About us
Who We Are
A coastal footwear company from Malibu, California.
Our start can be traced back to an earnest search for an ergonomic multi-purpose sandal for wandering the inspiring hills and coastal beaches of Malibu.
Through our explorations, the huaraches sandal's part in the history of the late 1950's popularization of surf culture in Southern California fascinated us. A pop-culture version of this was born from this 1950's marketing mix of Beach Blanket Bingo, The Beach Boys and Dick Dale - and it was all 'happening on Pacific Coast Highway.'
Reeling from this were local die-hard surfers of the PCH. They found solace in the uncrowded waves and beaches, south past the US border, of Baja Mexico. Alas, 'The Baja Boom' was born. During their travels, they bought Huarache sandals, along with Serapes, Ponchos and local jewelry from local indigenous people of small coastal villages. Surfers and hippies alike wore these Mexican items, popularizing them across California's subcultures and surf community, hence names such as 'surfer sandals' for the Huarache.
Our homage to this Mexican heritage silhouette was simple, create a functional woven sandal born from the proper ergonomics for all day wear. It's a woven style sandal inspired by the practical legacy of the Mexican Huarache sandal. We honor the history it carries with it from the shores of Baja Mexico to Southern California.
Our Mission
Our mission is simple: create the most comfortable, stylish and modern sandals on the planet using innovative, cruelty-free materials.
To develop beautifully innovative sandals that deliver on everyday wearability from the beach to the boulevard.
Inspiration Behind Malibu Sandals
In an effort to create the world’s most comfortable, stylish, modern sandals, we find inspiration in the cultural history and physical beauty of coastal California, most notable Malibu.
The approach of looking into the past to move forward is a valuable design strategy that continues to inform our methods for developing footwear designs and engineering techniques.
As with all design across time, innovation and evolution are inevitable.
Initially we found inspiration in the ancient craft of Mexican Huarache sandal-making. These sandals date back many centuries pre-dating European colonial influence.
They are believed to originate from Mexico, specifically the states Jalisco, Michoacán, and Yucatán. The word “huarache” comes from the term “kwarachi” from Tarascan, a language spoken by the Purépecha people native to Michoacán.
Furthermore, their origins make clear links between Mayan Caites sandals and pre-Hispanic footwear seen on ancient codices.
Traditionally handmade and constructed out of raw leather, the huarache’s primal design language features an intricately woven pattern that’s very durable and proven to withstand the test of time.