Born footwear is a line of footwear produced by H.H. Brown. H.H. Brown was founded in 1888 in Natick, Massachusetts by Henry H. Brown. The company has grown substantially over the years, and in addition to producing Born footwear, it also manufactures the well-known brands Dexter, Softspots, and Quark.

Born Footwear Is Handcrafted

Born footwear claims to be constructed in the "old European way of making footwear." What this means, presumably, is that all Born footwear is hand sewn. In addition, the shoes are made with a system that Born calls "Opanka Construction." This may sound like something the Ikea people thought up, but in reality it seems (like Born) to actually have nothing to do with Scandinavia. Rather, Opanka construction refers to the way that the shoes are sewn together (where they got the name is anyone's guess).

Opanka construction means that the upper part of the shoe, the sole, and the sock lining are sewn together with one single double needle stitching. Unlike shoes with various layers of stitching, this allows for a greater amount of flexibility. The official Born footwear website also refers to "3/4 Opanka Construction," but despite a great deal of research I have been unable to clear up the mystery of what the difference is between regular Opanka construction and 3/4 Opanka Construction.

Born footwear contains soles made of polyurethane that are highly flexible and also shock resistant. In the area of the sole where the ball of your foot falls, there is a concave area that is filled with something called "E.V.A." foam. This presumably creates extra cushion in that sensitive area.