The hand economy is fresh & fertile ground for entrepreneurs, especially crafty ones.
Nooks Design was established in the winter of 2020 when the owners’ daughter was learning to walk and needed some footwear to keep her warm during long outings in the cold. There were a number of criteria that they wanted, including having the shoes made from natural materials, a slip-proof soft sole, and they had to be easy to get on yet hard for busy little feet to kick off. After coming across a discarded cashmere sweater in a thrift store, the idea of making the shoes from upcycled wool sweaters was born.

Four years later, the company now makes 250 pairs of their one-of-a-kind (that’s right, they’re still made from sweaters and are therefore all different!) felted wool booties every week with the help of a team of talented artisan cutters and seamstresses. The demand for the cozy and wooly booties has garnered attention from shop owners across the country and they can now be found on the shelves of 40 boutiques throughout Canada. Interacting with customers face-to-face to help them find the perfect pair for their little one is such a fun part of the process that the Nooks Design team can be found at dozens of markets and craft shows throughout BC and Alberta every year.

The booties can also be purchased online through their Etsy shop and shipped anywhere in the world. Want to keep up with what’s new and fresh at Nooks Design? Visit their website or follow them on the Facebook and Instagram and prepare to have your feed filled with photos of cute kids wearing some adorable vintage-inspired clothing and felted wool booties! Have any questions and prefer email? They can be reached directly at [email protected].