Flashy colors, Incan designs, and suede tassels are but some of the styles found on a pair of Chakana Roots’ boots. Made by a family of Andean shoemakers in Peru, the designs scream South American flair. Artisanal and handmade in small quantities, the company sources used blankets from second-hand markets — cleaning, repurposing, and working the fabric into durable, funky, and fashionable footwear.
The boots have found a receptive market in Tahoe, and founder Tiffany Corbell and boyfriend Rusty Reams, who run the company together in Squaw Valley, are looking to take that momentum to the sphere of online retail.
“We want to involve buyers in the story of the shoe and the creativity behind the product,” Reams said.
From meeting the family of cobblers in the street markets of Cuzco, Peru, to launching a flashy website for custom orders, Chakana Roots is forging a successful blend of old-fashioned people skills and modern marketing tools.
Peruvian Roots
Chakana Roots was founded in the spring of 2012 when Corbell, who is fluent in Spanish, started buying goods such as jewelry and clothing at markets in South America and importing them to sell at local events like Truckee Thursdays, as well as festivals around California.
“I was searching the markets and looking for families and artists and creativity,” Corbell said. “I wanted to interact and hang and eat and party with the people I met in hopes of finding a connection and authentic products.”
While perusing the markets of Cuzco, she met José Carlos, the patriarch of a family of multi-generational cobblers. This relationship was the catalyst for Chakana Roots’ switch to a focus on boots.
“We thought that focusing on one product and one family would help us grow the company and really help the quality of what we could offer,” Corbell said.
In May 2013, Chakana Roots launched its boot line at a party at Coffeebar in Truckee, and the next day Kalifornia Jean Bar offered to be a retailer. On the first day of sales at the downtown Truckee shop, 28 pairs sold.
“There was a ton of wind in our sails at that point,” Reams said.
The designs are a collaboration between Reams, Corbell, and the Peruvian family. To create the durability needed to compete in First World markets, some materials such as the soles are obtained in cities like Lima, but all the materials are from Peru, according to Reams.
“We act somewhat as middlemen, connecting the local Andean community with their generations of experience to the rad community that we have in Tahoe,” Reams said.
Custom Stylin’
The shoes, with designs for men, women, and kids, are currently sold at Salvaged in Tahoe City, the Resort at Squaw Creek in Squaw Valley, and at Truckee Thursdays and various festivals. Chakana Roots is now focused on growing its online presence with a new website and a custom ordering option that launched in early June. Online buyers can select from a variety of patterns that are the exact blankets that the Carlos family has on hand in Peru so they can be guaranteed the right size and style. For the fashion-savvy, faux-fur options are available as well.
“We want to keep our Northern Cali funk style present, and meld that with an attractive boot for all types,” Reams said.
In conjunction with the timing of the website, Chakana Roots started an Indiegogo campaign with the hopes of raising $10,000 to offset website and travel costs, as well as work towards selling their products outside Tahoe. As of July 7, the campaign, which ends July 21, had raised $430.
Chakana Roots has donated to the McConkey Foundation and other local charities, but the company hopes to spread its philanthropic arm to the location where it all started.
“At some point we are hoping to start a charity that supports a cause for the people of Peru,” Reams said.
For the present, Corbell and Reams delight in involving buyers in the unique story of the shoe and providing a fair-trade product.
“Nothing makes me happier than seeing someone in town with our boots on and striking up a conversation about how they came to find them,” Reams said.
Search for Chakana Roots on indiegogo.com to learn more and watch a promotional video, or visit chakanaroots.com.
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