So you’ve heard of “slow food,” society’s timely response to fast food culture and the havoc it’s caused to our nutritional state. Basically, instead of over consuming questionable dishes made from ingredients found God-knows-where, slow food advocates encourage people to enjoy regional foods that are sourced from local ingredients and prepared with care. The slow food movement values quality over quantity, and giving consumers the best for the amount invested.

From the slow food movement sprang several other “slow movements” including slow travel, slow parenting, and slow fashion. Like slow food, slow fashion presents itself as an alternative to mass-produced “fast fashion” by advocating a reduced rate of consumption of apparel and shoes by adopting various shopping habits and rejecting clothes made for the big box stores.

Some of the habits practiced by slow fashion folk include buying secondhand or vintage clothing while donating items no longer used, choosing clothing made with ethics in mind, and repairing clothing and shoes to extend their life. Slow fashion followers also tend to buy classic styles that transcend trends while staying stylish season to season. Furthermore, slow fashion is also about supporting small businesses and artisan (read: handmade) items.

If any of this is starting to sound familiar, it should.

When you are shopping Paul Evans, you are shopping slow fashion. Of course, we didn’t set out to be “slow” …it just kind of happened. We knew we wanted to sell a quality product, so making sure our leather shoes were handmade by seasoned Italian craftsmen was a no-brainer. We wanted to be able to offer our shoes at a competitive price, so we stuck with the most timeless styles to keep our stock under control. We believe you should repair a well-loved pair of Italian leather shoes not because we don’t want you to buy another pair—but because it’s the smart thing to do. Plus, we’d rather you save that money to buy an entirely different style.

Simply put: from our goal of bringing the highest quality handmade shoes to men around the world, we just happened to fall into the realm of slow fashion. As we curate our own wardrobes day-to-day, we tend to think more about where the items come from, how long they will last us, and if we are truly buying a classic piece or just falling towards another fleeting trend. When you start being conscious of how you source your wardrobe, the ideas begin to permeate into your other consumption habits. And, trust us, nowadays there’s nothing wrong with gong a little slower.

 ***

Got a little time? Browse our selection of timeless Italian leather shoes.