Swedish Footwear Club: The man, the myth and his shoes

I n the shoe capital of Varberg, Sweden, a group of people have created a brand that combines Swedish innovation and Portuguese leather. Swedish Footwear Club has created gentlemen’s shoes focusing on quality and craftsmanship – and it all started with one man and his cigarillo.

In a designer-dense country like Sweden, it is no surprise that some of the most experienced people in the shoe industry ended up creating a brand that oozes sophistication. What is surprising, however, is the innovative sole and the details at the bottom of the shoe. And it all started with a man in his Porsche – Mr. Hugh Wish.

“We saw him on a sweltering summer day, sipping a Bloody Mary and nursing a cigarillo. He looked like an old-school British chap; more so, he embodied pure sophistication. A real gentleman. We just had to say hello,” says Jan Lanai, spokesperson for the company. “He drove off in his Porsche and we said ‘that’s our guy – Hugh Wish’, and the rest is history.”

Whether it is their classic No. 001 Black or the original all-green trainer No. 007 GREEN, the brand’s best feature is one that cannot be seen but is felt: a tailored sole with a design-patented pattern that combines comfort with style. The Chesterfield sole is hand-stitched and made of antibacterial foam layered with the best Portuguese leather. The lush, green sole is a staple in all the brand’s designs.

“It is important to us that our shoes breathe quality and craftsmanship,” says Lanai. Each shoe is designed in Varberg, hand-sewn in Portugal using premium leather, leading to great quality but also great love for the product – everything to make the ordinary man feel like a cigar-smoking, Porsche-driving and whiskey-drinking gentleman, without actually having to smoke a cigarillo.

Website: www.swedishfootwearclub.com
Instagram: @swedishfootwearclub_sfc
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YouTube: Swedish Footwear Club