After presenting to you our stretch pants , our breathable and weatherproof Ventile jacket , our merino wool and linen t-shirt , let's move on to another creation with merino wool, where you might not necessarily expect it. : sneakers!
Yes, you read correctly, I'm talking about putting merino wool on your feet. And responsible wool too.
Merino wool on a sneaker, ok, but why?
Creating a sneaker design is always a delicate exercise, and here we really wanted to highlight the texture of the wool.
The comfort of merino wool, at your feet
Fans of our merino t-shirts are well aware of the benefits of this fabulous material, more relevant than ever for your feet:
- it is a material that regulates heat very well , so your feet will not be too hot or too cold,
- it is a material that wicks away moisture , very practical for not having sweaty feet, and which adds breathability ,
- it is a material that dries quickly , which is very practical in the event of a light shower,
- it is anti-odor : those who have already worn our t-shirts for several days in a row will know what I am talking about. It will therefore considerably reduce odors compared to shoes made of synthetic material.
I never tire of this beautiful heather in shades of gray:
Reda is very good at creating beautiful textures.
And on top of that, it is a much softer material than leather, so it is an extremely flexible sneaker, for supreme comfort.
Every time someone from the team tried the pair on, they always got the same comment: “but they're as comfortable as slippers!” . In fact, the material is a mesh, certainly very compact, but which has a little elasticity, so they are more flexible than leather or canvas for example.
In short, between the qualities of thermoregulation, moisture wicking, and flexibility, they are incredibly comfortable and you can wear them all year round.
This pair on your feet + our stretch pants + our wool and linen t-shirt = winning combo for ultimate comfort.
This pair is going to be one of the most comfortable in your closet!
But not just any supplier can offer wool that is functional, luxurious and responsible.
To do this, we continued to work with Reda, the merino wool specialists, who offer a range specially designed for footwear.
Finally, this merino wool gives a very urban and modern appearance to this sneaker.
MERINO IS GOOD. REDA ACTIVE IS BETTER.
💡Don't hesitate to (re)watch our immersive video report at Reda to understand the very particular manufacturing of the Reda Active range.
Reda, one of the last great Italian spinners and weavers, went even further.
How ? Bring together the crème de la crème of wool working over several decades, sprinkle with some innovations in spinning technique and you get Reda Active merino:
- Its yarn is softer, more comfortable AND more resistant
- Its material has a very luxurious drape, giving it unparalleled beauty among merino fabrics.
- The quality of its fiber raises the performance of merino wool to the highest level: thermoregulation, moisture evacuation, odor inhibition
This last point is undoubtedly its biggest difference from a classic merino.
It's beautiful, luminous, deep and it will stay that way for a long time, since Reda Active merino preserves its color better after washing.
It is 100% traceable and mulesing free wool, more information here:
Nowadays, it is often impossible to precisely trace the origin of the fibers in a garment.
By integrating its entire production chain, Reda has made the traceability of its wool possible and this is important to underline.
The spinner has three farms in New Zealand. ZQ certified, they meet standards on fiber quality, animal welfare, environmental impact and social responsibility.
I repeat, this wool is mulesing free.
To ensure that each wool fiber in our sneakers comes from these ethical farms, Reda controls everything at each stage of production. And that's no small feat.
Each fleece bag is traced from start to finish.
Identity card of the merino wool of our sneakers
- Main material: 63% wool 37% polyamide from Reda. The polyamide mixed with wool plays an important role: it provides resistance and increases the durability of the sneaker.
- Origin of the wool: New Zealand, ZQ certified, mulesing free.
- Micronnage: 17.81
- Spun in Italy
- Knitted in Italy at Reda
- Weight: 456 g/m2
- Color: anthracite
And on top of that, this Reda Active wool has a very beautiful visual, nicely mottled, which echoes our taste for texture and visually rich materials on our other clothes.
A nubuck leather also used for car seats of Italian racing cars (yes, yes).
As for the nubuck leather, it comes from Italy and for the record, it is a supplier who also works with the most prestigious Italian sports car brands or very high-end audio headphones!
A special nod for the leather inserts
Head to Japan
At the lace eyelets, there is a leather insert to reinforce them, with a shape inspired by the Ainu culture.
They are an indigenous people who live mainly in the North of Japan, on the island of Hokkaido, and whose culture is very ancient, and probably predates the settlement of the first Japanese, with a gap of more than 1000 years!
They have a culture very oriented around the link between man and nature, and visually very rich. They are distinguished in particular by a unique embroidery art.
Look closely at the white embroidery on this garment, that’s where my inspiration comes from:
Credit Met Museum .
The patterns were specific to each village and were supposed to protect against bad luck.
And here is the sketch I made for our sneakers:
Me exploring the trail of Ainu motifs.
Through this yoke, I wanted to give a little nod to this ethnic group who have lived through the centuries in the cold of Japan, where merino wool on their feet would have been very useful to them!
Hoping that these inserts also protect you from bad luck!
In short, Ainu culture is fascinating , if only in terms of their religion , and we could write numerous books and articles on this people who are too often misunderstood (and whose legitimacy the Japanese government was slow to recognize).
A lightweight Vibram sole
Walk on clouds
Comfort, lightness and grip: all the boxes are checked.
For this sneaker, we wanted a sole with a clearly sporty look and a little "graphic" side. We therefore turned to a sole from the Italian supplier Vibram.
We specifically chose this model because:
- it is 30% lighter than a standard EVA sole,
- it has a very good balance between durability and lightness ,
- the designs under the sole are optimized to have a good quality of grip ,
- and above all, it has a look that allows it to be worn in a wide variety of outfits.
A cork-covered insole
A signature element of our sneakers
The insole is covered with cork, for several reasons:
- cork has anti-odor properties,
- it also has antibacterial properties , to prevent the formation of fungus,
- it’s a very good thermal insulator , whether it’s hot… or cold!
- it has good moisture absorption capacity.
It is also a Portuguese cork (logical, given that the supplier of the sole is Portuguese).
How to get our new parts?
Visit our e-shop or in our stores.
