Our story began with a small-scale production where we started nurturing local shoemaking artisans near Bandung. 

Back in 2010, Rowland Asfales got his sneakers stolen in his 3 x 3 sqm dorm. He was just an undergraduate student who couldn’t afford new pairs but decided to design his shoes instead. He never thought how the incident would turn into a blessing in disguise.

Long story short, Asfales met some shoe craftsmen who could create a very beautiful shoes. Unfortunately, they lived in such poor living conditions around the Cibaduyut area. They worked, ate, and slept in a dark workshop contaminated with an unpleasant smell of chemical adhesives. 

Asfales came up with an idea to create better shoes in a more responsible way. He wanted to nurture the beauty of high local shoe craftsmanship with proper attention to reducing harmful impacts on workers and the environment. 

Pijakbumi exists to balance between looking good, feeling good, and doing good.

In April 2016,  Asfales and Pijakbumi embarked on their journey as an impact-driven footwear company that is committed to implementing good design and an ethical (or responsible) supply chain. 

The name Pijakbumi itself was inspired by Earthing, which can be interpreted as walking with direct contact to the Earth. 

Pijakbumi has been working closely with material researchers, small farmers, local shoemaking artisans, and multinational companies. We use naturally-derived, recycled, and recyclable materials. 

Every step is counted. Every #SmallStepsMatter

We do believe that behind every success story of Pijakbumi, there will always be a huge support team and solid collaboration. Hence we have also partnered with illustrators, artists, environmental initiatives, and even our valuable communities to broaden our positive impact #ForBetterEarth.

Our work has been recognised by Good Design Indonesia (2017) and The Emerging Designers Award at MICAM Milano, Italy (2020). Pijakbumi also represented Indonesia in the Accelerate2030 in Geneva, the world’s largest program supporting impact entrepreneurs from emerging markets to scale solutions for the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).