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Process

Process

Designed in LA and made in Mexico, DAVINCI shoes pair traditional shoemaking technique with innovative design to create the ideal fashion-forward leather boot.  Every aspect of each shoe, from the leather to the laces, has been specifically sourced and custom-made for us. At our family-owned 15-person factory in Léon, DAVINCI shoes are expertly handcrafted using the classic stitchdown technique which forges exceptional durability and flexibility.  Alongside tradition, DAVINCI shoes reflect our deep environmental commitment, using recycled materials whenever possible as well as new design components in ecological ways. Our approach ensures comfort and ergonomic integrity which we incorporate with killer design, so our shoes aren't only good for your feet - they look good too.

 

We pride ourselves on our sustainably sourced hand-finished leather, living wages for our factory workers, and our dedication to the craftsmanship of each shoe.  Our shoes are each named for streets in LA in the hopes that you may travel, on foot, and comfortably, far and wide between them.


The Comfort

The way we walk is very important.  Most modern shoes are not designed to promote a healthy gait, and, unsurprisingly, this can lead to countless problems.  Our feet are our link to the ground, taking the load of our entire bodies with each step. If our feet are not strong, this weak link can be the breaking point that can lead to many other issues with knees, hips, and back.  This happens because most shoes contain excessive padding, have raised heels, are too narrow, and have stiff soles.

 

Enter DAVINCI, where we craft footwear with the philosophy that our feet are better off like cavemen’s.  Our shoes are designed to provide just enough support - their minimalism allowing the foot to function naturally and with flexibility and sustain proper alignment, while their lightness allows you to actually feel things on the ground.  Unlike mainstream footwear, DAVINCI shoes are crafted so you rely on the natural architecture of the foot rather than on the crutch of a rigid shoe, which encourages you to use, and therefore strengthen, your foot muscles, which is crucial to maintaining foot health.  The idea is you’re connected to the earth but protected from all the grime on the ground. It’s like the paleo diet for your feet.

 

KineticFLEX Footbed

To sculpt the perfect ergonomic shell, DAVINCI created and trademarked the KineticFLEX Footbed, which constitutes the key element of the shoe by mimicking the barefoot walking experience. Generally, insoles are flappy second-thought add-ons which get easily worn down; in DAVINCI however, the KineticFLEX Footbed is an insole which is handcrafted from recycled Celfit and leather then stitched into the body of the shoe using one of the oldest shoe-making techniques: 360degree stitchdown.  With stitchdown, the insole is secure and exponentially more durable, strengthening the longevity of the shoe itself and releasing the foot from many of the physical difficulties that come from wearing “regular” shoes which use cheap and expendable insoles.

An Eco Ethos

In our modern world, everything from laptops to iPhones to insoles are made to break or deteriorate so you’re forced to buy the newest version.  We reject this wasteful methodology: DAVINCI shoes are built to last. We pride ourselves on the durability of every aspect of our footwear, from our leather to our laces to our insoles, which means less things end up in landfills.

Cheap shoes take an enormous toll environmentally.  20billion pairs of shoes are made each year, and roughly 300million pairs end up in landfills.  In light of this staggering data, DAVINCI has cultivated a sustainability initiative, shrinking our waste footprint.   The leather we use is all a bi-product of meat production. Our tannery, Curtidos Bengala, is dedicated to environmentally low-impact operations, and Gran Barón, our factory, makes provisions for the recycled materials we use for our outsole.  Even our shoe-boxes are designed to ship directly to avoid extra packaging materials, and we use minimal ink as well as recycled cardboard. Put simply, there’s a lot less to throw away.

How Our Footwear's Made

In our modern world, everything from laptops to iPhones to insoles are made to break or deteriorate so you’re forced to buy the newest version.  We reject this wasteful methodology: DAVINCI shoes are built to last. We pride ourselves on the durability of every aspect of our footwear, from our leather to our laces to our insoles, which means less things end up in landfills.

Cheap shoes take an enormous toll environmentally.  20billion pairs of shoes are made each year, and roughly 300million pairs end up in landfills.  In light of this staggering data, DAVINCI has cultivated a sustainability initiative, shrinking our waste footprint.   The leather we use is all a bi-product of meat production. Our tannery, Curtidos Bengala, is dedicated to environmentally low-impact operations, and Gran Barón, our factory, makes provisions for the recycled materials we use for our outsole.  Even our shoe-boxes are designed to ship directly to avoid extra packaging materials, and we use minimal ink as well as recycled cardboard. Put simply, there’s a lot less to throw away.

Our Factory

We make our shoes in Léon, Mexico, a city that lies near the heart of Mexico and is often referred to as "The Shoe Capital of the World.”  Léon boasts a rich leather working industry dating back hundreds of years with family owned tanneries. Shoemaking became a part of Léon’s local industry 1645, as local cobblers and shoemakers passed their craftsmanship on to each succeeding generation.

 

Our shoes are made at Gran Barón, a decades-old small factory in the heart of Léon that was started by single mom Nadia Ceseña who now runs the operation with her husband Ernesto.  Gran Barón offers the level of generational knowledge and skill of the city, employing a team of 15 accomplished shoemakers who specialize in traditional construction techniques, including the stitchdown method used to create each pair of our footwear.  The company values attention to detail and high quality, living wages, as well as flexibility in terms of design. They love to combine their traditional knowledge with innovative styles and ideas - which was crucial to our partnership, since our team is comprised of seasoned shoemakers.

Most shoe companies throw a drawing at a factory and aren’t involved again until they see the final product; DAVINCI designers, however, are acutely involved in the process at Gran Barón.  We design our shoes, make our own samples, and work closely with the Gran Barón manufacturing team in order to arrive at the best shoe.

 

We micromanage every aspect of each shoe, ensuring we receive the highest quality.  All our leather is cut by hand to ensure we’re using the best parts of the hide, and the rubber for our soles, made from recycled coconut husk, is created specifically for DAVINCI through a small rubber sole manufacturer, our cotton wax laces are made by the best textile manufacturer in the region, and we source our thread from one of the finest thread-makers in Léon.

 

Our leather is custom-made and tanned for us as per our specifications in terms of colors and appropriate thickness; even the leather for our midsoles is custom-made for us according to the desired flexibility and durability.  At Gran Barón, after months of trial and error and hundreds of samples later, these custom-made aspects are expertly welded together to create the DAVINCI shoe, a product that we are proud to put our name on.