THEY ARE THERE !
As you have surely noticed, the very first SAOLA Made in Portugal models are available on the site ! We have created a product for women, the MARINHA , as well as a men's model, the FARO . These two names are inspired by great Portuguese beaches. Surely you want to know more, especially the reason for production in Portugal? The materials ? Don't worry, we'll get there!
Let's start with the beginning. We are still producing in Vietnam, we are not stopping production in Asia since it is less costly for the environment to produce in Vietnam than to produce in Portugal since we deliver to both the United States and Europe.
However, we have decided to create two "Made in Europe" models. Why will you tell me? First, since we produce in Europe, we have limited the sale of this model to Europe for these first two models. The costs and environmental impact of transport are greatly reduced, which makes it possible to offer a correct price, and to have less impact on our planet. Secondly, a production in Portugal allows us to enter what is called the “circular economy” . Savings that cannot be achieved by producing in Vietnam due to the cost of returning the shoes.
WHAT MATERIALS IN THE MADE IN PORTUGAL MODELS?
Now is the time to talk about… MATERIALS! Because we don't just put crushed shoes in your Made in Portugal pairs.
For the MARINHA (women's model), there are no crushed shoes in the outsole but rather ground coffee beans. Mixed with rubber, you get a super resistant sole! As for each of our models, we use natural cork to obtain a soft and flexible sole. The top of the shoe and the laces are 100% organic cotton.
FAROs therefore have an outsole made from ground shoes . For the rest of the materials, you will also find organic cotton creating the top of the shoe as well as the laces. The insole is also made of natural cork.
At the moment, only two models are available . But don't worry, we aim to produce new ones as soon as possible, while keeping an exclusivity for Europe!
