Swedish Hasbeens's shoes are all hand-made, using the same craftsmanship as in the 70s, which is kind to both people and nature. We use natural materials, so you could pretty much bury your shoes in your garden.
Hasbeens are made of:
Vachetta leather grained with natural/vegetable oils, which is not only environmentally friendly, but also of highest quality.
Chrome-free leather, which is free from heavy metals.
The wood comes from forests in europe, with strict regulations governed by the eu, whereby for each tree cut, a new one is planted.
Each wooden sole is cut from one piece of lime tree, giving the sole a harmonious aesthetic.
Like all hand-made stuff, using natural materials, every pair will be unique, which is a sign of quality. So do not worry if the wood varies in color or if there are twigs in it.
Please be aware that the natural grain leather may have marks, can vary in color and also thickness. The untreated nature colored leather will darken with time. The colored leather, like black, might rub off on other light stuff and can loose color if it is scratched. The color on the painted wooden sole and the rubber sole will wear off naturally over time. Choosing hand-made stuff with natural materials just makes you more unique, which is really great, if you like being unique that is.
OUR NATURAL GRAINED LEATHER
Don't get mad, the natural grain leather will soften and stretch with wear and one day fit like a glove... a foot-glove. The leather will look better the more you wear it. Please be aware that the natural grain leather may have marks, can vary in color and also thickness. If your Habeens squeaks, it is due to the fact that the leather is hard and overlaps, however, as the leather softens the squeaking sound will fade. Please note, it is better to just use all your Swedish Hasbeens in dry weather, since wood and natural leather really do not like moisture and if fully soaked they will stretch a lot!
The Nature Leather
Our nature leather is not colored, so it can vary in color and will darken naturally over time. To treat the nature leather, use a terry towel and apply a little olive oil on the untreated natural colored leather (not nubuck or colored leather) and it will look better and you will get a better resistance to dirt and water. The leather will darken a little bit after it has been treated with olive oil. Sunlight will also darken the nature leather. So if you want a darker ton, have you nature leather Hasbeens sunbathe. However, avoid leaving your colored Hasbeens in the sun, as it may change the color.
The Color & Nubuck Leather The colored leather, like black, might rub off on other light stuff and can loose color if it is scratched. The color on the painted wooden sole and the rubber sole will wear off naturally over time. Some color variations can occur since the leather and wood varies and reacts naturally. The leather varies from one piece of leather to another. The colored leather does not need to be treated with oil or any other fat, since it is treated with color. If you would use any oil or leather fat, the leather will not absorb it. You can treat the leather with a little transparent shoe cream if you want the shoes to be a little more resistant to rain or dirt.
Do not use colored shoe cream, as the color can run down on the wooden sole, which will leave marks that cannot be removed. The nubuck leather can be treated with a nubuck spray. If the nubuck leather gets dirty, depending on the dirt, you can let is dry and they rub with a clean terry towel. Do not use oil, shoe cream or leather fat on this material and avoid leaving your colored Hasbeens in the sun, as it may change the color.
The Metallic Colored Leather Our metallic colored shoes works a little bit different than our other sandals. The metallic colored clogs have nature leather where the metallic color is applied on the leather, and not dyed. Therefore, the metallic color will naturally wear off over time, since it is applied as a layer of color. The metallic colors can also vary a little from each other, depending on how the metallic color reacts to the nature leather. As with the colored leather, you do not have to treat the leather. Avoid leaving your colored Hasbeens in the sun, as it may change the color.
OUR WOODEN SOLE Our wooden soles are made from lime tree, except from our Biker sandals, which have linden tree soles. Wood is a hard but fragile material, so watch out for knocking the back of the heel into stairs or edges of sidewalks, since the wood can chip. One of the reasons is that the heel of most of our shoes slopes outwards, so the upper edge at the back is slightly exposed. However, a chip is super-easy to glue back on, since it is a natural material. If you do not have the piece of wood you can get some wood paste and fill the hole, let it dry and then use some sand paper to make the surface smooth. Here is something unique: sandpaper can remove marks and dirt from the wood and you can also use some olive oil on the wood for protection. However, some of our heels are already treated with wax.
The Rubber Sole The rubber sole underneath the wooden sole is glued on and will loosen over time since wood is a natural living material. Wood is a living material and will expand and compress depending on how moist, warm or cold it is in the air. It can happen faster if you have walked in rain or very moist weather. However, it's super-easy to glue the rubber sole back on or get a new biodegradable one at your local shoe repair shop. We recommend you to not walk direct on the wood, as you will wear it down.
OUR BOOTS Boots with Wooden Soles Our boots have the same material as our sandals, except for our boots with shearling, cotton lining or natural rubber soles (for further information, please read below). You can read more about the wood, leather and rubber soles above. The wooden soled boots should be treated the same as our sandals, with exceptions for the shearling. Some customers experience that the wooden soled boots are loose around the heel, so when they walk the boots are slipping of the heel. The boots will not fall off your feet, but it will be slipping, so it is more of a habit to get used to. Since the wooden sole is not flexible, as plastic or rubber, and the leather is stapled on in the back, it will create a feeling of the boots slipping.
Boots with Natural Rubber Soles The natural rubber sole is really comfortable to walk on and is great as a sole since it's soft and flexible, yet with strength and durability. However, please note that it is a natural, organic material and it can be sensitive to very strong heat, making it sticky, and in the long run making it hard and dry.
Just like our other natural shoe materials, natural rubber is a living material, so please take care of it, dry it slowly, do not expose it to extreme heat, talk to it and the shoes should last for your grand kids. All of our rubber boots have warm cotton lining, except for our Lace Up Rubber Bootie, which is leather-lined with cotton inner soles. We recommend using our rubber-soled boots in dry and cold weather. However, as there may be snow outside you can treat your rubber boots to avoid possible leakage, though, the rubber boots are not a 100% waterproof. You can either use clear or transparent shoe cream for protection and shine, or clear shoe fat for protection and a more matte finish. To avoid possible leakage we would advise you to also put wax or fat on the seams, with extra attention to the area where the leather meets the rubber sole. Please be aware that our Lace Up Rubber Booties have nubuck leather, so it is not to be treated with shoe cream or fat, but with nubuck spray. The Natural Rubber soles on our Rubber Boots are great on snow but can be slippery on ice or other slippery surfaces, so use with caution.
Our HasJeans Please use dry cleaning.