T H E
P R O D U C E R S
Sole traders
The latest must-have footwear isn’t strictly new – its origins are in centuries-old
North Africa. We talk to the creators to find out why it’s running off the shelves
WORDS
VICKY LANE
FIVEYEARSAGO,
while on holiday in the Atlas
Mountains of Morocco, Jovanna Kruitbosch and
Martijn Lugtigheid (
right
)
fell in love. At the back
of a rickety merchant’s shop, gathering dust, sat
a worn-out pair of old boots. Made from recycled
woven prayer rugs, called kilims, and leftover
leather, the boots harked back to long-forgotten
local craftsmen bowing to the whims of road-
tripping hippies as they revelled in the Arabian
adventure of the 1960s.
Despite the faded colours, the footwear’s
distinctive appearance captured the imaginations
of the Amsterdam-based couple, who quit their jobs to go
into business selling them. “We had no experience of the
fashion industry,” says Lugtigheid, “but we fell in love with the
concept. We wanted to bring them back and share them with
the world.” Sourcing materials and tracking down
the artisans who created the original boots
took months and, for authenticity, they found
Dutch-Moroccans to carry out the intricate
handiwork. It was a year before the first 100
pairs were online, but their hard work paid
off: the boots sold out in two hours.
“
After spending all that time, we almost had to
close down again while we found more material
and another 100 were produced,” Lugtigheid
says. “Everything is handmade, with the material
sourced from all over Asia and North Africa, so it
takes time. Plus, the rugs are very old, so the boots
have to be crafted carefully. Every pair has its own
story – that’s what makes them so special.”
Appealing in the beginning to, as Lugtigheid
says, “creative minds: local musicians, DJs,
designers”, they were soon noticed by fashion
bods at publications such as
Grazia
and
Elle
.
They
became popular festival wear and demand rocketed. A year after
opening their shop in Amsterdam’s trendy Utrechtsestraat district,
Kiboots are a global phenomenon, shipping to 68 countries. The
couple is now planning outlets in London, Paris and New York.
The next set of Kiboots will be created frommaterial
sourced across south-east Asia’s Golden Triangle.
“
Travel is the inspiration behind our shoes, not
fashion. It has been a beautiful adventure so far
and, with so much out there still to explore, we
hope it continues for many years to come.”
kiboots.com
Travel is the
inspiration behind
our shoes, not
fashion. There’s still
so much to explore
R E G U L A R S
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