LOS ANGELES, California (October 9, 2019)–LA-based DAVINCI Footwear is the creation of veteran shoe designer Eric Payne and entrepreneur Curt Clemens, who came together to design and handcraft earth-friendly, minimalist boots that offer a all-natural foot feel. The newly launched footwear brand claims to have a concept completely different than all other shoes. The duo describes their shoes as “the slipper of boots.”

Passionate about design and form, united in a shared concern for sustainability, and devoted to the idea that shoes should be comfortable, Payne and Clemens created a boot blueprint that combines both style and comfort. DAVINCI Footwear shoes are extremely light, flexible and feature a specialized insole that offers long lasting wear, while also maintaining the integrity of the foot’s natural form. Payne, whose extensive background in shoe design includes hand-crafting work boots at a 100 year-old heritage boot company, sought to sculpt shoes with “real-feel” features for maximum comfort and benefit for men and women.

As a result, the duo created a unique leather insole that forms to the foot and is completely stitched down. This sitchdown feature secures the insole, making it more durable and strengthening the longevity of the shoe itself. This also releases the foot from many of the physical difficulties that come from wearing “standard” shoes, which use low quality and expendable insoles. Additionally, the flush heel to toe footbed and roomy toe box are features that support the foot’s natural shape.

“Generally, insoles are second-thought add-ons, which get easily worn down,” says Payne. “Our distinctive footbed, on the other hand, is an insole which is handcrafted from recyclable Cellfit and leather then stitched into the body of the shoe, using one of the oldest shoe-making techniques. We call this our 360 degree stitchdown,” explains Payne, who’s past experience also includes design and development.

In an effort to keep waste to a minimum, DAVINCI Footwear is dedicated to creating timeless, indisposable wares that can be used for years. The EPA estimates 11.9 million tons of clothing and footwear-related waste are generated each year. 20 billion pairs of shoes are made each year and roughly 300 million pairs end up in landfills. DAVINCI Footwear shells and insoles are made with biodegradable leather, while great effort is made to ensure that all other materials are as earth-friendly as possible.

“We have cultivated a sustainability initiative, shrinking our waste footprint. For the outsole, we’ve swapped the landfill clogging Ethylene Vinyl Acetate for recycled coconut husk and rubber, while the leathers used for our insoles and the rest of the shoe are byproducts of the meat and dairy industry,” says Clemens, who, with Payne, works closely with its factories to ensure these standards are met. “We source every detail of our footwear: the leather is hand-sourced, the wax laces are custom-made, and the outsole is made from repurposed, locally sourced scrap coconut husk,” adds Payne.

DAVINCI Footwear’s 5,000 sq ft HQ is strategically nestled in a burgeoning neighborhood of like-minded makers just north of Downtown LA called Lincoln Heights, and houses its showroom, product and fulfillment warehouse and shoemaking equipment facility. Here, the DAVINCI Footwear team creates sample prototypes and limited edition capsule runs.

Meanwhile, DAVINCI Footwear produces its core styles in Léon, Mexico where shoemaking has been a tradition passed down from generation to generation. The DAVINCI Footwear team has partnered with a boutique tannery and a family-run shoe factory to produce its signature styles.

For the launch, the DAVINCI Footwear team has introduced three styles of boots for both men and women in a variety of colorways and finished leathers, including natural, waxed and suede leather.

This brand of footwear is comfortable and absolutely amazing with any outfit!! Doll up your feet today.

Retail prices are under $350 and are available now at www.davincifootwear.com.
Follow DAVINCI Footwear on instagram at www.instagram.com/davincifootwear.

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