Recent Media on the ADIBO Chukka Boot

Check out some of the recent press on our ADIBO Chukka Boots. Some like to call it OBIDO, OBIDA – but all the same – check out the ADIBO at www.oliberte.com/shoes.

Oliberte Obido Chukka Boot @ hypebeast.com
http://hypebeast.com/2010/03/oliberte-obida-chukka-boot/

Oliberté | The Adibo Classic Desert Boot @ Cultureshoq.com
http://cultureshoq.com/oliberte-the-obido-classic-desert-boot/

Oliberté Adibo Chukka @ The Freshman Collective
http://thafreshmen.com/2010/04/oliberte-adibo-chukka/

Oliberté Adibo Desert Boot @ Highsnobiety.com
http://www.highsnobiety.com/news/2010/04/02/oliberte-adibo-desert-boot/

Oliberté – Spring/Summer 2010 Sneakers @ freshness.com
http://www.freshnessmag.com/2010/03/31/oliberte-springsummer-2010-sneakers/

Footwear: Oliberté Adibo @ MarcusTroy.com
http://marcustroy.com/footwear/footwear-oliberte-adibo/

The Oliberte Obida Chukka Boot Helps Build Africa @ TrendHunter.com

http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/obida-chukka-boot

OLIBERTE – OBIDO @ RonnieFieg.com

http://www.ronniefieg.com/blog/?p=942#more-942

Published by: admin on April 16th, 2010 | Filed under Media
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Details Post Dragons Den – Pitcher tells all.

Now that it’s aired, we can finally talk about Tal’s pitch in the Den on CBC’s Dragons’ Den.

We taped the show way back in May ‘09 and I was actually pitching for about 40 minutes. A lot has changed since then and what was cut out was that those shoes were just prototypes as we rushed to get the factories to make them in time for filming – our shoes on our site now are our full line to date, quite different and so far, doing well and you can order online at: www.oliberte.com/shoes That said, great experience to pitch in the Den.

About Jeanne Beker, to be honest, I didn’t have a clue who she was. I pretended I did and they cut out a part when I’m talking to Dianne Buckner where I said that I didn’t even know who she was. That said, yes, she was a bit tough on us but in all honesty, she’s not really our target market or has a strong sense of fashion that is not high-end fashion. We’re a bit more contemporary and a a bit out of her fashion-diva comfort. That said, our shoes were not fully launched when we pitched and just prototypes so we can respect her thoughts given what she had in front of her.

All the other dragons were pretty nice too – no complaints. We were really thinking it would come down to Brett and Arlene, but Brett really just wasn’t interested – made sense. Again, I have a lot of respect as given where they were sitting with no sales back in May, it’s a tough sell on the valuation. What they didn’t show was that at the end I’m shaking hands with all of them and Jim and Arlene ask me to get in touch with them after the show. We’ve been talking for a number of months about them possibly investing – it’s a process and we will see what happens. They are both very savy and love the idea behind Oliberté.

About the staff at CBC – just awesome! There are some super talented, highly underpaid superheros bringing great Canadian programming to our TVs. Thanks CBC for the chance and exposure.

In terms of moving forward, we’re getting there – we’re featured at the upcoming grammys, miss america and bet awards. Also, celebrities wearing and support our shoes already including: K’NAAN, Snoop Dog and Kirsten Stewart.

We already have signed European and Australian distribution agreements which is for 10,000 shoes for the next 12-14 months (just to start) and currently we are in about 25+ stores (mainly USA) across North America.

However, no matter the outcome, I’m being positive about the exposure. There were about 3,000 people that tried out across Canada, only 300 get invited to pitch to the dragons and then of those only 100 are shown on TV and about 75% of those have full segments as we did.

So yeah, again, wish I went on the show with our current line when we were in full production and not development, with all the sales and contracts we do have now. Oh well, that’s life. Luckily, still going strong and your continuing support has been key.

Pride. Power. Liberty. This is Africa.
Visit us at: www.oliberte.com

Published by: admin on January 6th, 2010 | Filed under Media
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Behind the Scenes in Ethiopia

Check out our first first with footage from production in Ethiopia.

