My Story
How did all of this happen?
A few summers ago, my family and I took a trip to New York City. While we were walking, we found "The Shoe Surgeon Studios." Although I was familiar with The Shoe Surgeon and his work, I wanted to take a workshop. Unable to pay for an expensive, four day workshop in NYC, I embarked on a journey of self-teaching and learning to make sneakers myself. A few months later, while my peers unwrapped new phones and computers for Christmas, I had shoe making tools and materials. This marked the birth of Junge Footwear and by February, I had finished my first pair of sneakers.
What Now?
After a few months, I kept making sneakers, working on quality, craftsmanship, and experimenting with materials. Quickly realizing that this was an expensive hobby, I needed some way to support it. In March, I went to Boston to see if other creatives would be willing to work with me. After a long day of walking and over five more miles on my handmade sneakers, I went to a store called Bogosplit. Fortunately, Co-Founder Kennely Cineus expressed that Bogosplit had been looking to expand to footwear. I had footwear!
So What?
My Products
All my sneakers are handmade with genuine leather. I take full hides of leather and cut, dye, paint, sew, and finish everything myself. While making sneakers, I was left with scrap leather. In an effort to use up this scrap material, I started making sneaker-themed wallets. Still, I was left with sheets of leather with all the cut-out sneaker parts. These sheets are featured on my hand made tote bags, making them a sustainable product. As I started doing fashion shows, I have also developed a line of accessories and street wear. Enjoy!