ASHOKA PARIS launches the Matéo, an eco-responsible and vegan sneaker
-David MATEO-
During the Veggie Word Paris which was held on April 2 and 3, the ASHOKA PARIS team had the pleasure of exhibiting its latest creations and in particular its diversification in the footwear sector. ASHOKA PARIS has indeed presented its first collection of sneakers, the MATEO.
To launch the Matéo, ASHOKA PARIS is not starting from scratch, far from it. The company has relied on the experience and know-how of its product designer, David Matéo. “When Gwenaëlle and Frédéric, the two founding directors of the brand, decided to get into footwear, they called on me, because I have extensive experience in the sector,” he explains. "It would have been a shame if David, who has been working on the creation of our bags and accessories for years, did not give us the benefit of his 20 years of expertise in shoe production", specifies Frédéric Vergoz.
Armed with all his years of imagination and ideas, David Matéo immediately came up with style suggestions . “I've drawn so many that it comes a little by itself at the end of the pencil,” he jokes. He wanted to offer two versions of the Matéo: a low version and a high version. The arbitrations were carried out by the team, making the drawings evolve according to the feelings of each one. Once the drawing has been validated, David produces the technical sheet which is sent to the factory to produce the first prototypes.
It has also opened its network of suppliers in Europe to ASHOKA PARIS, particularly in Portugal, a favorite region for the manufacture of shoes. “I introduced Ashoka to a very serious factory that I have been working with for 10 years. Making shoes in Portugal is a guarantee of quality. Indeed , when the whole team went to check the first samples on site, “they were almost perfect. »
“Thanks to the enormous experience brought by David, ASHOKA PARIS also benefits from his know-how. As a result, we are going to offer shoes that meet high quality standards from the outset,” explains Frédéric.
The Matéo, made of Apple Skin, is built using a Strobel assembly which consists of sewing together the upper and the first sole and thus offer real flexibility and great resistance. The inner lining of the shoe is a breathable and antibacterial technical material called "On Steam". It also has a high resistance to abrasion and allows good temperature regulation.
The insole is injected, offering optimal comfort thanks to the thickness, the density of the foam as well as a plantar arch.
On the style side, it takes up the essential codes of the sneaker, in particular the "cup sole" (bowl-shaped sole).
We paid particular attention to the shape of the inserts. We wanted to offer an original and easily identifiable sneaker model. “We wanted a logo that would be an identity element of the shoe. We didn't want it to be a shoe like the others. This logo is the stylized "A" of "Ashoka." Once the logo was validated, the shoe was designed around it.
“Matéo is in a way the synthesis of the best ideas I've had over the past 20 years. After more than 3500 models designed in my career, Matéo is in a way the quintessence of my creative spirit. I designed my first collection of shoes for a major international surf wear brand in 2002. Some models from this collection have sold more than 40,000 copies. After this first success, I never stopped designing and producing shoes for well-known brands in France. adds David .
Why did you wait so long before launching our first shoe? “ From the birth of Ashoka Paris, we filed our trademark with the INPI in the shoe category, because from the start, we knew that we would come there one day. We wanted to master the manufacture of bags and accessories, before diversifying. Thanks to the recent arrival of our investors, the idea has become a reality”, specifies Frédéric.
With ASHOKA PARIS, it's a story of the heart. After offering her one of the "most incredible experiences of her career" with the design of the capsule collection of bags for Pamela Anderson, "Gwenaëlle and Frédéric did me a great honor by giving my name to the first shoe of 'ASHOKA PARIS. It's recognition – and we all need recognition to get ahead in life – but it also tells a story. I think they are very attached to the fact that all the products created at Ashoka Paris have a story. These are not products that we will choose off the shelf in the factory, but the fruit of a long creative process.
We work a lot together, we develop products together.
It's a story they want to tell and it's a great story to focus on people. »
Our Matéo sneakers will be marketed in the coming weeks.