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?

We had two successful launches in both of Bogosplit's locations in Assembly Row (Somerville, MA) and Copley Place (Boston, MA). And through the process of working with Bogosplit I was exposed to a tremendous network of people. I started booking fashion shows to showcase my work, and opportunities keep popping up. I hope you enjoy and follow along with the Junge Footwear journey!

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!

My Products