Timeless Comfort: Handcrafted Shoes For The Conscious Woman

Handcrafted from scratch, our original and timeless shoes are a conscious choice for your versatile and timeless shoe collection. Seeds & Stories shoes epitomize your values and priorities, highlighting the materials you value and symbolizing the importance you place on ethical craftsmanship. Each pair carries a unique story, narrating the origin of its materials and the skilled artisans who meticulously handcrafted them in Western Uganda.

Fashionable & Comfortable: Our one-of-a-kind, charming, and super comfortable shoes are the perfect addition to your wardrobe, effortlessly complementing any outfit from casual to party wear. Seeds & Stories shoes are naturally versatile, making them easy to match with various looks while ensuring you stay stylish and comfortable all day long.

Crafted with Care, Worn with Pride: At Seeds & Stories, we're driven by a commitment to ethical and sustainable practices, guided by the principles of the 4R approach—reduce, reuse, regenerate, and recycle. With every pair of shoes we create, we strive to minimize our environmental footprint while maximizing our social impact.
Our handcrafted shoes are a testament to this dedication. Each pair is meticulously crafted from scratch by our highly skilled artisans in Bigodi, a rural village in Western Uganda. Meet Jane, Rachel, Pauline, and Ellen—our talented loom weavers and shoemakers. With expertise and passion, they weave mats from natural fibres, infusing every step of the process with care and craftsmanship.
But our commitment to sustainability doesn't stop there. We're devoted to using only organic, sustainably harvested fibres and local natural dyes—drawing from the bounty of plants, leaves, roots, and flowers—to create vibrant, eco-friendly footwear. Jane's meticulous craftsmanship extends to cutting the soles from rubber tyres and wood offcuts, ensuring that every element of our shoes is thoughtfully sourced and produced.
From the initial harvesting to the final dyeing process, from hand weaving to the finishing touches, our artisans work in harmony with nature, conserving precious resources every step of the way. 

Bespoke & Made to Order: Our lightweight shoes are designed with your preferences in mind, allowing for a personalized touch to your footwear collection. Choose from a diverse range of sizes, styles, patterns, and colors to curate a pair that truly embodies your individual taste and personality. Opt for a woven pair crafted with a unique pattern and a blend of natural fibers, or select a pair made from barkcloth for a distinctive touch.

Whether you lean towards a classic design or crave a bold statement piece, the decision is entirely yours. With Seeds & Stories, your shoes can be as unique as you are, reflecting your style and values with every step you take. Please note that as each pair of shoes is handmade with care, slight variations in design may occur. Additionally, changes in color may occur due to the seasonal availability of natural dyes and fibers, adding extra charm and uniqueness to each product. To place your order, simply send us a message with your preferences, and our artisans will begin crafting your customized shoes. Please allow approximately four weeks for production, followed by an additional four weeks for delivery, depending on your location. The wait may be longer, but we assure you, it's worth it for a pair of shoes that perfectly aligns with your style and values.
As a bonus, all our shoes come in gorgeous eco-printed shoe bags that you can use for different purposes. And since they are biodegradable, you can safely give them back to Mother Nature at the end of their life cycle, contributing to a sustainable and eco-friendly lifestyle.

Making a Difference: At Seeds & Stories, we are committed to making a positive impact on both people and the planet. With every purchase, you're not just acquiring a stylish pair of shoes—you're also contributing to meaningful change in rural Uganda. Our handcrafted shoes create economic and learning opportunities for women in Bigodi, empowering them to increase their income and enhance their well-being. By promoting traditional crafts and sustainable practices, we strive to uplift local communities and preserve cultural heritage. Moreover, your support goes beyond empowering women. It also plays a vital role in environmental conservation. Through our sustainable production methods and eco-friendly materials, we aim to minimize our ecological footprint and contribute to environmental regeneration.

So, with every step you take in your Seeds & Stories shoes, know that you're not only making a fashion statement but also a difference in the lives of others and the health of our planet. Thank you for being a part of this journey toward a more sustainable and equitable world.

Materials

Local natural fibers: Sourced sustainably from our community in Western Uganda, our natural fibers include banana silk, banana fiber and raffia. Harvested with care and respect for the environment, these fibers form the basis of our eco-friendly products.

Natural dyes: Derived from plants, leaves, roots, and flowers found locally, our natural dyes are biodegradable and environmentally friendly. We harness the vibrant colors of nature to create beautiful and sustainable hues for our products.

Repurposed materials: In line with our commitment to reduce waste, we repurpose and reuse materials whenever possible. For example, we use rubber tires for shoe soles, wood offcuts for various components, and 100% preloved cotton sheets for eco-printed linings.

Eco-printed cotton linings: Our linings are made from 100% preloved cotton sheets, sourced from local markets and eco-printed with local leaves and flowers. This process adds a unique touch to each product while promoting circular fashion practices.

Barkcloth: Handcrafted from the inner bark of fig trees using traditional methods passed down through generations. Barkcloth adds a distinctive touch to our handbags. This eco-friendly material is sourced from local forests in Uganda, where skilled artisans carefully harvest the bark without harming the trees. The bark is then soaked, beaten, and sun-dried to create a soft yet durable fabric with a unique texture and natural earthy tones. By incorporating Uganda Barkcloth into our handbags, we celebrate indigenous craftsmanship and support sustainable forestry practices, preserving both cultural heritage and the environment for future generations.

Care Instructions

To maintain the quality of your shoes, we recommend using a clean, damp cloth to gently wipe down the exterior. At the end of their lifecycle, you can dismantle the shoes, compost the woven part, and repurpose the rubber-tired soles. This responsible practice ensures that your shoes can be safely returned to the earth, minimizing environmental impact.