Coconut, fig, potato starch, pineapple. These are a few of the natural fibres that Mats Rombaut has used to manufacture his vegan shoes.

Rombaut hails from a long line of shoemakers. Both his father and grandfather made clogs in his native Belgium. In 2008, Rombaut joined the men’s accessories department at Lanvin, before moving to Damir Doma, where he worked on product development and production for two years.

Rombaut debuted his men’s footwear collection in January 2013, adding a women’s range during the Spring Summer 2014 Paris shows. Today, Rombaut manufactures his line in Portugal, predominately using organic cotton with a light rubber coating, cork and natural rubber for the soles and various plant-based components.

In addition to its eco-conscious approach, Rombaut’s line is notable for its unisex designs. “It was a natural outcome. Particularly for shoe categories like sneakers, there is not such a big distinction between men’s and women’s,” he explained. However, the designer does not see unisex as a core part of his brand’s DNA. “I would say that a big part of the Rombaut DNA is discipline. It’s a quality that is very present in gymnastics and fencing. The discipline of training and making yourself better, making your body better, making your mind better — all of that fascinates me.”

Rombaut is exclusive to 4.

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