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ABAYA

[Uh-bye-yuh], origin: Nupe/Bassa-Nge language, Nigeria
Verb: Move carefully. Tread softly.
Proper Noun: Our family name.

ABAYA was founded on the belief that design has the power to be redemptive for the individual, society and the earth. Our creations begin with luxury design coupled with sustainability as a starting point, which means using only natural materials and ethical processes. We use truth and beauty as the impetus for creation, and ascribe all truth and beauty to God. Our work is a beatitude to and from Him, and all of it is for His glory.

Regenerative

As a company that makes physical products, we are aware of the ways in which we can contribute to environmentally unsustainable practices. From the beginning, our goal was to create luxury items with sustainability as a starting point rather than an afterthought. This begins with the materials we use. 100% of the cow leather used in our products comes from animals raised using regenerative farming methods. The term “regenerative” can have various meanings in the world of agriculture, but basically it requires a commitment to farming that understands and encourages the natural ecological systems of a given environment.

We follow three major principles of regenerative animal agriculture. First, the animals should eat mostly (if not exclusively) the grass under their feet. Second, the herd should follow a natural “mob grazing” pattern and move from one feeding location to another. This allows the grass a longer recovery period to grow, replenish and sequester carbon. Third, regenerative agriculture should improve biodiversity in the mix of plants and microorganisms in the environment without requiring chemical intervention to manage pests and diseases. Adherence to these principles is measured and improved with time.

+ Leather
+ Cork
+ Natural Rubber

Manufacturing

Our products are made in Portugal (where we are based) and we strive to keep our supply chain short by sourcing almost all of our raw materials within Europe. We work with a small family-owned and operated manufacturer that has been crafting fine shoes for three generations. They allow us to order in small batches so we can be nimble and reduce waste.

Community

We understand that every effort we make is a small ripple in the large river that is the clothing industry. We work to align ourselves with makers that do better than us and who help encourage us to strive for even better ends. We are proudly in the Book of Kin, the Lissome Magazine's curated community guidebook of sustainable makers.

Leather

Our leather supplier (Corii) is based in Switzerland and personally traces all our leather to ensure that we use hides from cows raised on regenerative farms. In addition, all the farms we source our cow hides from are located in Switzerland and certified Bio Suisse, which has one of the highest organic standards in the world. Our goat leather lining is also sourced from organic, biodynamic or other sustainable farms in Switzerland and is a by-product of the milk industry. All our hides are vegetable-tanned by a small family-owned tannery in Germany. Despite all our efforts towards sustainability, we know that we are not perfect in our approach. Our goal is to start where our conviction leads us and continually strive to improve as we learn and grow.

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Cork

Cork is a natural material abundant in Portugal, where our shoes are manufactured. Because of its exceptional and unique qualities, cork is the perfect material for our insoles. First, it allows us to maintain our commitment to sustainable luxury and making products that are 100% natural. Cork also provides superior comfort, support and durability. It is naturally light and breathable. It is moisture absorbent, molds to the foot and is hypoallergenic. Our cork insoles are infused with a natural latex foam for added comfort (similar to the natural latex found in our cupsoles). Our supplier, Vega Industries, sources and manufactures the cork for our insoles in Portugal from the leftover material created by the wine industry.

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Natural Rubber

Our commitment to sustainable luxury means certain materials are off limits to us. For example, we decided early on that we would only use natural latex rubber to construct the soles of our shoes. This means leaving behind the materials and processes that are commonly used in the rubber production for shoes. To replace those materials and processes, we researched and tapped into the creativity and ingenuity of suppliers who are committed to providing sustainable alternatives. One of those is Reltex, a French company that makes the soles for our shoes from a natural latex rubber called Lactae Hevea. Lactae Hevea comes from the milk tapped from rubber trees. The milk is harvested from rubber forests in a manner that encourages the flourishing of each tree and that contemplates the long-term sustainability of the practice. Using an artisanal process, our supplier creates our 100% Lactae Hevea cupsoles in small batches to reduce waste. And because the end product is 100% Lactae Hevea, it biodegrades when it is ultimately discarded. Not only is Lactae Hevea a more sustainable alternative to standard vulcanized rubber, but the natural qualities in the material (like the microbubbles that form during the seven-day refining process) also provide superior comfort and support.

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