At Wingate Studio, our mission is simple: to craft high-quality barefoot footwear that respects your body,
honours skilled craftsmanship, and treads lightly on the planet.

A Better Way to Make Shoes

We believe fashion can—and must—be ethical.
That’s why every pair of Wingate Studio shoes is made with care, consciousness,
and respect for people and planet. From design to dispatch, sustainability is stitched into every step of our process. We work with trusted partners in India, with whom we have had an industry relationship with for over 15 years.
Our factory is a Pillar 4 SEDEX approved ethical and sustainable factory, which is the highest standard that can be achieved.

Thoughtful Materials

Our materials are chosen with sustainability and durability in mind:

Leather: All of our leather is made from tanneries that area ‘Leather Working Group GOLD tanneries’ This is the highest mark for ethics and sustainability in the leather tanning industry.

Rubber Soles with added magic: Our rubber soles are flexible and durable and have some added magic to improve the sustainability. We have partnered with a specialist additive company who have created a cutting edge material that gets added into our rubber recipie to replace all the harmful chemicals found in competitor standard TPR rubber and replaces them with their closest plant based natural alternative. We have then tested the material to industry standard to ensure we are achieving equal or better slip resistance, abrasion and durability.

Plastic free uppers: There is so much plastic in a shoe – mostly found in interlinings and toe/heel stiffeners to give the shoe more shape.We have worked really hard with our team in India to source plastic free alternatives. To bring a better product to market.

We’re always researching and testing better alternatives—our journey toward even more sustainable materials never stops.

 

Less Shoe, More You

Our barefoot design philosophy encourages natural movement and a deeper connection to the earth. That doesn’t just feel good—it reduces the need for thick, petroleum-based soles and synthetic fillers often found in conventional footwear.

 Small-Batch, Low-Waste

We make our shoes in small, considered batches to avoid overproduction and landfill waste. Packaging is plastic-free, recyclable, and minimal—just what’s needed to protect your shoes.

Our Promise

Sustainability isn’t a buzzword for us it’s a responsibility. We promise to stay transparent about our practices, continuously improve, and always choose what’s right over what’s easy and push all of our industry partners to improve and find new and better ways of doing things and new materials for us! Join us for this adventure as we push the world of footwear!

For any further questions on our materials or products please email Jo our founder: jo@wingate-studio.com