Creating Footwear in Harmony with Nature

NAYULA began during the COVID-19 pandemic.
As daily life changed dramatically around the world, we began to reflect more deeply on the relationship between people and nature.

While we have continued to seek convenience and comfort, might we not have continued to impose the consequences of this on the natural world?

As reflecting on these things, I found myself refersh something I have been involved with for many years as a shoe designer.

Rethinking the Shoes We Wear Every Day

Shoes are an essential part of our everyday lives.
Although we wear them every day, making a single pair requires many different materials and complex manufacturing processes.

Shoes are something we use so often, there will eventually come a time when we can no longer wear them.

While shoes are produced and consumed in large quantities around the world, some do not easily break down in nature or return to the earth after they are discarded.

For example, discarded flip-flops remain in the natural environment and may be accidentally swallowed by marine life.

Having worked with shoes for so many years, we began to wonder if there was a way to make them in greater harmony with nature.

Environmental issues are complex, and no single person can change everything.

Even so, if each of us reflects on our relationship with nature and takes action in whatever we can, we might be able to change the future, little by little.

We decided to start with what we could do ourselves.

That is how NAYULA began.

Starting with the Materials

To create shoes in harmony with nature, the first thing we considered was what materials to use.

Jute, cotton, rubber, and sustainable leather made from by-products of cattle farming.

At NAYULA, we choose materials that work with natural cycles wherever possible and make use of existing resources, incorporating them into our shoes while making the most of each material’s unique qualities.

Among them, one of the materials that represents NAYULA is jute, a natural fiber.

Jute grows quickly and can be renewed in a short cycle. It absorbs CO₂ as it grows and is biodegradable, making it a relatively low-impact material used in a wide range of products.

Jute actually plays a part in our diet too.
Molokhia, also known as jute mallow, is consumed as a highly nutritious vegetable.
When you think about it that way, you might find that jute seems a little more familiar.

Our Connection to Bangladesh

Bangladesh is one of the major producers of jute.

When we shared NAYULA’s vision with a local factory we had worked with for nearly 25 years through our OEM business, they responded, “We will do everything we can to support you.”

Years of experience in shoemaking.
The choice of natural materials.
And the relationship we have built over many years with our factory in Bangladesh.

These elements came together, and NAYULA’s journey in shoemaking began.

Starting with What We Can Do

NAYULA alone cannot solve the world’s environmental challenges.

But if the shoes we choose in our everyday lives can inspire us to think a little more about our relationship with nature, that is a meaningful step.

Where materials come from, how they are made, and where they go from there.

By keeping these things in mind, we will continue to take small steps, one at a time.

NAYULA will continue creating footwear in harmony with nature.