About us

 

We are a small family-run workshop, making shoes one pair at a time.

From Digital Space to Craft

The brand was founded in 2012, while I (Dimitar) was working as an architectural visualizer, collaborating with architects and studios from around the world.

For years, architectural visualization was my profession, and shoemaking was my second life evenings, weekends, nights.

I remember how my workdays would sometimes stretch to nearly 20 hours, waking up early for the children, working a full-time job, coming home in the evening to be with my family, finishing professional projects late at night, and then turning to my hobby: making shoes.

At times, I even tried to combine childcare with work. I know, that was a mistake, and I see it clearly today.

In 2016, I made the decision to leave that career entirely.

At the time, we had two small children, and stepping away from a stable profession was not easy or fearless. 

You know, rent, bills, fees… our budget was honestly laughable $100, around 80 euros, which is about two skins. The first sandal design was ordered and literally sold out in 3 days, while it was snowing outside :) We knew we were on the right path. Instantly, we placed a new order for materials, which also sold out in a short time… and the advertising was purely word of mouth.

Working with barefoot shoes brought me closer to the human body not through screens and renderings, but through balance, movement, and touch.

A Family Workshop

My wife Yana is a visual arts teacher.
Her background in art and form shapes every decision we make from proportions to details you may not notice at first glance. The truth is, without her, Crupon wouldn’t exist firstly, because by taking care of the kids, she gave me the time to focus on the brand, and most importantly, she supported and encouraged me to leave my day job at the office.

Now we work together, just the two of us, in our family workshop, focusing exclusively on handmade barefoot shoes.
No outsourcing. No production lines. No anonymous hands.

Every pair of shoes is made start to finish by the same people.

Materials Chosen with Care

We work with vegetable-tanned leather sourced from small, specialized tanneries in Tuscany, Italy.

The leather is chrome-free, responsibly produced, and processed using traditional methods that respect both the material and the environment.

 

 

It is not the easiest leather to work with.
It requires time, precision, and patience.

We choose it because it ages naturally, feels alive, and works in harmony with the foot essential qualities for truly comfortable shoes.

 

Why Shoes Are Made to Order

We don’t keep stock. We don’t produce in advance.

Each pair of barefoot shoes is made to order, because feet are personal.

Shapes, sensitivities, and movement patterns are not interchangeable.

Made-to-order allows us to work slowly and consciously, without waste, without pressure, and without compromise.

What We Believe About Shoes

We believe barefoot shoes should:

• support natural movement
• respect the anatomy of the foot
• be made by people who care deeply about what they create

We are not a factory. We are not a trend. Just a small family brand, making barefoot shoes with intention.