Their brand uses a 500-year old shoe design technique.
Australians Jordan and Josh, the names behind footwear brand Joab, want to revolutionise the slow fashion movement - only in shoes.
"We have both always loved quality “stuff’, food, clothes, experiences, actually anything really, as long as its authentic, well made and local.
"A few years back, travelling along the edge of the Mediterranean, we stumbled on a shoemaker, making shoes that were basically unchanged for 500 years.
"The designs were straight out of an Ottoman folk dancing troupe, but the quality and handmade process caught the eye."
The chance meeting saw them fly into Southern Turkey a few months later, working with a 5th generation son of one of the few remaining local families plying the “cordwaining” trade.
It took them over a year to get Joab right prior to launch, plenty of redesigns and countless tannery visits.
"Our production process has its origins in Mesopotamia, between the Tigris and the Euphrates.
"The way Joab leather espadrilles are handmade hasn’t changed much in centuries, proven with time.
"We’ve brought the design forward and we’ve added small elements to make the shoe suitable for modern living but when you slip on your Joab leather espadrille you are wearing a piece of history.
"Every hide is selected individually to ensure quality before being hand cut to size.
"Each individual piece is stitched before being stretched over a last to give the espadrille its shape.
"The soles, both inner and outer, are sourced from Central Asian water buffalo hide which provides a strength and durability.
"Every sole is hand stitched with two interwoven pieces of waxed cotton thread, a skill that takes years to master."
This production process means no two pairs of handmade espadrilles are exactly alike.
Joab products are sold via the brand's eCommerce portal.
It caters to the men's and women's footwear market, with prices peaking at $225.