Have you heard about Beek?

Let me introduce you! If you don’t know, Beek is a collection of hand-made all-leather footwear that is beautiful, timeless and super comfy. The Beek girls believe that footwear should actually get BETTER with age, and I couldn’t agree more.

I first met the Co-Founders through mutual friends. I was excited to meet them, as I was already a fan of their cool and elevated sandal line. A coffee date quickly turned into a mutual obsession session, which led to a discussion about collaborating, and why not? We share common values around craftsmanship, simplicity, beach life, and giving back to our communities.Learn more about what makes them so unique in our interview with the ladies behind Beek, Birgit and Kenna.

What were your first impressions of Vitamin A?

We’ve been fans for a long time! I don’t think either of us can even remember our first impression because it’s been in our lives for a while. There is no better swim line when it comes to quality and fit. We LOVE our Vitamin A suits!

How did you know that it would be a good fit for Vitamin A + Beek to collaborate together?

When we started talking about our approach to design. We both believe in quality, simplicity, and most important, great fit...

Tell us about your give back program.

For every pair of Beek shoes sold, we donate a meal to a child in need. This is done through the National Organization “Feeding America” with their “Kids Cafe” program. We were able to tour these programs and were both brought to tears with the respect in which they treat these children and their parents. We knew instantly that this is the focus we wanted to have with Beek.

What sets the craftsmanship + design process of the Vitamin a + Beek line apart from other shoe collections?

Leather quality, craftsmanship and styling. We use the highest quality vegetable-tanned leather for the insole and upper. Each pair is totally hand-made by our artisans down in Mexico who take such pride in their work. And the styling is simply beautiful and classic. Our customers (for both brands) are classically beautiful in their styling. They love quality goods with an effortless style.

What was the inspiration behind the collection?

The Southern California lifestyle! We love the beach, boating and the pool. These are the perfect sandals for them. Grab your Vitamin A swimsuit, cover-up, your Vitamin A + Beek sandals and you’re ready for your day!

We have to ask, favorites from the collection?

The perforated mockingbird – it’s so sporty and fun. The white is our favorite.

What are you sipping on or snacking on while designing?

We are both iced tea JUNKIES. We live on it. In fact almost everyone on our team loves iced tea. We have one who prefers Arnold Palmers, but we don’t shame her for that. :-) And Laguna beach local brand, “Have’a chips”. We go through way too many bags each month.

Best way to recharge the creative flow when you get stuck?

We sneak off to the movies. Shhhhh...don’t tell anyone. You can find us at Fashion Island in the theatre there watching some cheesy chick-flick when we need to ‘escape’.

Collaboriting with other women is...

Smart. When we put our minds, talents and passions together, you can create something amazing. We’ve loved working with Amahlia because she inspires us with her creativity and her wisdom with business. Sharing knowledge is empowering!

All all-leather beek sandals have a “rise” in the front (the leather curves up) called a ‘toe spring’. We add this to the design of the shoe to support your toes for comfort (just like an arch support). If you are not used to a toe-spring then it may feel ‘awkward’ at first but it is super important for comfort in the long-run. The height will quickly settle to your individual foot’s needs.

Care

As is the case with all nice leather, we recommend wiping clean with a damp cloth and conditioning the product 2-3 times a year. These sandals are made to last - so treat them with love!