OUR STORY
Discover the story of our founders and how Sans Matin was born.
A MISJUDGMENT
Sans Matin was founded by British cousins Charly and Lockie Cunningham. The idea for a new footwear brand that would become Sans Matin was conceived whilst the cousins were backpacking across South America in 2015 at 18 years old.
After a slight complication involving Lockie’s only pair of trainers and an unfortunate tumble-dryer event, a new pair of everyday trainers were needed for the rest of his travels.
THE IDEA
The cousins have always loved fashion, but in particular, have a multi-generational family passion for shoes. The founders therefore set out to find Lockie a new pair that were stylish, chic, timeless, and most importantly, incredibly comfortable.
After searching everywhere from malls to local markets in Lima, Peru, they came to the realisation that what they were looking for didn't exist, or at least didn’t in South America…
THE OPPORTUNITY
Fast forward 4 years, the cousins were in their final years of study at Edinburgh and King’s College Universities when the idea was rekindled. Over the 5 years, the cousins were noticing the enormous cultural shift taking place in modern businesses and start-ups, which challenged traditional work place norms; conventional working hours and, more significantly to them, stiff dress codes. Trainers signify this shift in culture and were becoming the everyday footwear staple in nearly all environments - from nightclubs to offices.
The issue was that no one was creating comfortable, luxury, sustainable, everyday shoes without the price tag. And so, during their finals at university, the cousins started developing the shoe and brand that was to become Sans Matin.
THE VISION
Their vision was simple. To create the ultimate luxury shoes by seamlessly combining both comfort & style. Their designs detailed chic, elegant, timeless shoes that were to be made using the highest quality materials with the highest sustainable ratings.
To be able to tackle the issue of integrating runner shoe comfort into chic leather trainers was difficult, but was achieved by using cutting-edge manufacturing processes to improve the flexibility of the shoes. The outsoles were made from 60% natural rubber to maximise the cushioning and flexibility rather than 100% synthetic rubber. The leather would be the highest quality grade to ensure a butter-soft feel. Finally, they created a bespoke triple-layered footbed, to ensure each step felt like walking on clouds.
FROM COUSINS TO COLLEAGUES
Since launching in 2020, all SM shoes are made using this technique, materials and attention to detail to provide all our fantastic customers with shoes that are truly unlike any other.
Live in Luxury, live in Sans Matin shoes.
