Update

The aftermath / reality / effects of the current pandemic have turned out so much more complicated and confusing than any of us could have imagined March 9th when the factory ended up in Lock Down for the first time.

We had just launched online only six days before this happened, our production was just about to be finished and then we were more than ready to start shipping like it was always meant to.

At this point most of us, including Portugal, felt we would power through for a while and then slowly get back to normality. Something we know today, f i v e months later, was very naive.

The Lock Down´s have been on and off, the factory have not been able to work full staff, full time any day since March 9th. Some days half of the people have been allowed for half a day and so on, meaning what would have been done in 10-14 days have taken months!

We are amongst the smallest of the customers to both our suppliers and our factory and even so we know we have been a priority whenever possible, but our boots are crafted in a way needing many different people and many unique skills so the limited time on the shop floor and the unexpected delays of supplies have made this whole situation very, very palpable. For all of us involved.

Now our production is ready to ship! Thanks to our Portuguese colleagues going the extra mile, but due to the many (many) cancellations from the bigger customers refusing to accept any new products until earliest end of September, the factory simply can not afford to keep open until they know they have enough work. Once agin it affects us since we tried to avoid the extra freights and had decided as a start to ship directly from the factory until having a small warehouse of our own. 

So now we wait. Again. And so will you have to do, which makes us feel even worse than thinking of the fact that we are now five months into our online journey and have only been able to serve for less than a week. It is hurtful, painful and terrifying when thinking of how far we are from where we hoped to be at this point. But as we all know "what matters the most is how well you walk through the fire", so given that we strongly feel "we´ll all be okay in the end. And if we´re not okay, it is not the end".

Letting those words from Bukowski and Lennon put an end to this update and wish you all a beautiful summer.

Truly,

Helena, Claes, Jesper & Nisse

P.S In the meanwhile we always have the Gift Vouchers.