When we tell people that we’ve started a company producing custom-made barefoot sandals we are often asked “Where do you have them manufactured? Are they made in China?” The answers are we don’t and no, they aren’t! We don’t have the sandals manufactured at all. We hand make each pair of GladSoles individually right here in our home studio in New Jersey!

It’s a true labor of love, but we take great pride in our product. Rich is a tinkerer, and he’s constantly working on ways to make the sandals even better. They’ve evolved from having the lace fastened to the sole with a simple knot, to using a big washer and glue, to our most recent innovation: the lace is now counter-sunk into the underside of the sole, so that it’s completely smooth on the bottom, and doesn’t use any glue. Yes, it takes longer to make each pair, but the laces stay in place, and the sandals are even more comfortable than they used to be, and no more glue means that the laces are very easy to switch out, if you decide you want a completely new color combination. Rich also takes the time to smooth the edges with a sander to make the finished sandals look even sleeker.

So, when you buy GladSoles, not only are you getting a product that has been made with love, but you’re also supporting a very local small business!

One of my favourite moments of each sale is when a customer gets their new pair of sandals, puts them on, and experiences, for the very first time, that feeling of lightness and comfort that comes from a minimal sandal that has been made just for them right here in the USA. Also, we love it when our customers send in pictures from wherever their GladSoles take them – we’ve posted some of them on our GladPix page. And we are always looking to add more so keep sending them in!

–Jennie