Our Story
From 1984 to now, we've been improving our shoes every step of the way. By doing this we have created footwear that is healthy for your feet and healthy for our environment. This is our story...
How it started.
In 1984, Bahman Irvani founded Okabashi in Buford, Georgia. And still today we manufacture our shoes in the same factory. When the world, including ourselves, started to see our environment being harmed by pollution we knew we had to do something. We decided to change our product and operations for a sustainable way forward. By making this change we were also able to stay in the USA while other manufactures shut down around us and sent their production to Asia. Today, over 99% of American-worn footwear is made abroad. We are proud to be in the 1% that has chosen to stay and thrive in the USA. And now we're in Australia!
The mission.
All the time we see people develop problems because of the poor quality shoes that they wear. But that's not their fault. Traditional footwear is cheaply made and doesn't offer much if any support at all. That's why we've made it our mission to create shoes that not only prevent these issues from developing but also fix the damage that has been done, while doing it in a sustainable way. Whether it's a sore heal, plantar fasciitis, or even back pain, Okabashi is your supportive and sustainable footwear solution.
Our team.
Everybody who works with us is a part of the Okabashi family. We believe that it's important to be able to talk to the people making the shoes and we weren't sure that we could keep that. But we've fought it out and have stayed in the USA. By doing this everybody in our team is able to work closely together to create the highest quality shoes.
Expanding to Australia.
We've been growing and growing for quite some time but now have finally made it to Australia where thongs, slides and sandals are worn everyday by lots of aussies. Okabashi shoes have really fit into the lifestyle here and we can't wait to see our shoes on everyone's feet. Whether your at the beach, on a camping trip, going to the pool or yoga class, Okabashi's are the most comfortable, supportive and sustainable footwear there is. So give them a go, we're sure you'll love them.
