Walk many miles in their sandals

Friends Birgit Klett and Kenna Florie will confess that they discuss feet, a lot.

Klett, a footwear designer for over 30 years, and Florie, a former vice president of marketing at surf brand Quiksilver, had been friends for over a decade when they decided they wanted to turn an idea, something people could wear year-round, into a brand.

Florie, who owns a closet full of shoes and sandals but prefers her 20-year-old leather flip-flops from Italy, wanted a feminine leather sandal that could hold its shape over time.

Klett, who was the mastermind behind Quiksilver’s global footwear design, appreciated the same look and design.

They created Beek, a collection of leather sandals made with a molded arch that provides consistent comfort and flexibility.

“I wear these everywhere,” Florie said, as she wiggled her toes in a pair of tan-colored sandals. “They get better and better as you wear them.”

The Newport Beach-based company started a year ago after a period of trial and error.

Florie and Klett quickly learned that it would be a challenge to create an all-leather sandal, because the materials and labor would cost more than the standard footwear demands and the process would be more extensive. Most sandals on the market are made of synthetic materials with perhaps only the sole and strap built of leather.

Each of their soles, they said, takes two days to perfect. The process involves soaking the sole leather, molding it using 1,000 kilos of pressure and drying it. This, they say, is the secret to creating a shoe that keeps its shape.

Their 10 original designs stemmed from the challenge of editing out excess details and creating a balance of form and function, Klett said. The women are adding six new styles this spring, for a total of 16.

“The concept of the line is not to be trendy,” Klett said. “It’s to be timeless and have the wearer carry them on for years.”

The two work with a 40-year-old, family-owned factory in Guadalajara, Mexico, that they found through a friend of Klett’s.

Klett and Florie said they make a three-hour trip to the factory frequently to ensure that the custom-made sandals are correctly molded.

The designers said they are toying with the idea of making handbags, also leather. And they have received requests from customers to make men’s sandals.

But expansion may be down the road a ways.

The business owners said they are tight on distribution and don’t have plans to sell in more locations or open a brick-and-mortar store of their own in the immediate future. They seem quite comfortable with the balance and control they have achieved in one year of being in business.

Their sandals are carried at A’maree’s in Newport Beach, Montage Laguna Beach, Laguna Supply and retailers in Los Angeles, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York and many other states. The sandals are also sold on the company’s website.

They cost from $240 to $320 a pair and come in tan, brown, black, white and gold.

Beek, they said, was derived from the first letters of their names and symbolizes a bird’s beak that feeds its young.

With every pair of sandals purchased, Florie and Klett said, the company donates a meal for a child in need through charities that have children’s programs.

Florie said working alongside Klett to make a product that isn’t disposable, that gets better with age and can last a lifetime has been a rewarding aspect of being an entrepreneur.

“There’s such an ease to how people live and dress nowadays, and we didn’t want to make anything that was complicated or forced,” Klett said. “We wanted to keep it simple and sophisticated. The sandals will go with everything you wear.”

For more information, visit beekshop.com.