While visiting my family in Argentina as a college freshman, I came across a man named Rafael at a local artisan fair, where he sold women's flats with colorful, intricate textiles. As he told me his story – one of a skilled artisan in a struggling economy – I was inspired to partner with him to sell his shoes in the United States. There began my two-year journey to create PATOS.
Growing up between Argentina and the United States, I realized that the sneaker industry was dominated by European inspiration. Meanwhile, mainstream fashion neglected Latin America's beautiful textiles and exploited its workers.
I never understood why there weren’t cool sneakers accented by these textiles in the US. So, I thought, why not team up with locals to create them, and have an economic impact in the communities we work?
We created a shoe that combines the modern sneaker that we know and love with traditional textiles from Peru. I spent nearly two years working with dozens of artisans across Argentina and Peru to perfect our shoes. Our new collection is 100% made and sourced in Peru.