Our Story

Anouk Anansi, proud founder of Earth Sole, comfortable leather barefoot shoes

Our Story

Earth Sole’s journey began in December 2020. At a festival on a rainy day in South Africa, founder Anouk Anansi was handed a piece of repurposed leather by a friend. Inspired by the concept of grounding and the wish to connect with the earth’s energy, the idea for Earth Sole shoes was born—a natural, handmade shoe through which sole you would stay connected to the ground.

Although started as a personal project, these unique shoes gained interest wherever they were worn, and the realization grew: more people were interested in a shoe that would feel like wearing no shoes at all! In May 2022, Anouk decided to give it a go, and started to spend countless hours perfecting the fit with feedback from people at markets and events.

Today, our footwear is proudly crafted by a small, talented team of artisans who work from their homes in Cape Town. These beautiful, handcrafted shoes have since found their way to nature and barefoot enthusiasts around the world.

Thank you for being part our journey!

Our Mission

Our Ethics

We are a purpose-driven brand. Quality is at the heart of everything we do, and our ethics guide every step we take. These are the core beliefs that shape who we are:

Sustainability: We use repurposed leather for all uppers and back parts. Also, our shoes are made to order, reducing waste and avoiding excess stock.

Ethical Labor: We ensure fair wages and good working conditions for our team.

Quality over Quantity: We focus on creating durable, high-quality shoes rather than producing in large volumes. Each pair takes around 2.5 hours to make

Giving Back: We believe in sharing our success by supporting others. 1% of our profit is donated to local charities. More

Our Benefits

Free souls deserve free shoes. Discover our benefits, for heart and sole.

𓇣 Free Feet: Our shoes maintain the natural contours of your feet, allowing them to spread. Barefoot walking improves your balance, physical strength and posture.

𓇣 Comfortable: Our soft leather feels comfortable to the feet. Also, they mold to the shape of your feet, making them feel like you wear no shoes at all.

𓇣 Grounding: Through our leather soles, you will stay connected to the Earth's energy: boosting energy, digestion, and focus while reducing stress and inflammation.

𓇣 Light & Pliable: Our footwear easily fits in your pocket and is 1.6 grams light, so ready to come along on all your adventures.

𓇣 Repurposed Leather: Our top and back sections are crafted from leather offcuts, reducing environmental impact.

Ready to become an Earthy Soul? Discover our wide range of design and custom options.

To Our Collection

Team

Our Team

We're proud to introduce you to our dynamic team members.

Anouk Anansi

Founder, Manager & Designer

Anouk founded Earth Sole back in '22! She is usually busy with keeping the process run smoothly, translating the ethics to the people and building our website. "It can be challenging at times, but seeing how much joy people get out of our shoes definately keeps me going!"

Zoë

Online Customer Support

This is Zoë, a passionate barefoot walker herself. Since June '24 she has been our customer supporter, and in Novermber '24 she took the bold move to run the South African part of Earth Sole, becoming Aard Footwear. "When I found Earth Sole for the first time I was so thrilled: this brand totally matched with my own ethics"

Natasha

Production - Phase 1

Natasha has been with us from the very start. She is passionate and dedicated to making high quality shoes. "I really enjoy working with my hands, and because I sometimes find it difficult to connect with people, this is a great way to keep myself busy"

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Jade

Stitcher - Phase 2

This is Jade, who started sewing our shoes 2023. "I never thought I would have the opportunity to be part of such a powerful brand"

Avril

Seamstress Bags

This is Avril who has started making our gorgeous bags fabric since 2022. "I always get repurposed fabric which is sometimes challenging, as they come in different thicknesses and sizes, but it keeps me creative!"

Production Process

Our production process is about 2.5 hours of dedicated handwork. Learn how our Earth Soles come to life!

Prepairing your order

Our studio is a hub of activity as we pack orders, often working with 15 to 30 different colors. We maximize every scrap, and combine even the smallest pieces to create shoes for shops and orders.

Our comfortable leather barefoot shoes are made by hand. Earth Sole, based in Cape Town, South Africa

Phase 1

Once the leather arrives at our skilled craftswomen's homes, they cut it according to the custom or regular patterns. They glue the pieces together and create holes for stitching. The time spent varies based on the shoe's size and complexity, ranging from 1 to 1.5 hours. Watch the how-to video below!

Phase 2

Phase 2 involves stitching the shoes using waxed thread. We use pliers to ease the process and ensure precision. This process takes about 1 hour.

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Packing & Shipping

Before they embark on their journey, we pack them with your shoe bag (also made with repurposed fabric), ready to be shipped worldwide.

Charity

To continue the circle of giving and receiving, we share 1% of our profit with those incredible South African NGOs:

U Turn

U-Turn empowers Cape Town’s homeless with a 2-year program for skill development and job readiness. Earth Sole’s founder, Anouk, volunteered with them for two years and knows they do incredible work!

Greenpop

Greenpop restores forests and raises environmental awareness in Southern Africa. At their annual Reforest Festival, they’ve planted over 150,000 trees! We’ve attended and highly recommend it.