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Have you ever wondered how your pair of eco-friendly women's sneakers is made? If so, you've come to the right place. We'll walk you through every step: from the idea to the packaging.
Step 1: Designing your eco-friendly sneakers
Every sneaker project must go through a beginning of realization: the drawing ! This is the stage where we begin to concretize everything we have in mind. You can start doing it yourself, but if it is not your profession, you will probably quickly need a shoe designer so that the drawings are clear enough. The drawing is a guide that will serve throughout the different stages.
Step 2: The design of your ethical sneakers
To make the drawing a little more realistic, it will then be created on design software like Illustrator. We will be able to specify the measurements and give additional information on the design, textures, colors, and type of sole. Often, materials are already pre-selected at this stage, especially the most important ones for the upper, i.e. the external part of your sneaker. This design will then be sent to the workshop and will serve as a guide for measurements, materials used, colors, manufacturing techniques, and finishes.
Step 3: Choosing eco-responsible materials for your sneakers
The raw materials that will be used have generally already been thought about in advance. In particular for the Mood Walk: eco-responsible and vegan sneakers. The choice of sustainable and ecological components was therefore crucial. This selection will then determine the production times but also the articulation of the production chain. Your choices will also necessarily be made according to your values, for example if you want sneakers made in Europe with local materials, or if this is not important to you. The raw materials are ordered upstream of production and in reduced quantities according to the desired number of pairs.
For our part, we have chosen vegan and ecological materials for our eco-responsible sneakers . Indeed, the main part of our vegan sneakers is made with a bio-material composed of organic materials up to 78% mainly corn, this is what will replace the leather. For the colored inserts, we opted for 100% vegan suede . Concerning the laces, they are made of cotton. The outer soles are made of rubber with 20% recycled rubber. The lining is also made of corn. And finally, the box is made of recycled cardboard.
When creating our eco-responsible sneakers, it was essential for us to make them with low-carbon materials that limit our impact on the planet.
Step 4: The shape of your vegan sneakers
The goal of this step is to shape the previously made model of your sneakers while keeping in mind the volumes necessary for the comfort of the foot. But how do you do this? It is the last maker who will create a 3D plastic shoe called the last. He will think of this shape to make the sneaker as comfortable to wear as possible. Once validated, the last is declined for each size.
Step 5: The patronage of your responsible sneakers
The pattern consists of making a molded “shell” on the shape described above, a shell on which we can draw the different elements that make up the eco-responsible sneaker. The pattern maker will then define all the useful information of the patterns such as seams, perforations, eyelets, etc.
Step 6: Cutting out the different pieces of your ethical sneakers
Using the pattern template, the cutter will make the different parts of the pattern. The cutting can be done with a laser machine or a die cutter. This is where your Mood Walk eco-friendly sneaker comes to life: the back, the top, the different inserts, etc.
Step 7: Stitching or assembling your vegan sneakers
The different pieces that were cut out previously will be assembled , that is, sewn together to form the upper of the shoe (called the upper). It is at this stage that your sneaker begins to take shape and that we can get an idea of the final result. A final stage is carried out: the snap. It consists of assembling the front and the back of the shoe.
Step 8: Mounting on the plastic “form”
The previously made sneaker is then applied to the plastic “form”. The textiles are then worked so that they take the right shape for the final aesthetic.
Machines are used to shape the entire shoe on the plastic “last”. There are still workers who are responsible for placing the element correctly and who ensure that the machine has done its job.
If you want to see a video of how the step is done, we have made a real one available on our Instagram account @moodwalk_sneakers !
Step 9: Soling your eco-friendly sneakers
As its name suggests, this is the step where we will take care of the sole of the eco-friendly sneaker . It is crucial because we will assemble the upper and the sole, and this is where we can start to see the almost final result of the shoe. Several methods exist for the sole. The most traditional consists of gluing the sole to the upper and then it is sewn. The least used method is rather specific to work shoes: the sole is directly injected using a mold placed under the upper. It therefore adheres directly to the upper of the shoe.
In line with our choice of eco-responsible materials , for your Mood Walk sneakers, we have opted for a sole made from 20% recycled rubber.
For the sole technique, we chose the Strebel stitching with a sole glued then sewn to the upper to guarantee greater robustness.
Step 10: Finishing touches and final details of your eco-friendly sneakers
Now that your Mood Walk eco-friendly sneaker is almost finished, there remains the pampering stage. This is where we will review all the details such as cutting the excess threads and excess fabric, putting on the laces, etc. The workers will also remove the shoes from their “form”.
Step 11: Boxing your Mood Walk sneakers
The final and most satisfying step: boxing your eco-friendly sneakers. This is the final step and the moment when you can see the final product that your customers will have in their hands. The final quality checks are done and your pair of Mood Walk women's sneakers is ready to be sent!
Discover the final result on our e-shop with the Master Mind or Wild Walker model.
