.
Both of the co-op's founders' grandparents were in the leather business which led one of them to become a master bootmaker after studying the craft in India for several years. The couple began a small business making shoes and bags in England in 2008 and after discovering a satchel filled with Indian sandals from a recent trip, they began to focus on reproducing and perfecting the process of handmaking leather sandals.
At their four person operation in Tel Aviv they do all of the production, and administration themselves, a set-up which allows them to maintain the hands-on approach they consider imperative. Using only natural Italian leather, they finish each piece with a protective varnish but refrain from using any dyes or artificial substances. The soles of each pair are made from recycled rubber which is durable, light & supple. Their skills and knowledge come from a tradition of excellence which they constantly work to polish and improve.
They understand, as we do, that investing in people is the most valuable way to create sustainable change. They also understand the importance of carefully sourcing their materials, an approach which continues to be a central part of their business, enabling them to truly appreciate what goes in to each pair of handcrafted sandals. We hope you wear them well.
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