Posted by Ms. Jules Carlene on August 07, 2014
Olie Marchal, stands in front of a batch of shoes waiting to be soled.
Shoemaking is a process.Anyone who works in the shoe industry can tell you that. There aren’t many shoemakers left in the states but that makes those of us making shoes all the more happy to sustain and evolve with this ancient skill.
The manufacturing process begins with design. In the case of SOM footwear, the design was created from the inspiration of being barefoot. The unencumbered feeling of being close to the earth creates a sense of natural balance and stability.The phrase “original sense of motion”, which is the subheading of our name “SOM” shows the direction we are headed with our shoes. The naturalistic features in SOM Footwear are greatly appreciated by dancers, photographers, designers, adventurous walkers, hikers and urbanites alike.
“It’s wonderful to find a sneaker that is so comfortable you don’t want to take it off; it’s stylish enough as well, that you can dress it up or down.What truly sets it apart, to me personally, is that I can be proud of where it comes from and how it was made, and I’m not just saying that because I’m the marketing engineer at SOM Footwear”…. Julie says laughing.
From the design to the end product there are approximately 25 different steps taken to produce a pair of sneakers.
While touring our factory in Montrose CO, friends have been overwhelmed by the process it takes to produce one pair of shoes. Most people are used to going to a store to pick out a pair - which makes it easy to forget what goes into making a shoe.Especially now, when such a large majority of American fashion clothing and accessories are made and manufactured overseas, we don’t have the opportunity to see the creation of our own goods. One personal tour at a time, we want to share the vision of a sustainable nation that believes in the preservation and respect of nature, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Here at SOM shoes we agree that sometimes it’s the simple things in life that make the difference.After all, the shoe is a tool to get us where we want to go, in comfort, in style, and with pride…let’s take these steps together.