Josh Bozin
Let’s face it, guys: buying shoes – and the right shoes – can prove an extremely difficult task. There are so many variables to consider: design, fit, materials, longevity, price. Far too often do guys pay a ridiculous amount of money for a shoe that won’t last more than a few wears.
Here to cut out the nonsense and bridge the gap between low-end and high-end shoes is Morjas; a company that sells handmade Goodyear-welted shoes at a price that is more than reasonable.
With the intention of rectifying current industry problems – that is, the hardship of finding a decent pair of nice looking, well-made shoes at a reasonable price point – Morjas was really born out of pure frustration; the notion that the customer deserves better was always the catalyst for the Stockholm-based shoe brand.
We sat down with owner and founder Henrik Berg to discuss the Morjas brand and the craftsmanship that goes into making its stylish, high-quality footwear – and how it’s changing the way you wear dress shoes forever.
The Morjas model
“The inspiration behind Morjas is simple: we wanted to create the best-looking shoes, with amazing craftsmanship, and make them accessible to everyone,” says owner and founder of Morjas, Henrik Berg.
“We are not drastically changing shoes – we are changing the business model. By only selling directly to the consumer and circumventing distributors and retailers, we can offer handmade Goodyear welted shoes that are normally double the price of other shoes on the market.”
One look at Morjas shoes and you’re hooked. They’re stylish. They’re timeless yet modern. And they’re made with integrity. Framed around Scandinavian design – think minimal aesthetics – this notion translates across all facets of the brand, from its interactive website to its engaging Instagram, to the attention in detail evident when unboxing your very own pair of Morjas shoes. It’s a level of digital customer service at its best.
But it’s Morjas’ holistic approach that is positioning it as the shoe brand with a difference. Everything from the way the shoe is made to how it is packaged and sent to its new owner, Morjas is well balanced and thoughtful.
“What we want to deliver, beyond all expectations, is different touch points with the customer. At the end of the day, I think the customer deserves more than just a nice pair of shoes – it’s our job to leave the customer better off than how we found him,” explains Berg.
“Every idea comes from a problem. Ours was that high-quality shoes were too expensive and that the buying process has been the same for the last 100 years. For us, it made sense to pay for high-quality materials. It made sense to pay for skilled labour. It did not make sense to pay for unnecessary markups just because that’s how it’s always been done. We wanted to change that.”
No importers. No agents. No retailers. Morjas is purely natural. From factory to customer; it’s how it should be, and it makes sense.
Craftmanship
The focal point of the Morjas brand is obviously its shoes. But how each shoe – be it a loafer, brogue or Oxford – is made is something truly special, and seldom seen in today’s market of fast fashion.
Each pair of Morjas shoes are never the same. They are artfully hand-crafted in a small factory in Almansa, Spain, where the highest level of craftsmanship, dedication and detail goes into each and every pair of shoes.
“Everything starts with the shoe to ensure that the last is very well balanced, the leathers are
of the highest quality and so on. Each pair is an artistical result of 128 steps that have passed 61 specialised stations with a dedicated craftsman behind every stroke. This basically means that everyone in the production line has a huge responsibility; you cannot rush craftsmanship, it’s just not possible,” explains Berg.
“We craft our shoes using the Goodyear welt technique which is the most sophisticated method in shoe production. This construction is seen as the most sophisticated method in shoe construction, essentially meaning that you can wear your shoes and then have them resoled after you’ve worn them down.”
To give some perspective on this method, most shoes in the industry are constructed with a ‘cement’ construction that involves the glueing together of the upper and the sole (which is prone to fall apart after continual use). A Goodyear welted shoe, however, involves the upper and the sole being welded to each other.
The result? Shoes you can wear for years to come.
“In addition, there is a cork filling between the outer sole and the innersole. The cork is hard in the beginning but will mould as your feet and the body’sys natural temperature slowly heat up the cork.”
Best foot forward
A pair of Morjas shoes represents more than just style and craft. A man wearing a pair of well-polished, well-made shoes says a lot about who that man is and what he represents.
“I think the stereotype of being a man today has been hugely re-defined only in the last year. Empathy, compassion and vulnerability are taking a much bigger role which I believe will have a better role on society,” says Berg.
“When it comes to style, the interest in dressing better is growing like never before. I can only
hope that if you’re having a style crisis you will look at how your grandfather dressed: with a nice pair of shoes. It’s always a good point of reference.”
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To view the Morjas brand and its products in detail, visit the website HERE