The best way to describe El Naturalista shoes is comfort…Like Juan de la Peña (international sales manager) explained to us at a sneak-peek of their Spring/Summer 2012 collection, that is one of the main features of their footwear. Yet there is a lot more to the shoes and the company behind them.

El Naturalista footwear is the result of a group of people who dared to dream that a business could run on the philosophies of social commitment and transformation. Based on this approach, El Naturalista was created with a clear idea of making a different product. One that is comfortable, colourful, and fun; as well as, capable of transmitting values with a strong social, sustainable and environmental component. It was this notion that led to the concept of the 3 P’s, which became the foundation for El Naturalista — People, Planet and Product.

As de la Peña shared with us, El Naturalista believes that every person, firm, entity, and institution can be an agent of social transformation able to promote and strengthen positive values to enable a new business culture. From its inception, El Naturalista wanted to share its journey with all people regardless of race, language or culture.

El Naturalista also employs a separate corporate social responsibility department, solely responsible for allocating a portion of profits from each shoe sold to four different charities in Peru, Haiti, Tanzania and Japan, as well as several other regional charities in Spain. Since its creation, El Naturalista has supported a number of causes to which it has donated over 215,000 Euros and 9,000 pairs of shoes. It has recently launched an international award, in which the 40 countries the brand is present in take part. With a prize amount of 40,000 Euros, the El Naturalista Award will award a prize to a childcare project carried out in one of these 40 countries.

El Naturalista products, rather than ecological, are respectful to nature. As well, it’s not only the materials used to make these shoes that make them special. El Naturalista brings together the latest technologies with shoemaking traditions by using a special hand-stitching technique to produce many of its models. The comfort and quality of the shoes is guaranteed. I own a pair and know others who own El Naturalista shoes and simply love them.

The philosophy to put people first is evident in speaking with de la Peña a few minutes. It is in sharing the story of how the company came to be and how their work translates into helping others that is more interesting that any detail I can give you about the craftsmanship in their footwear. If you have yet to discover the comfort of El Naturalista shoes, I suggest you go use their store locator and go try on a pair. You will not be disappointed.

Para mis lectores que hablan español: Si todavía no conocen esta línea de calzado, se las recomiendo muchísimo. No solo porque el calzado es cómodo si no porque también han destinado parte de cada una de sus ventas a proyectos sociales. Especialmente de apoyo a la infancia. Y encima de esto, muy pronto vamos a tener la oportunidad de donar un porcentaje de nuestra compra a uno de los proyectos que la compañía tiene en marcha. Para obtener más información de El Naturalista, sus productos y proyectos, les invito que visiten su página web www.elnaturalista.com.