Hello, Good Guys friends,
Welcome to The Good Guys Notes #8
Today, I will talk about my love for Sweden, and Swedish clogs and how our collaboration with Troentorp started, which led us to create the best vegan clogs around.
It was serendipity to find Troentorp. When I reached out to them a few seasons ago, they told me they were very interested in launching a line of Vegan shoes but weren't sure of the materials and had some hesitations. We decided to collaborate and focus on quality, simplicity, staying true to the classic Swedish clogs, while using eco-friendly and high-quality vegan materials. We kept their perfect designs with flawless traditional details and made them Vegan. A dream come true!
My love for Sweden and where it comes from.
I visited Sweden for the first time in 2006; I was invited that summer for my birthday by my now long-time partner in crime, muse, and occasional ghost-designer for Good Guys, David Herman Dune, who is Swedish.
First on my trip was, Stockholm. It was love at first sight; everything about Stockholm was appealing to me, the architecture, the style, the art, the food...I can rave about it all day long. That's where I met Nina from Greenlaces, one of our first vegan concept stores; Nina is passionate about veganism, fashion, sustainability. We always exchange ideas and love working with Nina. She's the first to carry our Vegan clogs, and it's a success. Greenlaces is situated in the historical neighborhood of Stockholm, Södermalm.
Stockholm was modern and traditional. I could learn about the history of this magnificent city while feeling how ahead of their time the inhabitants were, enjoying edgy fashion boutiques and places to eat that were nothing short of delicious vegan food and even vegan fast food back in 2006...What a dream, especially coming from France.
The second part of my trip was a deep dive into the countryside, surrounded by big lakes in the region of Dalarna, where the famous Red Wooden horses are from. It was magical as well, experiencing for the first time the midnight sun and northern light, alone in nature, no cell phones, swimming in freezing lakes, riding old bikes, and never missing a daily Fika with the family.
Why the idea of traditional Vegan Swedish clogs?
I spent many summers in Sweden, and over time, I acquired a couple of non-vegan traditional hand-painted pairs of clogs for myself, thinking I would only wear them in Sweden. I had a guilty feeling in my guts, but each time I started looking for vegan ones, they could not be found..yet.
That's when the idea of designing "real" traditional clogs but Vegan and including them into the Good Guys collections came around.
David, who often joined me in my reflections for Good Guys and was equally dying to find a pair of beautiful Vegan clogs, started to investigate. He concluded that Troentorp, a 100 years old Swedish clog company, would be the ideal partner for this new development. He even bought a pair of non-vegan clogs from him to test them, and it was a "go" for us.
We didn't want to create vegan clogs that would not be approved, worn, tested over time, and genuine. I reached out to Troentorp, and shortly after, they answered back, enthusiastically.
The first Vegan Clogs ever!
Success ! we are soon launching our 4th collection in collaboration with Troentorp. for Spring Summer 2022. The clogs that we are creating together are combining perfect designs and savoir-faire, with details that only "real" clogs get. The nails are one of them, the big toe shape carved into the wood, the bottom of the sole made of rubber for a perfect balance and shock absorption. And the toe shape and box are roomy and follow the curve of the feet for extra comfort and support.
Rockwell clog boots, vegan leather
If you have never tried a pair of clogs in your life, I would highly recommend trying the Da Vinci, a classic. You'd be surprised how a wooden sole can give so much comfort. I wear my Da Vinci clogs, all year round, barefoot or with thin socks. I wear the closed clogs, the Van Gogh, with thick socks or my Rockwell clog boots during winter.
We are launching a new Da Vinci for SS22, the perfect summer shoes with a higher heel for those who like a more feminine touch. We are also introducing a new color of Appleskin, the now-famous leather alternative made of 30-40% apple waste. Our lining is biodegradable,100 % recyclable, and 100% recycled, plant-based (made of corn). To give you one last piece of information regarding the sustainability of all our shoes, all our products are Oeko-Tex Classe I and PETA approved.
I hope you enjoyed the story, and if you have never been to Sweden, don't hesitate to reach out. I'll give you tips :)
Marion
Tack Tack...Yeeeeeha !
