our mission:
Promoting the authentic Mexican huarache
The foundations of Mapache are based on the discovery of a centuries-old know-how in the heart of Mexico, that of the traditional Mexican huarache , entirely handmade by talented artisans ( to discover the origin of the brand, click here ). Added to this is a worrying observation: for several decades, the techniques and knowledge of indigenous communities have been threatened by means of mass production.
By going against the current of fast-paced fashion, we have chosen to highlight the know-how of braided leather and its artisans , taking up the challenge of offering a brand of sandals oriented towards people , through traditional production.
To do this, we have articulated three areas of work around our mission:
Preserve
IMPROVE
BROADCAST
1. PRESERVE
To perpetuate craftsmanship, we must first allow artisans to live off their know-how so that they can continue to pass it on to future generations. Our role in achieving this challenge is to ensure the maintenance of economic activity, in particular by building lasting collaborations with workshops and providing artisans with permanent work . Thus, by benefiting from a year-round contract (a rare thing in Mexico), they are no longer forced to leave their village in search of employment in large cities, which would lead to the loss of their know-how. In addition, the preservation of craftsmanship also requires production that rigorously respects the stages of manufacturing the traditional huarache , as it was made several centuries ago ( to learn more, go to the Crafts page).
2. IMPROVE
In an industry as competitive as fashion, knowing how to evolve is essential and craftsmanship is no exception. Thus, we work every day to preserve traditions while seeking to improve craftsmanship to better meet customer expectations . In order to make this know-how more efficient, we visit our workshops several times a year with the aim of supporting our craftsmen towards better quality sandals . This work, carried out hand in hand, helps them to train themselves to meet market requirements. Developing quality leather, creating new designs or even improving comfort ( find out how by clicking here ) : nothing escapes us in order to permanently anchor craftsmanship in your daily life.
3. DISSEMINATE
We invite you to read the term "know-how" backwards to better understand this third axis! Because in fact, as essential as preservation and improvement, "making known" is a criterion in its own right in the promotion of braided leather craftsmanship. It is the key element allowing this heritage to be seen and understood, thus ensuring its long-term sustainability . To accomplish this mission, we market Mapache sandals in several countries, thus transmitting the values of Mexican craftsmanship on a large scale . Our resellers ( find them all here ), our packaging, our website and our social networks ( follow us on Instagram ): all of these supports contribute to making the Mexican huarache and the work of our artisans known throughout the world.