Music is K’NAAN’s “Waving Flag” which is the official song of Coca Cola’s FIFA World Cup 2010 Sponsorship.
Check K’NAAN and his music at: http://knaanmusic.ning.com/

Published by: admin on January 6th, 2010 | Filed under Factories in Ethiopia, Media
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Oliberté Footwear on CBC’s Dragons’ Den – January 6th @ 8:00pm

Published by: admin on December 15th, 2009 | Filed under Media
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Oliberté in The Pure Indulgence

“Oliberté eco ethical urban footwear from Africa”

Check it out: http://www.thepureindulgence.com/index.php/2009/09/oliberte-eco-ethical-urban-footwear-from-africa/

Thanks to raising awareness and pressure generated by the recent Greenpeace report entitled Slaughtering the Amazon, the footwear brands Nike, Adidas, Clarks and Timberland have all agreed to stop sourcing leather from areas of deforestation in the Amazon caused by intensive cattle farming. However, some of the manufacturing processes and ethics of those companies are still highly questionable, which makes their products an undesirable purchase even before you take into account their dubious fashion credentials.

Oliberté urban footwear, with their exemplary production ethics, sustainable materials sourcing and contemporary styling is a positive alternative to those big brand shoe companies. Here’s what they have to say about themselves…

“Oliberté is the first to market premium urban-casual footwear made in Africa. With every pair of Oliberté you buy, you make a powerful statement that Africa is proud, free and full of potential. You do this all while being a hero, because you are the reason men and women from Liberia to Swaziland to Ethiopia have a job, have food on the table and can send their children to school. Oliberté is not a charity, it is a company that believes you can change how the world views Africa and help build lives when you buy a pair of Oliberté shoes.”

• premium Ethiopian leather is strong, light and from traditionally farmed livestock
• the first footwear to be made using durable naturally processed Liberian rubber
• farmers, factory workers and suppliers are ensured fair pay and treated responsibly
• partnerships with factories to reduce carbon footprint and environmental impact
• providing local training and community development in every country we work

Oliberté are so new that there are just two styles in their range so far, but they both come in a wide choice of colours. The ladies Elika shoe is pictured above in the top row and the Men’s Rovia shoe in the bottom row. Currently they are only available at selected stores across Canada and the USA or online from their Canadian outlet (with the option of international shipping) but they are hoping to secure distributors in other regions very soon. We will update this article with any further news when we get it.

Cattle ranching is the biggest driver of Amazon rainforest destruction and contributes to make Brazil the fourth largest climate polluter in the world.

Published by: admin on September 26th, 2009 | Filed under Media
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Oliberté Gives Aid to Africa

by BARBARA SCHNEIDER-LEVY

Posted THURSDAY AUGUST 13, 2009

From Footwear News

Entreprenuer Tal Dehtiar, president of newly launched Oliberté, is reaching out to impoverished communities in Africa with a line of footwear produced on the continent.

Dehtiar, who formerly ran MBAs Without Borders, a charitable organization that helped build small businesses around the world, is continuing his humanitarian work, this time by helping develop the footwear and components industries in Liberia and Ethiopia. Tapping into the resources and craftsmanship available in these countries, Dehtiar has developed a line of men’s and women’s urban-casuals, set to hit stores in October.

By bringing work to these nations, he said he hopes to raise the standard of living for its citizens through employment opportunities. “It’s not about charity,” said Dehtiar, “but creating jobs and building a middle class.” In addition, he plans to use the company’s production muscle to encourage fair business practices between factories and employees. “We’re going to put pressure on factories to meet certain standards,” said Dehtiar. “It’s about raising the bar for factories and how they treat workers.”

Targeted at fashion stores with a social consciousness, the collection retails for $60 to $100 for men’s and $55 to $100 for women’s. The shoes are also available on the Oakville, Ontario-based company’s Website, Oliberte.com.

http://www.wwd.com/footwear-news/oliberte-gives-aid-to-africa-2237750

Published by: admin on August 13th, 2009 | Filed under Media
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Oliberté On CBC's Dragon's Den

Oliberté was pitched to investors on Canada’s CBC Dragon’s Den. We are sworn to secrecy until it airs on TV, but watch this Fall to see if we got a deal and which Dragon’s wore our first pair ever made.

Published by: admin on June 3rd, 2009 | Filed under Media
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