The brand
The story
My name is Amélie and for a long time I led a double life. Working full time in the movie industry during the day and giving Lindy Hop (30's couple dance on Swing music) classes at night, I decided in 2017 to create with Christophe, my dance partner, a brand of dance shoes adapted to the city, Swivells.
Between my hours of running around and practicing a sport that subjects the feet to high impact, I put my feet through a lot of strain for a long time, developing Morton's neuroma (swelling of the healing tissue around the nerves of the toes causing severe pain 🤓). Like me, many Lindy Hop dancers practice in regular street shoes. Over the course of the evenings, they develop pain in the sole of their foot, but also in their knees, hips and back. It is with this in mind that my partner and I decided to create affordable and quality shoes, combining comfort and style, which would allow them to wear the same pair of shoes from morning to night and feel good in them.
Together, we then decided to lead inseparable partnerships: the making of ultra comfortable (and stylish 👌🏼) shoes through Swivells and Swing dance classes in Paris through Jazzy Feet. as well as online Swing dance classes with Jazzy Steps.
The beginnings
The Swivells adventure officially started in a small apartment in the heart of Batignolles, in Paris. It is here that the materials are studied, that the technical sheets are established and that the shoes are designed. The rest takes place in Portugal and Spain, in small family workshops. The shoes are assembled with patience and precision.
Because we have chosen to work with human-sized workshops, our productions are longer than in the mass industry. We produce little and regularly, thus limiting our storage space and adapting to the demand of our customers. We do everything possible to ensure that our swing shoes offer the best possible compromise between comfort and style.
2015 : European Championships
I injured my foot during the European Swing Championships and understood the importance of creating a comfortable shoe adapted to Swing dances.
2017 : Launch
It took us 2 years to find the artisans, materials and manufacturing techniques necessary to create what we considered to be the perfect Swing shoe.
An evolution with you!
Thanks to you, your loyalty and your feedbacks, we have never stopped improving our designs. And we will always continue to improve our models so YOU can dance in peace!
The comfort
When creating your swing dance shoes, we do everything we can to make sure you feel as good in them as you do in your favorite pair of slippers. To that end, we use a variety of construction techniques:
We choose our stiffeners very carefully: that part of the shoe that is often very rigid. We also use thin materials that quickly adapt to the shape of your foot. Our artisans assemble each piece of leather and fabric by hand, making sure the seams are both thin and strong so as not to hurt your beloved feet. Our insoles are made of a thick layer of foam on which is sewn a very thin layer of leather or vegan material, depending on the model. Finally, we use leather or neolite outsoles to comfortably follow the movement of your feet.
Over the years, we have further improved the construction techniques of our models by listening to each of your comments and keeping a log of your personalized feedback. We never rest on our laurels but constantly try to meet our ultimate goal: to allow you to dance the night away without ever having to worry about your feet.
The craft
Since the start we have chosen to work only with human-sized workshops located in Spain and Portugal. These workshops respect the working conditions of their employees and ensure a clear traceability of their materials. We also work without overproduction and by storing the majority of our stocks in Toulouse to be as close as possible to their place of manufacture.
In 2020 we discovered a new material that shares the same virtues as leather while being eco-responsible. It is made from corn and recycled plastic bottles. Thanks to it we were able to lower the impact of our shoe production on the following:
Global warming
The carbon footprint is 13% lighter than a standard shoe produced by hand in Spain.
The depletion of natural resources
These materials use 44% less non-renewable energy than the materials in a standard shoe.
Depletion of the ozone layer
CFC emissions are 32% lower than in the manufacturing process of a standard shoe.
The style
Combining comfort and style is never easy. Our goal, from the beginning, has been for you to feel good in every sense of the word when you put on our shoes, whether you're going swing dancing, going to work, or out for a drink with friends. You deserve to feel comfortable and stylish at all times!
To do this, we use classic and timeless designs: the bootie, the derby, the sneaker, the sandal, etc. We then add to these classic models elegant and modern curves, without compromising the comfort of your feet.
Finally, we use colors that fit all your desires. Whether you like bright colors that bring a smile to your face, all-purpose colors that blend in with any outfit, or clicky colors that sublimate any outfit, you're bound to find what you need among the shoes of our collections.
Through these steps, we do everything we can to make your feet feel comfortable and stylish when you slip on a pair of Swivells. Don't compromise between style and comfort anymore, you deserve to combine both!
