For Immediate Release Media Contact: Janet Bean 773.450.5852 [email protected] HOME SWEET HANDMADE MOHOP FOCUSES ON AMERICAN PRODUCTION FOR THEIR HANDCRAFTED FOOTWEAR Chicago, IL (February 2013) ‐ Mohop is returning to its artisanal roots, focusing on individually handmade footwear for its new Bespoke and Moped collections. Every step of the shoemaking process is crafted by local female cobblers, from shaping and nailing to pattern cutting and silkscreening. Mohop’s heirloom‐quality sandals are created from sustainably‐sourced American woods along with domestically‐produced, recycled and/or fair trade materials. “I’m thrilled that Mohop is at the forefront of the movement toward bringing manufacturing back to America,” says owner and designer Annie Mohaupt. “There’s a satisfaction in knowing that we control the entire design and production process, from the first prototypes through the finished shoes, which we tuck in hand‐printed boxes with personal thank‐you notes.” Customizable, handmade footwear used to be a nearly unobtainable extravagance, but through Mohop’s innovative production process and patented designs, they’re able to produce high‐quality footwear quickly and at a competitive price. Mohaupt, a former architect, based her business on the Bauhaus objective of combining design, technology and craft to create useful, yet aesthetically pleasing items. Mohop’s new Moped collection features a flexible sole and a lush layer of ultracloud padding. An ideal travel shoe, the Moped collection is lightweight yet provides comfortable ergonomic support for long days of exploring foreign locales. Priced from $84‐$164 and available in thong and slide style, four heel heights, and packed with seven sets of interchangeable ribbons to create a huge variety of looks, there is a sandal to please every woman in the Moped collection. The Bespoke collection is Mohop’s luxury line, designed to showcase the beauty of American maple, cherry or walnut woods– some of the most coveted woods in the world for their beauty and quality. Mohop’s Bespoke sandals are made from a tracing of the client’s foot then carved and hand‐shaped by expert shoemakers who sculpt the wood into sumptuously curved works of art that perfectly cradle the foot. Each silhouette in the Bespoke collection is carefully designed to provide an elegant, rolling gait that lengthens the legs and renders walking a joy. Priced from $340‐$415, the Bespoke collection is multi‐seasonal: charming with bare legs and head‐turning with bright tights. The new collections are available at Mohop.com and in select boutiques worldwide. ABOUT MOHOP Established in 2005 by architect Annie Mohaupt, Mohop is a vegan footwear company specializing in handmade wood‐soled shoes that allow infinite design options with just one pair of soles. Annie and her team of talented artisans produce both collections in their garden studio in the River West neighborhood of Chicago. # # #