Hi there! My name is Anouk Anansi and I'm the founder of Earth Sole. My shoe journey began in December 2020 in South Africa, where I was living at the time. On a rainy day at a festival, my friend Sarah showed some leather offcuts and said, "Let's make something."

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Not long before, I had been inspired by the idea of grounding — staying connected to the earth — through the documentary The Earthing Movie. I spent much of my time barefoot while living in my caravan and surrounded by nature. But as I was moving back to the city of Cape Town, I wanted a simple shoe that would still keep me grounded. So at that festival, I decided to make my own pair of barefoot shoes.
 

Over the following year, many people fell in love with my shoes. And even though I had no experience in business, leatherworking or shoemaking, I liked the idea that others could also benefit from a healthy, comfortable shoe. And that's why I decided to give it a go.
 

In May 2022, I officially began. I measured hundreds of people's feet to create a fit that really feels like a second skin. Along the way, I found an amazing team dedicated to handcrafting each pair, as well as local suppliers of leather offcuts — because giving beautiful materials a second life has always been an important part of the journey.
 

It's been a special adventure, with big ups and big downs en many magical synchronicities, and the biggest thing that I love is meeting incredible customers who share the same values: staying close to the earth, and close to themselves.
 

I'm happy to now have you as part of the journey too.