With 17k in credit card debt, two young children, and a whole lot of prayer, our family launched Evolutions Footwear in a small office and warehouse space rented from a local church.

Initially, we crafted products exclusively for men. We began to notice that the smaller sizes were selling out more rapidly than we could explain— women were purchasing them. Eventually, the demand for women’s shoes became so great that we introduced a women’s wingtip oxford into the line, officially throwing our hats into the ring of women’s footwear.

Growing tired of the “boring,” average-looking products that had become industry standard, our creative director took his team to the Carpinteria State Beach on a hunch. Together, they threw eight pairs of shoes into the Pacific Ocean, allowing the waves and sand to tumble and churn the shoes. The effects of the salt, sand, and water made the shoes unwearable, but unquestionably unique. Two years later with this initial spark, we unveiled the first of our iconic finishes, introducing washed and wearable shoes into our line.

Frustrated with inconsistent and character-lacking “pre-finished” leathers, we began to work with “raw, naked” leathers, using as much of the hide as possible in an effort to reduce waste. While our naked leathers come with natural flaws, each piece is hand-dyed and finished, highlighting these beautiful, natural imperfections.

As a family pastime, we loved strolling the beaches of Southern California, collecting the driftwood that had washed up on the shores. Struck by another one of nature’s masterpieces, the unique weathering of the wood inspired our Driftwood finish.

While visiting Europe one summer, the smell of freshly baked bread wafted through the air and drew us into a small French bakery on the Swiss border. Enamored and inspired by the unique appearance of the light dusting of flour on the freshly baked loaves of artisan bread, we took this inspiration back to our factory and developed our unique Lux finish, which made its debut in 2011.

With a growing concern for our impact on the planet, we began taking larger strides towards sustainable practices. After finding that the industry-standard leathers contained chromium, formaldehyde, and other harmful chemicals, we set out to create our own proprietary tanning blend. Sourcing from nature, we began using natural ingredients such as tree bark tannins, ensuring our process remains free of these toxic substances.

Dissatisfied with the quality of our leather upper and lining leathers, which make up close to 60% of the overall material content in our shoes, we proceeded to challenge our team to test the boundaries of our sustainable efforts. With the introduction of natural latex for our footbeds and the move to plant-based, natural dyes for our hand-dyed leathers, we continued to pave the way towards more eco-friendly and sustainable practices.

In 2014, we began donating shoes to Soles4Souls, an organization that utilizes new or gently worn shoes as a resource for individuals in impoverished countries or affected by natural disasters. In 2016, we headed to Haiti with Soles4Souls to visit villages, hand out shoes, and interact with the community. We were able to see first-hand the heartbreaking conditions of so many, and what a difference a pair of shoes can make.

Seeing untapped potential for improvement, we introduced XL EXTRALIGHT® sustainable soles to our line. These outsoles are made from re-used industrial waste, do not contain any harmful solvents, and respect environmental needs, reducing waste in landfills. This new technology has allowed us to maintain a lightweight feel without the use of harmful plastics.