Our 501c3 not for profit organization aspires to be the first to deliver directly from master Mayan craftspeople a meaningful way to walk with style, one old sole at a time.
From the shores of Lake Atitlan, Guatemala, we proudly present truly handmade, 100% reclaimed, one-of-a-kind shoes made from car tires and authentic Mayan textiles directly to your door.
Stretch Goals!
In Brief
The Rewards
Our Story
We invite you to join us in becoming kin to walk with integrity, to help reclaim old car tires from local landfills, and to revitalize age-old traditions from the depths of cultural extinction.
We are a small not for profit, human-powered team. We are for social change, therefore we are able to offer this one of kind comfort and incredible style at an unbelievable value. Walk with confidence knowing your investment will reach indigenous artisans who cherish making these works of art. Your investment in every shoe will help us achieve our goal. Remember, Always Stay Original!
Purpose
Our vision is two-fold: to take away harmful waste close to communities and to change the way that we relate to what we wear and those affected by what we do. We work with over 40 artisans who's passion is artisanship for the sake of cultural wisdom, beauty and sustainability. The artisans offer an exchange of their wealth: beauty, craftsmanship, honor and integrity; for your pledge and desire to walk in a good way.
Each shoe has been engineered by a native of the Americas and is handmade by an indigenous artisan from reclaimed Mayan-woven fabrics. Help us to revitalize this sacred art and culture of indigenous peoples.
Our Offerings
The Lifestyle. Lightweight and easy on the eyes, take your style anywhere.
The Revolution. Rise up in style with our tough and simple street shoe.
The Freestyle. Find where the roads end while respecting Mother Earth.
The Remix. Live with no boundaries and explore in style!
Comfort & Durability
We designed our footwear line with everyday comfort, durability, versatility and style in mind. We want to wear them to the office, to the mountains, in the city and late night dancing. We want a pair of shoes that can be worn everyday and make us feel good about every step and we hope you do to.
Our work is truly by hand: hand-cut, hand-designed, hand-woven, hand-stitched, all without the aid of modern machinery or industrial equipment, just hard work, dedication, and great care for our craft, founded on generations of knowledge.
We usually take our one company “car”, which is a small displacement motorcycle, to retrieve old tires for sole making from the local landfills. The tools we use are all old style hand tools, no batteries, no brand names, all human-powered.
Additional Offerings
Don't want a pair of shoes, but want to support our cause? Pledge at the $15 dollar level and receive 3 kinship bracelets, great for festivals and gifts.
Kinship signifies joining a tribal society in modern age. The purpose is to seed a culture of indigenous relationship between humans and the natural world.
When you become a Kin member through Kickstarter, we'll send you an initial offering of ceremonial cacao, healing black salt and a handmade naturally dyed scarf. Every 6 months you'll receive a custom pair of shoes. Paying $20 each month helps us to give back to the artisans regularly and can eliminate the feast or famine economy the artisans have been subject to.
Discover Guatemala, backpacking style. Valentino Romero, founder of Xol Original, will lead you through the highlands of Guatemala to meet our Indigenous Kin and to give you a locals experience of Tikal, chocolate making in Antigua and kayaking Lake Atitlan. You'll get to design your own pair of custom shoes, pick out the textiles first hand and experience the wealth and beauty Guatemala has to offer!
Experience Guatemala deluxe style. Valentino Romero, founder of Xol Original, will show you the most incredible treasures of Guatemala. Treat yourself to tropical food and drink, unwind in luxury by the beach. Venture down Rio Dulce on a private boat to visit the hot spring waterfalls and hidden ruins and much more!
In Conclusion
Your pledge will allow us to launch our Four Directions footwear line, and catapult our mission to bring one of a kind offerings that respect Mother Earth and all living beings.
We Greatly Appreciate Your Support!
Sizing
Risks and challenges
We've been working very hard creating prototypes of the Four Directions shoe line to offer during our kickstarter campaign. We have been seriously testing these prototypes to a larger audience through local festivals and events; refining subtle details of each shoe.
The result is truly handmade, ultra comfortable, durable, minimalist footwear made just for you. We are confident you will feel the difference between footwear handcrafted by master artisans, with zero compromises.
Some would say it’s impossible for a small group of devoted people to change the shoe industry forever; though we have faced economic challenges, crossed barriers of language and culture, the complications of creating a worldwide non profit organization without any big money or investors. We are still here, fighting for a voice in a world so loud with ambition, that it may have forgotten to first listen to the heart, and then walk close to the earth with dignity in the face of adversity.
The biggest challenge we face is the fluidity of the craft and working with the amazing family we've created beyond borders. Resources always run thin in Native country, the social and economic class of Native peoples is the lowest on earth. Luckily our cultures are the richest with story, knowledge and relationship to all things as equally important. The challenge is never over, please join us and support our mission to bring authentic handmade footwear to the world, all while benefiting indigenous communities and the sacred natural world.
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Funding period
- (29 days)