WHO
WUD – acronym for “whatever you do” – is an Italian functional footwear brand founded in 2022 for a visionary yet necessary purpose: preserving artisanal expertise and combining it with contemporary relevance. WUD represents a new development of a family-owned shoe factory started in the 1950s, and preserved for three generations since. The artisanal production in the footwear sector has been significantly disrupted by the emergence of mass production and consumption habits, causing widespread negative effects throughout the entire supply chain. WUD positions itself within this context as a proposition placing artisanal traditions at its core, seamlessly integrating it with elements of sustainable and circular innovation.

We believe that heritage – our cornerstone to practice consistency against the profound changes in the external environment – can be effectively supplemented by wise innovation, and that innovation can hold the key to its preservation. We respect traditions as fundamental anchors of our identity and we embrace innovation as a driving force to expand the reach of our artisanal expertise, ensuring contemporary relevance in the constantly-changing modern world.

WHY
The vision of integrating traditional craftsmanship and sustainable innovation is embodied in our attention on the use of natural, recycled, and upcycled raw materials, along with responsible manufacturing processes to craft superior, durable and comfortable footwear.

At WUD, we firmly believe that comfort shall not be a privilege, but rather a daily sensation of lightness and ease. For us comfort means the responsibility of guaranteeing absolute freedom of movement, and allowing every individual to embrace every moment with confidence and ease, on every instance of use.

HOW
WUD combines traditional artisanal methods and techniques carrying forward the historical attention of our family the use of natural raw materials – particularly wood – along with responsible, ISO14001-certified, manufacturing processes to craft superior, durable and comfortable footwear, ensuring the utmost comfort and functionality with our distinctive sole. The material aspect is paramount for WUD, starting from the fundamental component of all our products: our flexible-wooden sole.

We have been producing footwear with wooden soles for over 60 years, and our passion has driven us to explore new possibilities, approaching innovation as a continuous process. We have studied, experimented, tested, and refined various anatomical solutions for our soles – The current WUD sole is the culmination of our dedicated efforts. The essence of WUD is intertwined with wood. We have worked with wood for generations considering it a virtuous raw material for its intrinsic characteristics – lightweight, thermoregulation and resistance – which determine its great ability to withstand wear and degradation.

Wood is, therefore, a perfect natural raw material to ensure maximum comfort and durability, significantly extending the lifespan of our soles compared to alternative materials such as cork or polyurethane and thermoplastic rubbers. WUD uses FSC-certified natural beech wood together with a repurposed rubber compound made with >60% recycled EVA, to create flexible, anatomical soles, and is designed to be extremely comfortable, breathable and durable, capable of absorbing shocks and vibrations and ensuring proper foot thermoregulation – The wood is dried to a moisture content below 20% to increase its resistance during use. It is then cut and shaped to accommodate the flexible insert made of recycled rubber and milled to give the sole an anatomical shape. Once turned and obtained the final size, it is glued on the recycled-rubber outsole.

WHAT
At WUD, we produce genderless slides, sandals and mules, characterized by clean silhouettes, robust designs and meticulous attention to detail, with a signature material identity. Our products explore the connection between natural materials and innovation, blending traditional artisanal methods and techniques with forward-thinking stylistic concepts and functional design approaches.

The material aspect is paramount for WUD, in continuum with our longstanding focus on natural raw materials – Design choices are crucial to enhance the material aspect, tailoring it to a contemporary style. The incorporation of padding and overlapping upper panels, along with the light touch of stitching, transform our products into a design element, enhancing its polished and yet unrefined aspect. The careful selection of the color palette, focused on light and neutral shades, with distinctive brighter tints, perfectly complements the material aspect, giving our mules, slides and sandals a natural look-and-feel.

Our permanent collection is conceived to challenge mass-consumption and production habits, prioritizing consistency and consciousness. It will evolve harmoniously with WUD’s philosophy, empowering our audience to embrace conscious consumption while enjoying complete freedom of expression and movement.

more. www.wud-shoes.com | Instagram: @wudshoes | YouTube: youtube.com/@wudshoes