When Pointer hit the streets in 2004, it was the antithesis to a market that was saturated with increasingly technical trainers and hyped-up limited-edition sneakers. Nine years later, not much has changed. Athletic companies continue to churn out innovative product, sneakerheads will always camp out for days for limited-edition kicks and Pointer still makes simple, well-designed, casual footwear.
Fed up with the overload of neon outsoles, camo print and sneakerized brogues in men’s shoe departments, Steffan Safhill decided to put his frustration to good use and in 2012 launched Northern Cobbler. “I wanted to do top-end casual products that at the time were really missing from the market.
Fed up with the lack of stylish, good quality, non-leather footwear on the market, Natalie Dean decided to put her frustration to good use and in 2001 founded Beyond Skin, a line of vegan shoes for women. “In the past, attempts to combine fashion and ethics generally resulted in one side of the equation being sacrificed.
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