Some encounters, even if they take time, change everything once they happen.
We met Viviana from Zapatera Caribeña thanks to our tannery, the leather supplier that both of our brands work with. Even though Viviana lived in Buenos Aires while Casia was already up and running, our paths never crossed. Later on, Noe (Casia founder) lived in Puerto Rico, Viviana’s homeland, but they still didn’t get to meet. The connection finally came to life when Viviana visited our studio in Buenos Aires to choose leather scraps. That’s when this story began.
In this edition of UNIQUE, we want to share the story behind each pair of the "Raíz" handcrafted sandal by Zapatera Caribeña using Casia’s leftover leather.
Zapatera Caribeña was born from a need to tell stories through physical metaphors.
I was a Language and Literature teacher for almost two decades, but my life took a turn, between a devastating hurricane that hit the island and another storm I was experiencing at my workplace.
So I left, carrying two suitcases, countless dreams, and a lot of courage, to start training in high-end handmade shoemaking in a small workshop in Buenos Aires under the guidance of a master shoemaker. With no guarantees and full of uncertainty, I embraced a new path.
Two years later, during the pandemic that left me confined in the city, I created my first capsule collection: Mínima 20 | 20 Collection
I began this project driven by the huge desire to find my creative voice, and later, for my students. I wanted them to witness how dreams are built.
From the beginning, Viviana chose leather as her main material, not just for its quality and beauty, but for what it represents from an ethical and sustainable perspective.
To this day, no nobler material offers durability, functionality, and aesthetics, while also being sustainable. Yes, it is sustainable, because we use a by-product of the meat industry. If not used, it would generate massive organic waste that ends up in landfills, where hides decompose and release greenhouse gases like methane and CO₂, as well as toxic liquids (leachates), causing serious environmental damage.
That’s why, from a circular economy and sustainability perspective, using vegetable-tanned leather makes sense.
Craftsmanship holds a central place at Zapatera Caribeña. It’s not just a technique, it’s a way of thinking about the present and the future.
Artisan work is the core value of my brand. It’s a way of ensuring the human touch at a time when progress and innovation are more often linked to mass production and machine use.
I believe that progress and innovation should speak more about quality, dedication, creativity, and human connection. It’s a way to challenge the future.
Raíz Sandals First Sketch
When we offered Viviana scraps of our vegetable-tanned leather, she saw an opportunity to continue exploring sustainability through design.
Working with reclaimed materials means staying true to who we are as a brand, and for me, that’s the most important part. In this case, it reaffirms our commitment to sustainability, taking it even further by stepping into the realm of circularity.
There are few chances, for those of us in the high-end handmade shoemaking world to access high-quality leather scraps. It’s worth defining “good scraps” as those with appropriate dimensions and conditions. That’s where design plays a key role, creating guidelines to make use of the best and the not-so-best parts.
For me and the brand, it’s essential to explore other aspects of sustainability, such as working with reclaimed materials, because it reflects respect for my craft, for myself, for what I stand for, and for my clients. It ensures we stay in tune with the needs of the times.
The selection process was one of the most enjoyable parts for both teams.
It was fun to look at the scraps and imagine what could be made from those pieces.
And it's amazing to see how they became beautiful sandals.
But what she hopes to evoke in each person who wears those pieces goes far beyond aesthetics:
Above all, I hope people value the craftsmanship and attention to detail, expressed through a minimalist aesthetic proposal. All of this is framed by the responsibility we take on through circularity, pushing sustainability to its fullest expression.
Beyond the results, this collaboration left us with something fundamental: the certainty that it’s worth working with people who share your values.
I truly cherish the bonds and affection that grew among everyone involved in this process. Collaborations always create bonding. And the fact that two brands from such distant places, yet with a common goal, can come together, it’s priceless.
The path of Zapatera Caribeña continues, with its identity stronger than ever:
With everything going on in the world, simply staying on course has become a new kind of dream. Through it all, I want the brand to keep growing, without ever losing its essence and identity.
This project is a reflection of what we believe in at Casia: collaboration between independent brands can be deeply transformative, especially when there’s respect, awareness, and a love for the craft.
If you’d like to learn more about Zapatera Caribeña, check out her website: zapateracaribena.com and follow her on Instagram at @zapateracaribena
And if this story resonated with you, stay tuned, because more exciting news with Vivi is on the way, and we can’t wait to share it.
