Laiik: The seasons are changing, and so are we — your new favorite shoes
Written by our new PR and Marketing intern, Lucca Sgro
We’ve been working on something new, and we are so excited to start sharing it with all of you. In response to customer demand, we are moving beyond spring and summer and bringing you our first ever styles for fall and winter. Designing this collection has been a long but fun process, making sure everything is up to our ethical, environmental, and aesthetic standards. And now, we want to share this story with you and show off what we’ve created! Our new PR & Marketing Intern, Lucca Sgro, interviewed Jemima Janney, our Design Director, about the new Fall and Winter collection.
On Materials and the Environment
Since the launch of Laiik, we have made it our mission to create shoes that embody Greek minimalism, are crafted by skilled hands, and made from the best materials we could find that are both ethical and eco-conscious. All of our sandals are made using only the butteriest vegetable-tanned Italian leather for our uppers, sourced from an amazing little tannery in the heart of Tuscany, and vegetable-tanned cuoio leather for our stacked soles. That means no toxic chromium on your feet, nor -- more importantly -- in the surrounding groundwater. Since we have started producing our Fall and Winter styles, we’ve taken the opportunity to develop our most eco-conscious shoe to date. Like our sandals, our fall styles are handmade in Greece with the same premium leather. But since we’re using lining for the first time, we had to search far and wide for a lining that would match our ethical and eco-friendly standards. Our search took us to leather trade shows across Europe, and we ultimately found an amazing ethical tannery all the way back in Italy. They specialise in lining that is 100% biodegradable, non-toxic, and breathable with a guaranteed low environmental impact and a marked reduction in water waste during production! It is perfect.
On Designing
Laiik’s design inspiration is rooted in Greek culture, both ancient and modern, and we blend that with our focus on comfort and wearability for the modern woman. With our fall and winter styles, we were inspired by the colors and silhouettes of Athens, a vibrant, colorful city where you can see urban art living alongside ancient runs, modern buildings, greenery, and of course the pristine waters of the Mediterranean.
Asked about her favorite shoe from the collection; Jemima said, “I love our new Phoebe mule in berry. It is such a fun and wearable color that transcends the season so well. The mule also comes in black, which you can still dress up or down depending on your outfit.” Phoebe means bright and pure in Greek, named for her elegance and effortlessness.
Another favorite is our upcoming Chelsea boot, which we created and designed in response to increasing customer demand for a Greek style that would take them into winter. The boots are classic and timeless, but with our signature Greek aesthetic, and are made with our premium vachetta leathers. We can’t wait to show you!
When asked about the new season, Jemima said, “this year we’ve worked within a more fluid design process, developing and designing constantly to allow for more frequent product releases and newness to our store and site! The pandemic has been a time of great hardship for many fashion brands, including ours, but we’ve been looking at the best ways to overcome the challenges of missing a summer season as a sandal brand and we’re really excited to be launching our first fall shoes and boots.”
Indeed, the whole Laiik team can’t wait to get our new fall and winter styles on your feet! Our mules are online and in store now. Keep an eye out for three new styles, including our Chelsea boots, that we’ll be dropping later this month!
