Brave Soles | The Upcycled Handmade Shoes

Can shoes be handmade?

Yes, shoes can be handmade. Handmade shoes are meticulously crafted by experts using high-end materials and bespoke craftsmanship. This ensures that the end result is a pair of kicks that will last for years to come and reflect the wearer's individuality.

What are handmade shoes called?

Yes, shoes can be handmade. The process of making shoes by hand is called shoemaking. Shoemakers use a variety of tools and techniques to make shoes, including cutting, stitching, and shaping the shoes.

Good Fashion should feel good. Brave Soles are beautiful, handmade shoes with upcycled tire soles.

ABOUT BRAVE SOLES

"We believe in a world where our choices matter."

Brave Soles Story

As the founder of an international youth humanitarian organization, Christal Earle has been working and learning from a local community of garbage dump workers since 2005 on the north coast of the Dominican Republic. There was also an overwhelming amount of tires among everything else in that garbage dump. They were a breeding ground for mosquitoes carrying deadly diseases and a toxic nightmare.

In 2010,

An unexpected turn of events in Christal’s journey left her facing the fact that she would have to rebuild her life between two countries. She was now torn between Canada, where her career was based, and the Dominican Republic, where her adopted daughter couldn’t leave.

In Early 2017

The idea struck for the first time. Why not use tires for soles on beautiful handmade shoes - and create a way to help the most vulnerable people in the process?

This is the story of people like you: people who know they want to be proud of their choices. Brave Soles' team ebbs and flows and covers many generations of people from different parts of the world.

We all have stories and reasons for doing what we do. And all of us have one thing in common: we are curious and inspired by the continuing question of how we can create something that is a growing reflection of their love for people and the planet.

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Brave Sole's mission

Brave Sole's mission is to bring sustainable, upcycled handmade shoes to everyone. 

Their people

Brave Soles puts the people behind the shoes they make, first. Unfortunately, too often, cordwainers are subject to terrible conditions. That’s why they built their own factory, where they work with awesome people worldwide. Brave Soles takes the responsibility to create a safe, healthy, and fair working environment for all of their teams and workers throughout their supply chain. They do so through partnerships with industry groups like the Fair Labor Association, conducting on-site social responsibility audits, and a commitment to ensuring workers have a voice in the organization.

Brave Soles' sustainable practices

Sustainability is at the core of everything they do—from their factory to their fabrics, packaging, and retail stores. They are committed to pushing the industry forward and investing in future-focused solutions, which is why they're a certified Climate Neutral company. To become Climate Neutral Certified, a company must show that it is working to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from making and delivering its products, and they must compensate for any emissions created.

Progress

Corporations hold the most significant potential for climate action, so Brave Soles pushes for progress across the board and strives to create a workplace where everyone is empowered to do the same. They innovate for circularity and make all progress public so that consumers and peers alike can learn, share, and grow with us. Being socially conscious isn’t counterculture; it’s cultural currency.

Where Brave Soles Stands Today

Brave Soles has grown in their mission to empower women by expanding their product categories and location of impact. Brave Soles is a shoe brand with thoughtfully designed pieces that reflect the company's mantra: creative, strong, vital, worthy, and ABLE. These high-quality leather shoes aren't just investment pieces for your wardrobe; they are an investment in women worldwide.

This two-pronged approach to partnering with vendors includes coming alongside new businesses to help them create better opportunities from the ground up and coming alongside existing, larger-scale businesses to support how they’re paving the way in the industry.

Responsibility

Brave Soles is Moving Fashion Forward with the way they takeresponsibility for the impact we have on both people and the planet. Responsibility is a journey, and they are committed to being purposeful in their approach to fashion.

Environmental Responsibility

Design Philosophy

Each piece is thoughtfully designed to combine style, function, and fit so you can look good and feel great. Brave Soles prioritizes quality and longevity while at the same time working to find the most eco-conscious materials that stand the test of time and wear. As a result, their pieces are guaranteed for life, and they are here to help you keep your Brand Soles pieces in your wardrobe - and out of landfills - for years to come.

Leather

All Brave Soles' leather is upcycled from discarded animal hides into handcrafted bags, wallets, and other leather goods you can keep for years. The design team works with their leather partners to intentionally design different-sized pieces that utilize the most materials, including deadstock and scraps, to minimize waste. In addition, all of their partners use a 100% recycled, closed-loop water system.

Packaging

Brave Soles is moving to 100% recyclable materials and tags. In addition, their vendors often incorporate recycled packaging (recyclable plastic inserts and discarded newspaper) during shipping based on what is available in their community.

Co-Creating the future through ethical employment and enterprise

Fashion is important to Brave Soles. However, people are an essential part of what this company is about. Everyone has a valued story, from the people who expertly cut the soles of shoes to the highly talented people who sew product bags. Some of Brave Soles' team are employed directly, but most of the faces behind Brave Soles are contracted suppliers, able to set their prices, hours, and location of work. Still, Brave Soles considers them to be their partners in every way. Together, they consult and create throughout the entire process of production.

