What “made in Portugal” means for a sneaker: one pair, six stages
Most of our sneakers are made in a family-owned atelier in northern Portugal, where a pair passes through at least 25 people and six stages: the leather check, cutting, preparation, stitching, lasting and a final check before the box. Machines and hands work together, and quality comes before speed.
A hide lies on a table under a bright lamp. A hand moves across it slowly, feeling for what the eye might miss. A mark, a thin spot, a change in colour. Nothing has been cut yet. This is where a pair of our sneakers begins, weeks before it reaches your door.
"Made in Portugal" is printed on a lot of shoes. Here is what it means for ours: the atelier, the people, the six stages, and what you can feel of all that when you wear them.
Where are ETQ sneakers made?
Most of our leather sneakers are made in a family-owned atelier in northern Portugal, with roots going back to 1935. It isn't a high-volume factory and it doesn't try to be. A pair passes through at least 25 people, and quality comes before speed. We design every pair in our Dutch studio.
The work is a combination of precise machines and skilled hands. Cutting and stitching run on machines; the people decide where they cut, how they stitch and what is good enough.
| Stage | People | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| At the door | On arrival | Leather and components checked against the order and the approved sample |
| Cutting | 10 | Five cut, five collect and check; weak spots avoided, left and right matched |
| Before the stitching | 8 | Edges thinned, thickness evened out, weak areas reinforced, logo stamped |
| Stitching | 16 | Flat pieces become an upper; each production box checked |
| On the last | About 19 | Upper stretched around the last; sole rests about 30 minutes, then bonded and pressed |
| The box | Final check | Symmetry, size, colour, sole line and stitching; left and right must match |
What happens at the door?
Every delivery of leather and components is checked against the order and the approved sample: type, colour, thickness, finish. Each hide is looked at for marks and colour differences. What doesn't match stays out of production.
The leather has already come a long way by then. Our nappa, suede and nubuck come from tanneries in Portugal, Italy and Spain certified by the Leather Working Group, most of them rated Gold. Our nappa is tanned mainly in Alcanena, Portugal. More on every leather on our leathers page.
How is a sneaker cut and prepared?
Carefully, and with a second pair of eyes. Ten people work in cutting: five cut, five collect and check what was cut. Weak spots in the hide are avoided, the direction of the grain is followed, and left and right are matched.
Then eight people prepare every piece. Edges are thinned so seams lie flat, thickness is evened out, weak areas are reinforced and the logo is stamped. You never see this stage. You feel it.
You never see this stage. You feel it.
How does it become a shoe?
In two rooms. Sixteen people turn flat pieces into an upper, following the approved sample for every stitch line, thread and colour. This is where the small square goes on at the heel. Each production box is checked before it moves on.
Then, on the last. About nineteen people work here. The upper is stretched evenly around the last, which sets the shape and the fit. The sole is cleaned, treated and left to rest for about 30 minutes, then bonded on and pressed into place. Our sneakers have a Strobel construction: the upper is stitched to a flexible base before it meets the sole, so the shoe bends where your foot bends. Most stand on one of three soles from our own moulds. More in How it's made.
What happens before the box?
A last look at symmetry, size, colour, sole line and stitching. Left and right must match. Anything that falls short goes back to the department it came from. Only then come the tissue paper, the dust bag and the box.
A pair holds 20 to 40 components. Laces, comfort foam and heel counters come from makers about ten minutes from the atelier. The sewing thread comes from a maker in business since 1854. Each one is chosen, fitted and checked.
What do you get from all that?
A shoe that feels finished. Seams that lie flat. A shape that sits right on your foot from the first steps. Left and right that match. And a pair that keeps getting better, because we keep working on it: the LT 03 got a finer stitch and a softer collar at the heel, because you told us it rubbed.
And you get honesty about what it is. Leather reacts like skin: each hide takes colour in its own way, so shades can differ slightly per batch, and colour changes with sun and wear. We check for it. We can't remove it, and that's what makes it leather.
You can follow every stage in pictures in From hide to box. To see what to look for in a pair yourself, read what to look for in white leather sneakers, and to see how a pair keeps improving, Version after version. Something not right? Tell us. That's how a next version happens. And for what all of this means for the price of a pair, read what you pay for in a minimalist leather sneaker.
Frequently asked questions
Where are ETQ sneakers made?
Most are made in a family-owned atelier in northern Portugal. They are designed in our Dutch studio.
How many people work on one pair?
At least 25 people, across six stages: the leather check, cutting, preparation, stitching, lasting and the final check.
How many parts does a sneaker have?
Between 20 and 40 components, depending on the model.
Is the sole stitched or glued?
The upper is stitched to a flexible base, then the sole is bonded on and pressed into place.
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