Clean, Repair,
Collect

Sneakers, impossible to repair?

More than 4 years ago, we noticed that people around us were throwing away their old sneakers and worn-out shoes.

We knew something was wrong; seeing people throw away their favorite shoes with no hesitation, the repairability of sneakers became a real concern for us.

We wanted to start repairing sneakers.

Collection box

Darwin, Bordeaux

@ Studio VEJA

Used VEJA

@ Studio VEJA

We began collecting thousands of old sneakers from all brands and discovered that most of them could be easily cleaned and repaired.

Only in 2023, 23.9 billion shoes were made worldwide. This is happening because people are buying more shoes instead of getting them repaired. What if we stop buying new sneakers?

Everywhere in France, traditional cobblers are struggling. The numbers reveal the story –in recent years, the old-style cobblers have nearly disappeared.

In the 1950s, France had 50,000 shoe repair shops. By 2023, only 3,500 survived. The cost of repairing is not worth the price of a new pair of shoes

For VEJA, change begins with repair.

The VEJA cobbler project

In June 2020, VEJA started a project called "Clean, Repair, and Collect" to make sneakers last longer.

VEJA under repair

@ Studio VEJA

“WE ARE NEVER BEYOND REPAIR”

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

在推特上引用这句话

We started in Darwin, Bordeaux, by launching our first cobbler station.

For the first time, we began repairing sneakers from all brands and a box to collect and recycle shoes.

Darwin, Bordeaux

One year later, in July 2021, we set up a shoe and sneaker repair space at Galeries Lafayette in Paris.

In July 2022, Berlin became the first VEJA store to offer in-store shoe repairs.

VEJA Berlin cobbler

After Bordeaux, Paris, and Berlin, we expanded by adding a repair station in our Madrid store.

VEJA Madrid Cobbler

After Bordeaux, Paris, Berlin, and Madrid, we expanded and opened a new in-store cobbler in Brooklyn, the first in the United States for VEJA.

VEJA Brooklyn Cobbler

At the same time, we launched a repair station inside a movable container in partnership with Log'ins, a reinsertion company that manages our logistics.

Cobbler Log'ins

@ Studio VEJA

While other brands throw away sneakers with minor defects, we collect and fix them up. This container repairs 1000+ sneakers monthly.

Cobbler Log'ins

@ Studio VEJA

VEJA x Dover Street Market

@ Studio VEJA

VEJA for DOVER STREET MARKET

In 2023, VEJA asked one of its cobblers, Walter, to create a style using VEJA’s leather waste for Dover Street Market Ginza in Japan.

Together with the VEJA design team, he crafted 20 exclusive pairs, which were sold at Dover Street Market Ginza.

This project was a tribute to the craftsmanship of those who work in the shadows, performing a job that has been forgotten by our consumerist society. In a world with limited resources, their craft becomes essential.

VEJA x Dover Street Market

@ Studio VEJA

VEJA GENERAL STORE: The sneaker repair temple

We wanted this place to be in Paris.

In 2022, we found a spot we loved and signed a lease, but fixing it up turned out to be way harder than we thought. Every day felt like a challenge, but after many meetings, paperwork, and a year and a half of hard work, the VEJA General Store finally opened its doors.

VEJA GENERAL STORE

@ Studio VEJA

VEJA Cobbler

@ Studio VEJA

100-square-meter space, where VEJA sets a new standard for the definition of repair

A new generation of cobblers...

will repair sneakers and shoes, and a tailor will extend the lifespan of clothes, no matter the brand. Before the opening, 5 people from the VEJA team over 5000 items one by one in the store.

Beyond repair, the store will be dedicated to books, furniture, socks, shoe care products, laces, toolboxes, cleaning items, and stationery, among others.

The VEJA General Store will collaborate with responsible and cool brands like Caran D’Ache, DSPTCH, Public Supply, Leatherman, Rototo, Snow Peak, Druthers, Anonymous Ism, Maximum Henry, and Era, among others.

The VEJA General Store shows our dedication to looking after the things we already own. We restore for better quality with brands that care for the environment.

VEJA GENERAL STORE products

@ Studio VEJA

VEJA GENERAL STORE

@ Studio VEJA

For the store's design, the VEJA teams worked hand in hand with a team of young French architects from Alors Studio.
They created a minimalistic and warm interior by mixing wood, concrete, steel, and glass. Additionally, the space is powered by Enercoop, a renewable energy supplier.

The VEJA General Store is located in the 10th arrondissement on 11 Rue de Marseille, Paris, where we opened our first Centre Commercial
store 13 years ago.