Made in Mexico (Hecho en Mexico)

Mala flats are proudly handcrafted in Mexico. Specifically, our flats are handcrafted in the city of León, which is located in the Mexican state of Guanajuato.

When I started Mala, I knew that I wanted to make comfortable, 100% leather flats with classic style and lasting quality.

The Shoe Capital of the World

Since 1645, skilled craftspeople have been hand-making shoes in León. Because my sister lived in León for several years and I visited her during that time, I had seen firsthand the amazing shoe factories and leather tanneries around the city.

So when I started Mala, I decided that I wanted our flats to be made in León. However, when I began looking for a manufacturer, I quickly discovered that pressure created by the fast fashion market had forced many craftsmen to shift their production to cheap synthetics and the leather tanneries to focus on different markets like automotive interiors.

Fortunately, after speaking with more than a dozen manufacturers, I was able to find an amazing factory owner named Oscar who was on board with my idea for high quality, 100% leather flats.

Handcrafted, One Shoe at a Time

Mala’s flats are all about classic style and lasting quality. That’s why Oscar and his team use the highest quality of leather to handcraft every pair of flats. Thanks to their expert craftsmanship and attention to detail, they’re able to achieve a level of quality that’s simply not possible with automated, mass production.

A Rising Tide Lifts All Boats

As a first generation Mexican-American who grew up in the US border town of El Paso, TX, I’ve seen firsthand many of the challenges that Mexico faces as a country. One of those challenges is the economy. A full 41.7% of Mexicans fall into the category of working poverty. That means despite working, what they make is not enough to support their basic needs.

Since the lack of fair pay is a major issue in Mexico, I’m proud that Mala can support craftspeople in León by paying a fair amount for the quality work they do. In addition to creating economic opportunities, I knew from Day 1 of starting Mala that I wanted to find a way for the business to help the over 20 million Mexican children who live in poverty.

To learn more about how I plan to use part of Mala’s net profits to help those children, check out Mala’s Giving Back page. And if you have any questions about Mexico, León or anything else about Mala, don’t hesitate to email me at silvia@malaflats.com.

Thanks for reading & ¡Viva Mexico!

Silvia Torres - Founder of Mala