So what’s with this whole Africa thing people ask us sometimes. It’s simple, Oliberté is about creating a better Africa, that people see differently. And we do it by creating premium shoes, made of the highest quality possible working with amazing people – all in Africa. This is an Africa that is full of pride, power and liberty and aside from just being a tag line, Oliberté believes if you can show that anything, especially shoes made in Africa can be of the highest quality in the world combined with the right styles, and done in a way that respects every one from farmers to factory works to customers, we really do believe this is the best way to show the new and real Africa will thrive. That’s why we do it in Africa – that’s why Oliberté is Made in Africa.
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March 16th, 2010 | Filed under
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Oliberté is the first premium footwear to be made in Africa, using materials from Africa.
Today,
We use premium leather from Ethiopia.
We use natural rubber from West Africa
Every stitch, each cut, any piece of our footwear is a colloboration of 100+ amazing women and men that want you to see the real Africa.
Oliberté Footwear. This is the real Africa.
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January 16th, 2010 | Filed under
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So what makes our leather so special?
As our first supporters begin wearing their Oliberté shoes this week, many have already been asking what makes our leather so special and why our shoes are so light and comfortable?
Here is the scoop:
The average animals used for most leather in other parts of the world only live for about a year. These animals (cow, sheep, goat) are typically injected with hormones to speed up their development, so that they can be used for meat or leather much sooner than would naturally be possible. As such, because hormone-injected animals are put under so much bodily stress to stretch and grow, the leather is generally much heavier and and not as soft.
However, in Ethiopia, where we make our shoes and source our leather, these same animals provide local farmers with their livelihoods for many years. The cows and goats continue to provide milk to farmers and their families and only near the end of their natural lives, are the animals used for other income-generating activities such as meat or leather.
The average animal used in making Oliberté shoes has lived on average 5-6 years more than similar animals in other parts of the world, and has not been caged or stressed. As such, each of our shoes is made with the most natural leather available in Africa, and this is what makes it soft and light.
But why leather?
Ethiopia has the largest amount of livestock in Africa, and it and its leather has the potential to bring enormous opportunities to all Ethiopians. Oliberté is about building a better Africa through footwear and that means using resources that are locally available AND that provide the best opportunity for better-wages and better quality of life for Ethiopians and all Africans. This is our leather. This is Africa. This is Oliberté!
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October 29th, 2009 | Filed under
Material
