Honoring the heritage after which they’re fashioned.

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It’s no coincidence that our in-house heritage label, We The Free, is getting a lot of attention these days.

As one of several brands developed within Free People, We The Free sets itself apart by “modernizing the past,” employing artisan philosophies, craft, and details to create a collection that can also sit well within more modern outfitting.

Our line of We The Free boots is no exception – and to boot (pun intended), employ responsible craftsmanship methods (byproduct leathers, recycled and recyclable packaging); and are constructed in the villages of Louriero, Portugal and Alicante, Spain (home to our We The Free Saturday Sneaker).

Read on to learn more about the processes by which our We The Free boots are created.

The Artisanal Process

• Much of the factory’s boot production is done by hand by highly skilled artisans, many of whom have been trained and employed in the industry for over 40 years.
• The hand stitch detail is a key differentiator in the boots’ designs, and makes it so no two pairs of shoes are exactly the same.
• After receiving tech packs from our We The Free design team, the factory’s pattern maker, with 30+ years of experience, hand cuts all patterns in a traditional shoe making technique.
• Many of the leathers used in the collection are dyed and tanned with vegetable dye and natural pigments.
• Those leathers which are not dyed naturally are treated in facilities that utilize on-site water treatment plants.
• Most of our boots soles are constructed of hand-treated leather that has been washed with rocks to offer up a unique finish.

Responsible Crafting

• All leathers used are byproducts (meaning they are a byproduct of production by the meat industry).
• Over 90% of the leathers used are Leather Working Group (LWG) certified.
• All footwear is made using European tanned leathers (made in Portugal, Italy and Spain).
• Over 90% of the leathers are vegetable tanned and chrome free.
• All packaging used is recycled and recyclable, including box, inside tags, and tissue paper.
• All trims (zippers, buckles, rivets, etc) are sourced from Portugal.

And what is evident upon your unboxing of We The Free boots? For starters, our shoeboxes and packaging artwork depicts a bandana pattern, unique to this collection. On the boots themselves, you’ll find a number of distinct details: 3 studs on the heel counter, each one representing the first letter of “We The Free;” an embossed logo on the outsole, a leather pull loop and more studs on the outsole.

Ready to try on these lived-in staples?

In-feed imagery by Michael Groth.