The “age doesn’t matter” shoes
Exaggerating a bit we can say that the story of this shoe shop started almost 100 years ago. In year 1927, 275 km away from Telliskivi Creative City, a family in a small village of Estonia started a footwear workshop. Many decades later, the new generations of the same family rediscovered their passion for shoe industry. In 1998 the tradition bearing company was named OmaKing.
Nowadays, OmaKing in the shoe industry has the same meaning as Kalev chocolates in the field of goodys for Estonians. It offers nostalgic feelings and joy of recognition. What’s more – OmaKing footwear selection addresses different generations.
The company has been faithful to dignified and well-known designs that offer enjoyable recognition for locals. “The values of the company have been the same through time. Our first goal is not to be innovative and modern, but to manufacture footwear which has proven itself for decades. The company itself with its fifty workers is like one big family. They are also the first ones to test and approve new designs”, says Gretel Veersalu, member of the OmaKing family. Extremely important is the fact that all OmaKing products are still made in a small factory in South-Estonia.
In 1999 OmaKing started producing HipHop slippers in addition to shoes and sandals. The slippers became succesful export articles to neighboring countries. Probably it’s hard to find a kid in Estonia who hasn’t worn the HipHops in one occasion or another.
If HipHop slippers were the stars of the show in the end of 1990’s, then in 2017 brand Toku stole the thunder. Tokus with their sharp-witted and cute design shoes and slippers brought fresh air to the company. Piibe Tomp, the designer for Toku shoes, has had special relations with leather since she was little. She felt right away that leather is one special and cool material to work with. When she was studying in the Estonian Academy of Arts and it was time for a handmade shoes workshop, she knew that this was it. “Shoes are something I want to tie my hands with”, she felt. Nevertheless, entering the shoe industry was not an easy task and hard work oftern made her hands rough. But Piibe remained confident and soon after changed the local shoe market with her Tokus.
Piibe has made sure the shoes will last long and could be produced efficiently. The star material for the shoes is leather, but other natural materials are used as well, making no compromises in quality and carrier comfort. Although Toku is inspired by ortopedic footwear, the design of the shoe is clean and simple, small details and comfortable insoles add the wow-efect.
OmaKing shoes have been on the shoe shelves of some families for decades and have now entered the homes of younger wearers. “Just like my grandfather’s sandals. Cool!”, is something you can often hear in the store. The hipster-era generation is stunned and attracted by the nostalgic aura of OmaKing footwear. And Toku slippers are so popular that they have even given birth to the new slipper-generation.
