I was dropping off a donation for the Pies & Pigs benefit at HOPE Farmers Market last weekend when I ran by a booth selling amazing hand embroidered flats.  1 week later, I was back with my mom picking out a pair for my birthday!  Not only are they perfect fun, colorful, and tribal shoe for summer, but they also support Kuna artisans from Central America.  They were $70 each, {$60 if you bring a friend and get 2 pairs}, which was a little more than I would normally spend for this type of shoe, but with the money supporting artisans, I thought it was well worth it.

The shoes were brought to Austin by Teysha, a platform for global citizens, artisans, travelers, entrepreneurs, and any one in between to take part in building a global village.  Teysha intends to empower a culture of globally aware and proactive citizens by providing a marketplace for artisan communities around the world supported by a community of passionate movers and shakers. Their mission is to protect our planet’s natural and cultural heritage by creating enterprises that nourish and empower these communities and their environment.

Each pair of flats are made from hand stitched Mola tapestries sewn by the indigenous Kuna women of Central America.  The Kuna have been making these traditional tapestries for more than a century. Each shoe is made from a different cut of a completely unique hand sewn piece of art and when you purchase a pair, you are empowering these women artisans to continue living their traditional lifestyle and protecting the heritage of this art form.

Teysha should be setting up a booth for the next few weeks at HOPE on Sunday’s if you want to check them out for yourself!

Filed under: style