INTERVIEW #96 8000KICKS
Founded in: 2019
Founded by: Bernardo, grandson, and Otilia, grandmother.
Stores: Shipping worldwide (https://www.8000kicks.com/) + Physical store opening in Lisbon, in October. Products are also available in a few stores throughout Germany, Austria, Italy, France and Poland
Price range: 18$ - 159$
Instagram: @8000kicks
How did you come up with the brand name 8000KICKS?
The first use of hemp fabric dates back to the year 8000 BC. So while we may think of hemp as trendy and new, it actually has a long history as one of the strongest and most versatile natural materials. We wanted to honor that heritage in our name. In other words hemp is as old as agriculture, about 10,000 years old!
How, where and by who are your cool hemp products produced?
In order to have a great product, we have visited the world's best manufacturers from east to west, looking for nothing but the best. This search led us to partner up with the most experienced hemp milers, shoe manufacturers and designers:
CHINA FACTORY
Location: Dongguan
Products: Explorer V2
Average salary: 500$ to 600$
Renewable energy source: 30% to 40%
PORTUGAL FACTORIES
Location: Braga and Minde
Products: Explorer V1 and Hemp Masks
Average salary: 775€ to 800€
Renewable energy source: 45% to 55%
Where do you source the hemp from?
We source our hemp from many places, depending on what we need and how much. We buy it from Romania, France and especially from China, which is the number one source of Hemp textiles.
Where in the world do you have the most customers?
Our biggest client base is in the US.
What are the major challenges of working with hemp?
Hemp is a natural fibre, and that is in itself a whole new game, which means that we need to adjust when making products. For instance, the dyes will “attach” as easily compared to leather or synthetic fibres. But in general, hemp is a challenging fibre because we, humans, lost the knowledge of how it is done as we spent 50 years without doing it, and we have to relearn how to work with it.
What has been the largest gain of starting this brand?
By far our first campaign on Kickstarter. We were doing our best to create an amazing product, a shoe that would outperform all others while being sustainable, waterproof and durable. Something that people could use every day, everywhere. Stylish enough for the office, and casual enough for the weekend. And that’s precisely what we have done
When we launched the first campaign on Kickstarter we were very nervous, and we didn’t know what to expect. Then suddenly, 2500 bought our shoes and we were officially in business. That was an amazing feeling.
The best thing about 8000KICKS?
We have a few things that we are proud of. Overall we have done a very good product and the reviews speak for themselves. But if I have to point out something I would definitely flag our progress with hemp fabric. We have come a long way in terms of fabric and it is now 3x stronger than before, more breathable, and more waterproof. The colour dyes have also been improved, and the comfort is also much better.
What's up next, do you have anything fun to share?
We have been quietly working on some new products that we want to launch later this year, in the winter, but I cannot reveal anything yet. Very exciting times are coming. Also, we have a new backpack coming soon. I cannot give many details, but I can confidently say that we are finally bringing hemp to the XXI century in terms of rivalling with other synthetic fibres.
