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Wandering the planet
Nomadic State of Mind was founded with an ethos and intention to preserve the planet and protect its people.
Nomadic State of Mind, a grassroots-style handmade sandal company made from recycled polypropylene rope, was founded by Chris Anderson.
With a nomadic spirit, Chris decided to design eco-sustainable sandals to tackle plastic consumption and waste. The sandals are vegan, durable and comfortable, made from the softest rope, machine washable and colourfast. The brand has strong footprint in US, Europe and Asia and now is available in South Africa and Middle East.
Brand's Story
The brand began its voyage in the late 1990’s.
In the early years, Chris ran the business out of a 1969 VW bus, which also served as his summer home. Making hand-made sandals has been what we do best for over 16 years. In the early years, we taught a small out-of-work coffee community in Nicaragua how to make our sandals, and continued to make (and still make) the rope in North Carolina.
Through the years, we have refined this art and created many sandal types. Nothing goes to waste, as we have used the scraps to make one of a kind rope art including bags, rugs, and water bottle carriers.
After the turn of the century we opened up another small factory in the USA and began working on other types of footwear using vintage sandal machinery from the 1960s. We began using hemp, old sails from sail boats, old tapestries, and other kinds of up cycled materials to broaden our horizons in the sandal market, and to have fun bringing life back to stuff that had lost its purpose.
While we have come a long way since the days of Chris in his van, our philosophy has stayed consistent – if it is done right in the beginning, it will last a long time.
A message from the founder:
I got interested in responsible manufacturing as sort of a mission. I wanted to see for myself how it worked, and show people that things can be made with a vision toward safeguarding employees and the environment.
Nicaragua seemed to be a great place to begin. There were lots of communities with too many people and not enough jobs, and the surf in Nicaragua is great! At that time, not a lot of people knew about it, or were nervous about traveling to Nicaragua because of the history between our countries. I found it exciting, fun, adventurous, and the people we began training were super kind folks that were stoked to have a steady wage and an easier job than farming.
It wasn’t easy, but fortunately the universe put people in my path that helped us establish ourselves, and put us on the sandal map.
Through the years, we have built a warehouse, brought in family and family friends to help, and offered jobs. We have added another facility in North Carolina (our planetary headquarters) where we build other types of shoes on vintage sandal machinery from the 1950’s, using other materials like recycled boat sails and hemp.
My dad ran the shipping out of our garage for years, until I finally built us a warehouse. Now he, my sister, and a few friends run that. One of my dear friends from my hometown is our office manager. The company has expanded to other countries, and we now have distributors in a lot of warm weather spots. I have taken time to meet and kick it with all of them. Business should be fun - and so should the people you do business with. I consider these people friends, and part of the family. I have spent much time with almost all of them and, developed great business relationships with people who have similar world views on how business should be good to everybody involved.
You won’t find any products made with animal products at Nomadic State of Mind - all of our products are vegan, which is the way I want it. When we look at things that we don’t manufacturer ourselves (like t-shirts or hats) I look for the most sustainable product on the market in regards to material, environment, and employment. I know our sandals are not for everyone, but we love seeing people try them on for the first time.
Suddenly, I am treated to a great smile - maybe because they read the Top Ten Reasons, or maybe they just found the footwear that they have been looking for their whole life but never knew it. That is what makes me tick! I spend my summer on music festival tours, still selling sandals like I did 20 years ago. I travel the globe in the off season, both to drum up new business and explore. I am an avid surfer, skateboarder, snowboarder - and basically like all things sideways. A wise man once told me to try everything twice, because you might have not been in the proper mood the first time.
Chris Anderson,
Founder, Nomadic State of Mind
WANDERLUST TO WELLNESS
The sandals are the ultimate travel companion - comfortable, light, easy to carry, and floats in water. Nomadic State of Mind is made for wandering feet. Known for its versatility, the sandals can be worn at the beach, mountains, city, safari, and music festivals. Also loved by yogis and those who practice wellness, meditation and self-healing. The sandals are vegan, ideal to feeling grounded and connected with Earth. Nomadic State of Mind is for those who appreciate craftsmanship - It fits any style, you do not need to change your style to wear it.
WORN BY THE STARS
Worn by international celebrities Ralph Lauren, Jennifer Anniston, Selma Blair and Gisele Bundchen.
IN THE NEWS
Featured globally in Vogue, Elle, Harper's Bazaar, and Glamour, among others.