Chilote Shoes

The project in enabling a sustainable and ethical local economy, brought her even closer to the local culture from a social entrepreneurism context. Chilote Shoes today employs dozens of indigenous artisan women across rural areas in southern Chile. The brand supports a continuity of craft and belonging passed on from generation to generation. Each piece is an act of pride and dedication.

Empowering Artisans: We provide sustainable and consistent employment opportunities through the year giving economic stability for our artisans and their families through fair wages while doing what they love - knit. No factory: We have a community based production model where our artisan partners set their own schedules and do not need to commute to larger cities allowing them to remain within their family while earning a reliable income.

Handcrafted Slow: Each pair is unique preserving traditional knitting techniques that have been passed down through generations. Chilote Shoes are co-created by Stiven Kerestegian in collaboration with our partner artisans in Patagonia. Raw Sheep Wool conforms to your feet’s unique shape and has natural self cleaning properties. It regulates your body temperature and draws moisture away from your skin. It is 100% renewable and biodegradable. Up-cycled Salmon Leather, our award winning material innovation is a repurposed by-product of the local salmon industry. It is very flexible and as soft as suede yet extremely tough. Its natural scale pattern provides a perfect grip.