"It's important that all our footwear is ethically sourced. I won’t buy shoes from places that do not have fair labour practices and a sustainable approach,” says Ego-Trip Shoes owner AJ Johma. “So I shop in Italy, Portugal, Spain, and some factories in North America. These are from smaller factories, often family-owned, where they put their heart into their soles.”
Ego-Trip Shoes is an unaffiliated offshoot of Davinci Shoes, which has been operating since the 1980s. “My family has been in the shoe business for years. I started when I was 15,” AJ says. “Ego-Trip Shoes has been open since 2013, and this is the first time I've been on my own. I hope this will be the start of another generation of local, independent shoe stores."