These Boots Were Made for Walking… and Supporting Third-World Artisans
“Game-changing and life-changing” — At Nisolo, the aim of social impact centers on these two things. In order to combat the pervasive trend of low wages and poor working conditions in the fashion industry, this shoe, bag and accessory company works to empower artisans in developing countries through its ethical approach to fashion.
In 2011, Co-Founder and CEO Patrick Woodyard found himself at a development job in Trijullo, Peru, where he discovered the talented, yet struggling, industry of shoemakers in Northern Peru. Their lack of access to the global market contributed greatly to the inconsistency of their employment. In an effort to make a difference, together with Co-Founder and Vice President of Design Zoe Clearly, Woodyard created Nisolo.
Nisolo shoes are all handmade by artisans based both in Trijullo, Peru and Nashville, Tennessee. Now 5 years old, the company provides sustained employment for over 50 people and has acquired a following of almost 50,000 people on Instagram. On the Nisolo website, the dream is summarized in four words: awareness, transparency, quality, opportunity.
In creating shoes they describe as “classic essentials,” for the consumer, Nisolo provides their artisans and designers with international market access, higher wages than fair trade, skills training and safe working conditions. Nisolo means “not alone,” and by connecting consumer and producer through their classic, ethically-made shoes, Woodyard and Clearly have lived up to the name.
