When Respoke was founded in 2016, it began with a simple question: What if the singular beauty of an Hermès scarf could transform run-of-the-mill espadrilles into eye-catching shoes? The answer became a brand. Respoke, short for “repurposed bespoke,” is built on the idea of creative reuse. Each pair of espadrilles incorporates existing scarves and materials through a unique upcycling process, resulting in an eco-friendly shoe that’s one of a kind.
“We’re trying to hold on to something that already existed and push it forward in a new, exciting way, rather than hacking down trees and destroying the planet just to make something as cheaply as possible,” said founder Chris Bartick. Bartick opened the first Respoke location in Provincetown with his former business partner, Michael Tonello. Tonello, once a fashion stylist, was an avid collector of designer silk scarves and had been spending half the year in Spain. During his summers there, he noticed the classic field shoes everyone was wearing—espadrilles—looked pretty bland. Combining the shoes with the scarves felt like a natural next step.
“As much as possible, we’re using natural materials,” Bartick said. A cotton canvas upper follows, which is combined with a boldly patterned scarf. The scarves, which include not only Hermès but other iconic designers like Ferragamo, Gucci and Alexander McQueen, are found around the world at auctions, in stores, at estate sales, “and then some secret sources,” Bartick said.
Cobblers then hand-sew the shoe’s upper to its lower part, finishing it by stitching a rounded net-like design on the toe piece. With most other espadrilles, this step is done by machines. Bartick notes that few people know how to complete this specific type of hand-stitching—the artistry is passed down through generations.
“We happen to be able to have artisans who are keeping the skill set alive,” Bartick said. Many of them will sit on their back porch with their neighbors or family members and sew with views of rolling hills in the distance. “This is more than just sustainable scarves,” Bartick added. “It’s sustainable culture.”
The sneakers have an even more uncommon production process. They’re made from vulcanized rubber (rather than plastic),which is melted and poured into a mold. The craftsperson who makes the rubber outsoles does so in a cave in Spain because it maintains the same temperature and humidity levels year-round. “It can be 30-something degrees in the winter or very hot in the summer, but the cave remains constant, which I find so interesting and cool and natural,” Bartick said.
The fine art on the walls of each store is created by Bartick—he uses remnants of shoe materials to make collages with acrylic paint. Each one centers around the store’s location; Nantucket’s shop features works with images of Brant Point Lighthouse, seagulls, windmills and other island motifs. And while Respoke has grown to five locations across the U.S., the selection at each boutique is different. “Here, every single shoe is unique,” Bartick said. “So you’re getting something that really could only be purchased on Nantucket."
