From Proalp's workshop, News
MEET OUR BAREFOOT BOSS
We already wrote about Proalp’s beginnings here. Now it’s time to introduce you to our boss Matej Slapar. He is a great inspiration to his Proalp team with his positive attitude and curiosity that enrich his (and ours as well) knowledge about human feet, movement, and their wellbeing. Matej started his shoemaking journey in the development department of well-known shoemaking company Peko. In 1997 he started his independent journey in his own company Proalp. In Proalp, Matej is directly involved in shoe development and production. Almost every day you can find him in our workshop, adjusting, drawing, and making our shoes. In this article we let him speak for himself.
“I have always been fascinated by human feet and the natural movement. Growing up close to nature I always felt like this is my inspiration. I always put the user’s experience first and test, the shoes I develop, by myself. Walking without shoes gives me an important insight into how we move, what muscles are being active at what time. What are the sensations I feel while walking without shoes? And when I find some triggers that provoke the designer in me, I start creating. Thinking about how our feet behave barefoot on different terrains and different weather… Nature is my inspiration. When the shoes are created first, I test them myself and look how can I improve them to be even better. Personal experience is the key to our shoe development.
Even when developing hiking and mountaineering shoes, I have bare feet in my mind. Barefoot walk strengthens the feet and makes all the shoes easier to wear. Every shoe should support the natural – barefoot movement and people should always have in mind the shape of the feet. Our shoe designs first and foremost support the natural foot shape and its movement. We want our customers to internalize this notion and keep it in mind while buying the shoes.”
As noted above, Matej’s great inspiration while designing is the barefoot walking and the nature we live in. And we wish our customers to do the same sometimes. Once in a while take off your shoes and walk barefoot. Feel the freedom in your step and all the sensations from the earth. That way you might start to appreciate even more, what a perfect creation human foot are.
