Perhaps you’re a serious walker, or more like me and just walking the dog three times a day, but you’ll still appreciate that wearing comfy shoes or boots is essential. My issue has always been searching for the ‘right’ ones as that is not always easy. But actually it is if you are aware of the Oboz brand as I now am, thank goodness and a massive fan! I’ve been trying their Sypes Mid Leather B-Dry Waterproof boots and they are absolutely brilliant. They’re not heavy and clumpy, as many other brands are, instead these are wonderfully light and comfy to wear, really giving your feet a total treat. These boots have an ACT Intelligent PU midsole that really does belie its laid-back looks. Constructed with Repreve materials and algae biomass, which lightens the environmental impact as they have deep lugs that will tame your walking trails whether your pathway is dirty and stoney or paved.
I had a chuckle reading the box the shoes came in as it said: 280 Hands Touch Each Pair Before you Do. The difference between good and great fitting footwear is the human touch. That’s why it takes 140 talented people to make each pair Oboz sell. Sure it’s harder to hand-build footwear this way, but it’s the right way. True To The Trail, is the Oboz motto and their mindset – and I so agree with their company ethos. Their company ethos rings true with me as we all have to make better decisions about how we live and realise how badly we treat our planet. Well done Oboz!
Price: £165.00 | Sizes: 7 – 13 | Colour: cedar brown | Visit: obozfootwear.co.uk
Taken from their website – it’s the inside story of Oboz:
Outside + Bozeman = Oboz
Right outside our front door, the mountains of Bozeman beckon our designers. It’s our own 18-million-acre laboratory to test our designs, to inspire ideas, or just to soak it all in. It even inspired our name, Oboz. Each day we come to work, we simply do our best to live up to this gift. Here at Oboz, we are hikers first. And well, hikers second. It’s this lifelong love of the trail that enables our designers to create footwear that’s remarkably durable, comfortable and always worthy of the task at hand. Our philosophy is simple. Design the kind of footwear that we’d want to wear.
Planet
We love the outdoors. And the way we figure, the more trees, the more outdoors for us all to enjoy. It’s about as simple as that.
Carbon Offset, Water Restoration, and Renewable Energy
We carbon-offset our shoe shipments—and then some. We also carbon-offset all employee travel and the office utility bill with the help of the Bonneville Environmental Foundation.
By purchasing Water Restoration Certificates® (WRCs) from BEF we are helping restore the ecological, recreational and economic health of critical freshwater ecosystems.
People
At the heart of everything we do are the folks who make the magic happen. A group of likeminded footwear-industry vets who left our big-brand jobs back in 2007 intent on doing business a better way. So far so good, if you ask us.
True to the Trail Process
We’re proud to say the trail guides everything we do at Oboz. We craft our legendary footwear to reflect the beautiful simplicity and uncomplicated perfection of a day spent on the trail. We welcome all to explore the great outdoors in comfort and confidence. We take pride in our enduring mission to be one with the planet. And through daily, humble acts of generosity to community, environment and other humans, we do our best to remind us all that the world is still a beautiful place.
280 Hands Touch Every Pair Before You Do
The difference between good and great fitting footwear is the human touch. That’s why it takes 140 talented people to make each pair we sell. Sure it’s harder to hand-build footwear this way, but it’s the right way.
Every hand that creates a pair of Oboz shoes belongs to someone in our global supply chain. In this context being true to the trail means an ongoing commitment to their welfare and wellbeing as members of the wider Oboz family and brand. We work collaboratively to protect their rights, promote their ongoing development and positively impact their lives so they can also live – true to the trail.”
– Amy Beck, Oboz President
We Cut Premium Material, Not Corners
Tested in the lab and in the field our materials are carefully selected from known suppliers and developed to spec. All our material suppliers are verified for environmental and social compliance by our full-time factory staff.
We Do All of this Because We Believe
We believe in the transformative powers of nature. We believe that people and companies can leave the world better than they found it. We believe in our footwear. But mostly because we believe that doing anything less simply wouldn’t be true to the trail.
100% of our office juice comes from wind, solar and biomass from northwest Montana and Wyoming, through the E+ Green Power Partnership supported by Northwestern Energy.