Two hands of a Brave Soles artisan preparing to craft leather shoes and sandals  from upcycled leather.

Hand kindness to the earth through sustainable practices

Brave Soles believes that by starting with they can change, they will build a solid foundation upon which they can strive to improve every step along the way. Their shoe soles are made with 100% skilled human power, made in natural daylight, and do not involve chemical processes.  Their leather is sourced in the Dominican Republic, as well as from Argentina and Mexico.

They are doing our best to continue moving the bar forward on some of their items by using up-cycled leather sourced from the remnants of furniture makers, airplane seats, and other industries with usable leather.   They are also seeking alternative materials for upcoming items, including vegetable-dyed leather, vegan leather, and other options.  They are also partnered with Green Story to monitor their processes so they can have 100% transparency in what is currently measurable for their sustainability goals.

A rubber car tire in the middle of a garbage site in the Dominican Republic before it becomes upcycled into Brave Soles leather shoes.

Brave Soles strives to give you peace of mind.

Change happens when we first think differently about the power of our individual choices. Brave Soles wants to prove to you, time and again, that you don't need to feel conflicted between beautiful style and ethical fashion choices. There's a better, more beautiful way coined, "Conscious Fashion". We can choose to feel good about what we buy and wear. Brave Soles is a company of people just like you. They love fashion, but they love people and the earth's future even more. Together, we can all inspire each other to continually innovate our thinking around what's possible.

Two feet in the air wearing women's upcycled leather sandals by Brave Soles.

Hand-Made Leather Shoes as Gifts

handmade shoes for men, crockett and jones shoes

Brave Soles' shoes are handmade with high-quality, top-grain leather. They have a wide range of size and width options, making them perfect for everyone. These shoes are lightweight and flexible, with wide-toe boxes. Every product is made to order so you can have the perfect pair of shoes! At Brave Soles, they take pride in handcrafting every product by hand. All their shoes are made with high-quality, soft leather and flexible soles, making them some of the most comfortable shoes you'll ever wear.

Brave Soles believes that less is more, which is why their shoes are designed to be as simple as possible, with a natural layer of leather wrapping your foot. Their handmade shoes are designed to be customizable and unique - just like you.

Calf Leather From Calfskin

The Brave Soles calf leather shoes are made with full grain, kudu, and chromexcel leather. The shoes are available in three different colors - full grain, white, and forest green - and in three different sizes. The calf leather is sourced from the world-class tanneries of CF Stead in Leeds, UK, and The Horween Company in Chicago, USA. Calf leather is used in Brave Soles shoes because it is strong and durable. Brave Soles shoes are made with calf leather. Calf leather is a high-quality, durable type of leather often used in high-end products. It has a smooth texture and is resistant to wear and tear.

Wool

Shoes made from wool are environmentally friendly and sustainable. Wool is a sustainable material, which means that it is sourced from renewable sources. Additionally, wool is environmentally friendly because it can improve your health.

Design Range of Handmade Leather shoes at Brave Soles

MADE WITH PATENT LEATHER: THE ROMANA GIRL'S LEATHER SANDAL

handmade shoes, handmade leather shoes

KEEP YOUR HEEL COMFY BY WEARING THE COMFORTABLE TRENZA LEATHER FLIP FLOP

hand made shoes, invomall women's shoes

A VARIETY OF HANDMADE, CASUAL MEN'S SHOES

QUALITY FOOTWEAR: THE MATEO MEN'S LEATHER SANDAL

invomall mens shoes,

WITH EASE BUCKLE: THE BOHEMIA LEATHER SANDAL leather sign on the shoe Crockett

jones boot makers, british boots, handmade sneakers usa

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FAQ's

Where does the leather for these handmade shoes come from?

Brave Soles gets their shoe and accessories leather from two different sources: Our shoe leather is sourced in the Dominican Republic from a local tannery called Bojos Tannery. Bojos works hard to be transparent about its process, and they are a certified gold member of the Leather Working Group. They are confident in their environmental standards and sourcing, which can be checked in their environment report.

All of their leather is ethically sourced. They only use high-quality, full-grain leather that will age beautifully and last for years with proper care.

How do I care for handmade shoes by Brave Soles?

Leather will always have natural markings such as dents, scars, scratches, wrinkles, or blemishes. These natural markings or irregularities should not be considered a defect but indications of genuine leather. For long-lasting use, protect your items from getting wet and prolonged exposure to direct sunlight and heat. Leather footwear generally takes about 1-2 weeks of wear before softening. It is subject to wear and tears over time as a natural product. You should look into buying a waterproof protector that can coat your leather shoes and accessories and protect them if they get wet in the rain.

How Much Do Handmade Shoes Cost?

They don't cost a lot at Brave Soles. They're quite pocket friendly and affordable for everyone.

Do handmade shoes last longer?

Handmade shoes are meant to last a long time. Unlike manufactured shoes, they must be made with the highest quality materials and the best craftsmanship so that if one part fails or wears out, it can be repaired. This will also save you money over time as well.