WALKING THE PATH WITH SOUL Portrait of an Artisan Shoemaker soulpathshoes For years I searched for real artisan footwear. I knew what I was looking for: A handmade leather sandal, shoe, boot or moccasin that was unique, natural, and comfortable; classic leather footwear with timeless beauty and functional elegance. Where did I find it? I found the heart of the craft in the pride of craftsmen of days gone by, I found ideas in the functional designs of ancient civilizations… But who was making the footwear I envisioned? No one! Or at least not yet… It was then I knew I was on the right path, a path of discovery and creation, and a path with Soul. I traveled many parts of the world, and everywhere the story seemed to be the same: the craftsman shoemaker was on the verge of extinction, and the market was flooded with cheap and disposable, synthetic footwear that didn’t breathe and was not worth fixing when it inevitably fell apart. Worse yet, the trend has been on increasingly complex forms of artificial support, stiff unbending soles, narrow toe boxes that compress the feet abnormally, and disguised raised heels in wedge form. Cutting the leatherStudies have in recent years been proving what many of us intuitively know to be true; that the less we prop ourselves up with artificial support, the more we develop strong arches and healthy feet; the more flexible the soling the more we encourage foot flexion in normal walking; the less we cramp the front of the foot the more the toes will naturally spread and articulate; the less the heel is raised, the better the structural alignment of the entire body; the less synthetic material we use, the more comfort we enjoy as the feet breathe and odours naturally dissipate. In short, studies have proven that the further we stray from bare feet in footwear, the more problems we develop. Considering that our feet need protection from various climatic extremes and ground conditions, my primary concern as an artisan shoemaker has been to provide natural footwear that honours these concepts of good health and posture in every aspect of construction and design. From this foundation I take pleasure in creating footwear designs that are artistic and unique, elegant, durable, repairable, and always of genuine leather construction inside and out. Stringing the lacesAs a father with a young boy taking his first steps I was faced with the same challenges of finding quality footwear for him that supported good posture, growth and development. I inquired among many families and they all faced the same dilemma as health conscious parents: There simply was nothing available on the market that fit these basic criteria. For this reason I have dedicated the past years to designing and developing the Ergo Gnomes line of all-natural, ergonomic children’s shoes and sandals. I am confident that these irresistibly cute & colourful shoes will greatly please parents who care about healthy development and want stylish footwear of the highest quality for their children as they walk and play and grow. Finishing touches Each pair of Soul Path Shoes footwear that is purchased directly supports my family, and a growing footwear company taking steps forward on the path with Soul. Nathan deBridge Bowes Artisan Shoemaker, Designer and Founder of Soul Path Shoes 2190 North End Road Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, Canada _______ FOLLOW LIPSapp Classic Radio _______ FB: r-js/1vz7Pcz / TW: r-js/1kHd2Qt / Listen to LIPSapp Classic Radio r-js/1dOIQ18 #classicrock #rollingstones #ledzeppelin #santana #eagles #zztop #thewho #beatles #elvis #jimihendrix #dylan #acdc #michaeljackson #pinkfloyd #madonna #u2
Posted on: Sun, 30 Nov 2014 01:02:07 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015