ESTEAST was founded by Xi Liu in the tail end of 2016 to evoke modern attitude with traditional craftsmanship by folk artisans, while also to create and support artisanal jobs to the women who need livelihood in the rural areas. 

 

Back in the childhood of Xi,  her grandmother used to make her fabric shoes with cotton soles, shoes made entirely out of fabric (including the outer sole).  This is a classic traditional Chinese craftsmanship that can be backdated to 3000 years ago, use only natural materials, hand-stitched fabric shoes requires thousands of stitches and days of making, which is hugely different from the industrialized shoes that are full of adhesive glue or synthetic materials. With the experience in resin chemical business, Xi is very familiar with the resin adhesive glue which the modern shoe making relies on. Those synthetic materials contains residual volatile-matters are harmful to our healthy, and the adhesive glued soles make shoes sweltering.

 

Since living the fast moving modern world, lots of classic traditional craftsmanships are fading away.  Xi  decided to found ESTEAST to maintain this ancestral craftsmanship, while presenting diverse fashionable styles to the modern women of the new age . 

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This is how ESTEAST studio was born in Shandong, here Xi improved the techniques and taught the local women how to make modern styles. Everyday, a group of skilful women hand stitch a few dozen pairs of shoes by hands by using only natural crop starch and pure cotton for the soles. We are proud to say ESTEAST is delivering a positive impact on social conscience by providing an alternative, sustainable livelihood to the women in rural places, and on sustainable fashion by abandoning adhesive glue. Every beautiful piece we sell helps us support women in the workforce through employment.

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