Desk [Olive Ash]

Cydwoq founder, Rafi Balouzian comes from a long line of master shoe-makers. In the early 1900’s, his great grandfather earned the reputation as a true artisan, crafting custom-made shoes to discriminating customers in Armenia. As a child, Balouzian grew up around his father’s shoe factory, drawing the shoe making process into his blood. It was also on trips with his father to Italy and France that the young Balouzian was exposed to those nations’ great handcrafted leather artists, learning the materials and techniques, molding them with crafts, which made his family’s products the ultimate shoes of the region. Rafi has continued the family tradition by obtaining a degree in architecture, which influences his designs.

CYDWOQ’s construction alone sets them apart. Their shoes are the only all leather shoes that have the insole (footbed) and the outsole contoured with the shape of the foot to facilitate the walking process. CYDWOQ is also distinguished from other shoe companies by the fact that its shoe components are manufactured at the CYDWOQ factory. Where other shoe companies only make the uppers and purchase the components from third parties, CYDWOQ manufactures the complete shoe with 90% of the components (heels, insoles, outsoles, wooden soles) constructed in-house. How is it done? On one side of the factory, the shoe-makers hand-cut the leather bottoms and shape the insoles and soles to the shape of the foot while other craftsmen hand-cut and sand the custom wooden heels. On the other side, shoe-makers sew the uppers and attach them to the lasts using water-based glues. Once completed, the soles and uppers meet in the center of the factory for final assembly, hand-painting, cleaning and quality control.