Laia Shoes Brazil

Posted on by Umm Ziyaad

We thought we’d share this snazzy little footwear brand full of character and fun called Laia Shoes from Brazil

We couldn’t find much information on the designer of the brand herself nor was there an about page to gain a little information about the inspiration behind the shoes and when they got started, however they are creative and beautiful all the same and we wanted to share them with you.

Striped two toned peep toe v slope flats in gold/black
Metallic Eggplant ankle strap sandals with red beveled applique
Golden Ruched Booties with hang tie and back zip design

These shoes are a great addition to any wardrobe to livin up your everyday casuals to strut around town in. You can see more of Laia Shoes collections Here.

XoXo – Style Diversity

Looking At Men’s Sandals In Saudi Inspired The Creation Of Thaqafah

Posted on by Umm Ziyaad

So once I got to the states in mid 2013 I continued running my first company Sole Shoe Boutique after putting the shop on pause for two years because of taking a teaching job in Saudi (I’ll explain the purpose of that move in another post) and I got a suggestion from my dear mother to learn how to make my own footwear which I thought was absurd knowing all of the skill and lengthy training involved in learning shoe making.

I kept it in the back of mind however and kept on with business as usual with the online boutique selling other designer’s shoes.

Once 2014 rolled around I started missing Saudi and thought of those beautiful sandals I saw the men wearing, then I said to myself that if I ever created a shoe brand then it would have to have meaning, be unique , and stand out. Then I thought about what I would name the shoe brand if I created one etc.

Finally I decided on the name Thaqafah which means culture after settling on designs that I wanted to start my brand with which were the Pakistani Chappal, and the Saudi Shargiy sandal.

But I had one problem. Where would I find shoe makers to make these shoes and how could  I make them feminine?

After doing much research I found a craftsman in Pakistan who specialized in both the designs and we worked together to settle on the design, leathers, colours and shapes of my first prototype and sample.

This is what we came up with. to be continued………..