Step Inside The
WORKSHOP
Into The Workshop
It all begins in a busy workshop in South Africa, where every pair is shaped by hand and by heart.
Every pair of ROFs is crafted by hand in our workshop in South Africa, where the scent of vegetable-tanned leather fills the air and natural light falls across wooden workbenches worn smooth by years of making.
Here, local craftsmen and women cut, shape and stitch each piece with care. Patterns are traced, soles are pressed, and edges are finished by hand. There are no assembly lines — just skilled hands working slowly and intentionally, using sustainable materials designed to age beautifully and last.
This is where raw leather becomes something refined. Where craftsmanship matters. Where every pair carries not only leather and thread, but the time, skill and pride of the people who made it.
MEET THE MAKERS
Behind every pair of ROFs is a skilled craftsperson whose hands helped bring it to life.
From cutting the leather to stitching, finishing and quality checking, every pair passes through multiple hands before it reaches yours. These are people who have spent years perfecting their craft and taking pride in the details most people never notice.
The tag tied to your ROFs carries the name of the person who completed your pair. This is a small reminder that your shoes were made by real hands, not a machine.
ROF Workshop
MEET THE MAKERS
OUR SLOW PROCESS
How our footwear is made
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Choosing the Leather
We carefully select our vegetable-tanned leather, sourced from free-range South African cattle. While we cut around major defects, natural markings like stretch marks and tick bites add to the character - each pair carries a story, making your footwear one of a kind. This traditional tanning method is rare today because it’s very time-consuming, using natural plant-based extracts instead of chemicals.
Cutting & Punching
Every piece of leather is carefully cut to ensure precision and minimise waste. Each hole for stitching is punched manually, keeping the process true to traditional craftsmanship.
Stitching the Pieces
The pieces are securely stitched together, combining skilled craftsmanship with long-lasting strength.
Pressing & Grinding
We attach a durable rubber sole with heat-activated glue using the stitch-down method, which makes the shoes easy to resole once worn out for extended life.
Wet Lasting & Sun Drying
Wet lasting is a traditional method where the leather is soaked, shaped over the last, and left to dry in the sun, moulding perfectly to its final form. This natural drying process takes 2 to 4 days, but even longer in winter when the sun is weaker. Instead of rushing the process, we embrace it, letting nature do the work to ensure the best fit and comfort.
Final Touches
Before leaving our workshop, every pair is carefully inspected by hand to ensure it meets our standards. A special label on your footwear tells you when they were made and by who, connecting you directly to the skilled artisan behind your pair.
Upcycling off cuts into keepsakes
We follow a zero-waste policy, striving to use every piece of leather, even the smallest off-cuts. These leftover materials are transformed into key hangers, handles for our boxes, and gift travel tags: beautiful, functional items that give a second life to what would otherwise be discarded.
Packing with Care
Your boots are packed with the utmost care in our Traveller’s Box, which doesn’t just hold your shoes but can also be reused to store the treasures and memories from all your adventures
Why Vegetable-Tanned Leather
We choose vegetable-tanned leather for a reason. Tanned using natural tannins from plants and tree bark, it avoids the heavy chemicals used in chrome tanning and ages naturally over time. It develops character instead of wearing out.
It is strong, repairable, biodegradable and designed to last for years. For us, sustainability starts with choosing better materials from the beginning.
Watch the video below (sound on) to learn why we choose vegetable-tanned leather and why we believe it creates footwear that only gets better with age.
Nothing Goes To Waste
We believe good craftsmanship means wasting as little as possible.
In our workshop, every piece of vegetable-tanned leather is used with intention. Larger panels become boots and clogs. Smaller off-cuts are transformed into key rings, luggage tags and straps. Even the leather handles on our boxes are made from what remains.
By designing with the full hide in mind, we reduce waste and honour the material we work with.
HANDCRAFTED IN SOUTH AFRICA
Built for adventure. Made to last.
Every pair is made to order by skilled craftspeople using materials chosen to age beautifully. Designed to be repaired, worn for years and taken wherever the journey leads.