ABOUT US
VAMSKO is a footwear fashion house, and we function online and in a physical concept store. The company is originally founded in Finland in 1986, and VAMSKO was launched in 2012. An additional 28 European countries are served by e-commerce sales.
The company’s head office is in Nokia, Finland which is also the location of our central functions, including design and warehousing. Our concept store is located in Tampere, Finland right in the middle of the town center.
After years of experience and millions of sold pairs, we want to be a part of a better and more sustainable future for all. Together with other organizations, we want to make the fashion industry more sustainable. We want to increase the transparency of production and we aim to create long-term relationships with our subcontractors.
PRODUCTION – NOW AND THEN
In our previous collections include products from Turkey and China. All of these subcontractors are BSCI certified manufacturers who meet the Business Social Compliance Initiative guidelines. Also, all of our subcontractors sign a contract based on VAMSKO’s BSCI Code of Conduct, which covers our demands concerning wages, working hours, health, and safety, which our suppliers must adhere to. VAMSKO does not accept child labor. We no longer have any production outside of Europe, but we still have some storage from the previous collections.
Our new, sustainable VAMSKO -collection was launched in autumn 2020 and it’s 100% manufactured in European family-owned factories. These products are delivered from the factories directly to our warehouse, as a result of which we minimize all the extra middlemen during transportation and reduce the carbon footprint of transportation.
VAMSKO -collection consists widely of handmade leather shoes. The leather used in our products is chrome-free and created as a by-product of other animal products. Shoes are made locally – from the outsole to the finishing details.
We will only use synthetic faux fur in our products. We use exclusively certified mulesing-free wool. VAMSKO has a list of chemicals that are limited or prohibited in the production of our products. The list is included in the Suppliers Guide Convention, which is signed by all subcontractors before production can begin.
Because we do not own factories where our products are manufactured, close cooperation with our subcontractors is a prerequisite for our products to meet our design and quality requirements.
At the moment we only use a few specific factories in Italy, Portugal, and Spain. These family-owned factories have years of experience and offer good work conditions for their employees. When the situation with the corona makes it easier, we intend to visit our factories regularly to ensure high-quality manufacturing and good working conditions.
VAMSKO TODAY
Now, our mission is to create well-made and beautiful shoes that our customers will be able to wear and love for a long time. This calls for high-quality materials and a long-lasting design. Luckily, the styles we create today are aimed to last for years.
Do we want to play with trends?
YES, being sustainable shouldn’t necessarily mean styles to be flat or boring. In our collections, you can find classical elements with the twist from seasonal inspirations.
Do we want you to style your outfits with our shoes time after time?
Well, that’s a YES again. VAMSKO shoes are designed to keep their loved place in your wardrobe through ages and only little details bring them back to the specific time of trends. Our goal is to find magic in the details yet keep making shoes that are made in an economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable way. For our designs to be sustainable, we need to focus on creating products that will continue to be useful and meaningful through the years and allow the natural signs of aging to be integrated and celebrated as something great rather than imperfections.
THE CHANGE
As said, previously Vamsko was known for a mix of more unknown brands from all over the world. We had our brand, beloved SoWhat Footwear. But let’s say we did things a little differently back then. A few years ago most of our shoes were manufactured in China, focused on trends and volume. We no longer have any production outside of Europe, but we still have some storage from the previous collections. We’ve learned a lot from the past and we’re leaving a lot of a different brand behind.
In 2019 we set a goal to transfer more of our manufacture in Europe, more specifically in Italy, Portugal, and Spain. The goal was to have a 100% European-made collection by the year 2025 and only focus on one brand ’VAMSKO’. And for this brand all the packaging materials are recyclable. We checked these goals to be accomplished in winter 2020.
How did we reach our goal so fast?
To be honest, because of the coronavirus. Roughly about a year and a half ago, we had a sparkle for something new. A massive vision to change everything, almost the whole business model. Due to coronavirus, factories in Asia were closed or out of reach, so we saw this as an opportunity to change the sparkle into a fire faster than originally planned. We strengthened our existing relationships with the factories in Europe (Italy, Spain, and Portugal) and did our best in a tricky situation. Coronavirus hit hard in Europe as well but we managed to work towards the goals and dreams we want to represent. Now, AW2021 and SS21 collection was/are 100% manufactured in European family-owned factories.
We have made the change for a better tomorrow, joined the fashion revolution and we’d like to invite you to strengthen the lines with us.
AFTER THE PURCHASE
By looking after your shoes, you can spare the environment from any unnecessary impact. Try to take care of your shoes carefully during use, and wear the shoes in weather conditions suitable for the material. Always follow the care instructions for the material to keep the life of the product as long as possible. Finally, you make a big difference if you allow the shoes to dry and rest after use. Embrace the natural signs of use and aging – that’s why the shoes were made. To be used and loved!
THE FUTURE
In a short amount of time, we have done a lot of work towards sustainability and feel extremely proud of it. But the job is not done yet, we aim to find more ways to offer sustainable shoes and choices such as more recycled materials and vegan options.