When we step out, we embark upon a journey. We encounter the world. Shape it, play and engage with it. Always with us, are our faithful companions, protecting and lifting our feet- behold the wonder of shoes. We can all remember that first pair we got. Or how we got attached to our patina covered waders. To sum it up, in their own modest manner, shoes do make the world turn in. One of their most affectionate guardians, has to be ELINA DOBELE, who hails from the capital of Latvia, the sprawling town of Riga.
Elina, a former architect, works from the heart, when crafting her shoes. Her atelier is connected to a downtown shop, allowing for her craftsmanship to ooze through her clients. Each pair is crafted on-site and finished by hand. What is striking is her ongoing commitment to developing these ‘‘little houses for the feet’’ , as she calls them, in her home-town of Riga. She matches the graphic lineage of her former architecture practice, with traditional techniques and finishings. The result, a curious pair of boots, loafers, derbies or heels, ready to roam the streets. For SS15, Elina teamed up with Adam Katz Sinding of Le21eme, to document her latest offering. Their dialogues resulted in playful images which truly capture the ELINA DOBELE spirit.