Meet Temís Galindo

Today we’d like to introduce you to Temís Galindo.

Hi Temís, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I worked in fashion for over ten years, but towards the end, it became so stressful and unfulfilling. I had lost my passion for design and became totally disillusioned with the whole industry. Luckily, I had saved up enough to take a chance and decided to abandon my corporate career to explore other ways of living.

A random chat with a local shopkeeper in Barcelona sparked an interest in traditional craftsmanship. I spent three years studying with a master shoemaker in Spain. When I moved back to the States at the end of 2020, I rented a studio space and started building my own designs. I decided to call the project Volver Workshop. Volver means to return in Spanish, and making shoes by hand is my way of returning to that passion I once felt for creating and wearing beautiful objects. It’s been challenging to build an old-fashioned business when so many consumers want everything cheap and fast, but it’s been incredibly fulfilling to connect with like-minded people—fans who buy the shoes and also other made-in-America brands like KkCo and Selva Negra.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Not at all! I signed the lease to the workshop at the height of the pandemic, and the industrial shoemaking machines I ordered were stuck in customs for three months. Once the machines were finally delivered, I had to become an amateur mechanic to keep everything running smoothly. That’s just to make the shoes! Then there’s the incredible challenge of attracting attention to my work in a hyper-saturated social media-driven marketplace.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I make shoes by hand in Brooklyn. It’s old-fashioned and painstaking work, but it’s beautiful and magical, and I love it! The process is incredibly complex because the shoes must exude a real sense of mastery and skill while simultaneously providing balance and stability for your entire body!

Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
If not for my Catalan master teacher, Carlos, I’m not sure I would’ve fallen so in love with shoemaking. His journey into the world of shoemaking was completely focused on improving his own quality of life. He began making shoes with lifts or platforms in order to find balance for his leg length discrepancy. Carlos has such a passion for making things and is a tinkerer at heart. I see him as a total mad scientist with hair to match!

Mentors Catu and Ignacio of @aldanondoyfdez in Barcelona are an incredible source of inspiration for me. Whenever I’m in Barcelona, I spend most of my time with these esteemed architects and shoemakers, reveling in their craftsmanship. Catu & Ignacio are always so generous with their time and in spite of our time difference (New York to Barcelona), they are always willing to hop on a call to explain an intricacy in patterning that I just can’t wrap my head around. It’s always life-affirming when your creative heroes are as nice & generous as they are brilliant.

My mother is my go-to whenever I need to solidify an idea or determine what colors or materials to use. When I made my first batch of shoes, she was right there with me, weaving uppers, hammering heels & submerging leather patterns into indigo baths. To this day, she makes all of Volver’s shoe bags. I can’t imagine this business without her input.

Boutique brand KkCo based out of LA has been a collaborator since the beginning. Owner, Kara and I have been friends for a decade and the ease in which our ideas come together is mind-blowing. My business is all online with the exception of some select shoes that can be found at the first KkCo store in Chinatown, L.A. Our collaboration shoes have been featured in GQ, Grazia Magazine, and Coveteur.

So much credit goes to my husband, as I’m not sure I would’ve ever had the guts to leave my cushy corporate job without him. He’s a constant source of courage and inspiration for me and is a passionate tinkerer at heart. I particularly love seeing him redesigning classic optical illusions as functional home goods and sculptural astonishments. He’s the kind of person that inspires everyone around him, and I’m just lucky enough to be married to him.

Contact Info:

• Website: volverworkshop.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/volver_workshop

Image Credits
Hal Schulman