create a culture of kindness The Root Collective partners with makers around the world to produce shoes, apparel and accessories that are made with kindness. Every purchase changes lives by creating jobs with fair pay, kind labor practices, and quality that can't be beat. We operate under the understanding that a real person with a real name makes everything that you buy, and we believe they should be treated fairly. Because of your purchases, mothers are able to feed their children and send them to school. Fathers are able to provide for their families. Gang violence is being tempered through dignified work. As a certified B Corporation, we have a third party stamp of approval on our business model.
HI, MY NAME IS OTTO. I MAKE YOUR SHOES.
Otto grew up in the slum of La Limonada, Guatemala City. Like so many boys in that slum, he got caught up in the gangs. The machismo culture and the need to belong often push many young men into this lifestyle, perpetuating a culture of violence. While robbing a bus one day with his "muchachos", a little girl emptied out her pockets and held out her few coins to him and pleaded, "please take my money, but whatever you do, don't hurt my mommy and daddy." He walked off that bus and never returned to the gangs. Otto's entire business plan is to train and hire former gang members, or to get the young men into a stable job before they join the gangs in the first place. Gang leaders tattoo members on their face or their necks to brand them as a part of the gang. This makes finding a job in order to leave the gangs almost impossible. Some men have resorted to cutting off their gang tattoos with a knife in order to find work. As Otto says, "making shoes is sacred work." These are not just shoes. They are a chance to change culture to one of kindness.
HI, MY NAME IS RAFEL. I MAKE YOUR BOOTS.
Rafael was trained as a bootmaker in the Guatemalan town of Pastores, known to locals as “boot town.� A highly skilled craftsman, he was taught old world, traditional techniques in a world full of quick and dirty manufacturing. These skills have been passed down through generations and rival the trained hands of old Italian shoemakers. No short cuts and no compromises, Rafael has assembled a team of artisans with years of combined experience. Despite their incredible skill, jobs are often hard to come by for these bootmakers, and many are seeking a way to provide for their families while keeping this ancient artform alive. Each pair is hand cut and assembled from beginning to end, including the stacked leather sole.
hi, my name is anna. i make your textile.
Anna lives in a rural village close to Lake Atitlan in Guatemala. Many of the community members speak a local, indigenous language because they were unable to attend school as a child in order to learn Spanish. Because of this, they are unable to get a job in the surrounding villages. Anna was able to go to school, but has been unable to find other work, so she, and the other women in her village, keep the traditional art of backstrap weaving alive. They work out of their homes where they can care for their children, like women in their families have done for generations. Due to increased and stable work, they are able to feed their children three meals a day and send them to school for the first time. When women are empowered, communities are uplifted. Children are educated, mothers are respected, and families are fed.
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