Travelling has always been a great source of inspiration for most designers to expand their creative horizons and spark their creative minds. That’s exactly the story behind these colourful, vintage style shoes by TEN & Co. While exploring the city of Marrakech in Morocco, designer Tory Noll stumbled upon a tiny shoe shop where she got a pair of simple Oxford mended using locally sourced scrap of traditional Moroccan rugs. Little did she know that her sweet obsession for textiles & patterns and a ‘fun’ personal project would generate some wonderful compliments from friends and random people on the streets.
All the appreciation and a huge demand for a similar pair of shoes motivated Noll to go back to Morocco to get a couple of more shoes made. And that’s what marked the beginning of TEN & Co. Every pair of TEN & Co. shoes is created from unique vintage and antique hand-woven Moroccan rugs sourced from rug auctions, souks, Marrakech flea markets and the Atlas mountains. The shoes are handmade in small batches by a cobbler in Marrakech creating work opportunities for these local Moroccan craftsmen on a larger scale.
” Since each style is made from one rug or woven blanket, every shoe is unique and bears the beauty and idiosyncrasies of the many hands that made it. We are committed to simple, functional design and supporting the skilled craftsmen who make our shoes. Above all, we aim to create beautiful, wearable footwear that creates a new narrative of classic design. “ says Designer Tory Noll
Ranging from US $160 to US $250, these beautiful shoes are a perfect combination of the classic Oxford with the vibrant colours and patterns of North Africa.
Photography ©Rene Cervantes