#SustainableSunday with Adelante Shoe Co....

In case I haven't driven this point home on Instagram lately, let me get into it a bit more here: I am OBSESSED with fall!

Though, I only lived in the desert for two years, those two autumn-less years drove me a bit crazy. As I write this, I'm drinking a pumpkin pie latte from the local fair trade coffee house, I'm looking at a group of trees that have leaves in every colour, and the chill on the air is giving me just the right degree of goosebumps. Heck, I just laid out a new handmade (by me) beanie and a (thrifted) sweater to wear to an after dark corn maze tonight!

Something else that I laid out was a pair of boots. In my life, fall= boots.

That being said, I was SO glad to have found Adelante Shoe Co. As you know, I'm always on the lookout for sustainable and fair trade products, and Adelante's shoes totally fit the bill. The were founded by a surfer and his like-minded friends, who wanted to give people in developing countries the ability to live better lives. With this thought in mind, they created the #CobblerToCustomer process (and were kind enough to let me give it a go).

It's simple:

: choose your shoe design... I chose the Grenada, but they have a lovely range of options...

: customize your shoes... pick the colour and select the size and width for each foot...

... and that's pretty much it! Once you submit your order, your 100% cow leather shoes are handmade in Guatemala by cobblers who truly know their craft! Part of the way through the process, you'll be emailed a video of your cobbler (mine was Luis) with your shoes in hand at some point in the process of production. Several days later, your Adelante shoes will arrive with more information about your cobbler, some notes about Adelante's transparency, and instructions on how to care for your new shoes.

I was absolutely amazed by how fast this process was and by just how high the quality is. These booties were made-to-order and they fit like a glove. They will fit more like a glove over time as the leather relaxes to create a perfect fit. I also have the peace of mind of knowing that the person who made my shoes, Luis (who, through the info sent to me and the video sent by Luis, I feel a bit like I know IRL... he's just a couple of years older than I am, has been married for 13 years, and wants to get a degree in computer science), is paid fairly and is able to support his wife and family through his craft.

If, like me, you appreciate knowing that the things with which you choose to adorn yourself are made responsibly and can not only improve your life (because, hey... boots are awesome), but can improve the quality of life for the person who created your goodies, then I highly recommend checking out Adelante Shoe Co.

Did you look at their site? Which styles are your favorites? Leave me a comment below!