The Making of The Resistance High-Top Sneaker

It was fascinating to watch the entire making process of the Resistance sneakers; there is always room for being attracted to new techniques even after working as a shoe designer for over 20 years...

We are here to resist the dark side of ‘mass-production’; these Resistance sneakers are clearly hand-made by skillful makers who pride themselves for their craftsmanship, attention to detail, and putting together a quality product.

I was delighted to see that even the rubberised Rebel Alliance badge application was such a measured manual process; how they pour the creamy rubber carefully into the shallow metal mould, one by one, then wiping the excess off and baking it for over 7 minutes. The freshly baked marzipan-like badge then magically appears perfectly fused onto the organic cotton canvas.

The interior construction of the quilted back panel is one of my favourite operations too, how the spongy latex foam strips are layered like a double-decker to form a mini Michelin man’s tummy once stitched together.

We have been fortunate to team up with this immaculate Portuguese shoe factory to develop and produce our co-branded Star Wars collection. They have recently phased out all solvent-based glues (partly thanks to us urging them to meet our sustainable standards), so the quality of air is pleasant too. Working in such a clean environment makes a huge difference to the worker’s health and well-being, compared with the vast majority shoe factories I have visited whereby workers are exposed to toxic fumes on a daily basis.

You may call me a dreamer but I love the idea of making shoes for a higher purpose; our mission is to restore workers’ rights, people’s feet, and ultimately make better shoes; a small thing considering the purpose of the Rebel Alliance is to restore freedom to the entire galaxy!

As you wear these vegan Resistance sneakers and experience the bounce of our natural latex Foot-Mattress™, may you feel the force right beneath your feet.

By Sven Segal

Founder of Po-Zu

SHOP the collection here, available in Mens, Womens, and Children's sizes in an array of colours.