Handmade traditional footwear

The tools used for making traditional footwear are traditional, and shoes are sewn by hand to fit the client’s foot – complete to the upturned toe. Pitched thread is prepared using single strand linen thread, doubling, turning and applying pitch. An authentic wild boar bristle is attached to serve as a needle. Shoes are sewn one pitch stitch at a time using the aid of an awl.

The supikas (a traditional slip-on shoe), lapikas (a traditional boot) and other footwear made with the iconic up-turned toe are made using vegetable tanned leather. The leather is dyed or patterned by hand. Hand dying is done by spreading thin coats of dye using a paint brush. This assures that the dye is restricted to the outer layers of the leather, retaining the antiallergenic properties of the vegetable dyed leather.

Since only one pair of hands is working on these products, the delivery time will depend on the number of orders in queue. A normal timeline for production is approximately 8 – 10 weeks. When ordering online the down payment is 40% of the price. The remaining 60% will be billed by email before shipping.