Nisolo
Rated: Great
Price: $$
Location: USA
Quick verdict
Nisolo was once a flagship name in ethical footwear, but a January 2025 foreclosure, unpaid Peruvian factory workers, cancelled customer subscriptions, and a new ownership group that denies responsibility for prior debts have severely damaged its credibility. The brand is attempting a restart under new CEO Taryn Jones Laeben with manufacturing in Mexico, Brazil, and Europe, but its sustainability page has been removed, B Corp certification is under review, and Trustpilot sits at a devastating 1.2/5. Consumers should approach with extreme caution until the brand rebuilds transparency and trust.
Key info
- Headquarters
- Originally Nashville, TN; now operated by Project Bound Inc (registered in Pennsylvania)
- Founded
- 2011
- Product categories
- Shoes, Accessories
- Price range
- $$
- Key certifications
- LWG-certified leather tanneries. B Corp removed from directory (under review by B Lab as of Sept 2025). Eco-Stylist certification revoked. Climate Neutral status unverified
Nisolo sustainability rating
Our ratings are based on a scale from 1 (We Avoid) to 5 (Excellent). How we rate
Rating breakdown
Uses LWG-certified tanneries and U.S.-sourced hides; leather scrap repurposing is a genuine sustainability pillar. However, the sustainability page was removed post-acquisition, making current sourcing claims difficult to verify.
Peruvian Creatra factory workers are still waiting for severance over a year after closure, Five for Five customers paid for shoes they never received. Affiliate partners were left unpaid. New ownership explicitly denies responsibility for these debts while trading on the Nisolo brand's goodwill.
Previously Climate Neutral certified with CO2 disclosures on product pages (still present via Doconomy calculator). The manufacturing shift from the artisan Peru model to Mexico, Brazil, and Europe introduces uncertainty. No current environmental commitments have been published.
Sustainability pages have been removed from the website. B Corp was removed from the public directory. Social media comments have been turned off. New owners claim "no affiliation" with former owners despite founder Patrick Woodyard serving as Chief Strategy Officer at Project Bound until March 2025.
MSRP of $138–$300 is reasonable for handcrafted leather goods, but persistent 40–70% sitewide discounts suggest inflated pricing. The 25% "lifetime VIP discount" offered to Five for Five members who lost hundreds of dollars is widely seen as insulting.
What they do well
- Leather quality and craft: LWG-certified tanneries, vegetable-tanned leather, and a focus on durability remain genuine strengths in the product itself
- Design evolution: new ownership is modernizing silhouettes while maintaining the handwoven huarache and classic boot lines that built the brand
- Leather waste reduction: repurposing leather scraps into accessories represents a meaningful circular economy initiative
- Transparency about the break: the FAQ page candidly acknowledges the foreclosure, Five for Five cancellation, and ownership change, a rare admission, even if incomplete
Room for improvement
- Rebuild trust with former stakeholders. Peruvian factory workers deserve their promised severance; Five for Five customers deserve more than a 25% discount code; affiliate partners deserve their owed commissions. No amount of marketing can substitute for honoring commitments.
- Restore sustainability documentation—a brand that previously published Lowest Impact Ratings and pursued Climate Neutral certification cannot credibly operate without a sustainability page.
- Address B Corp status. The brand should publicly clarify whether B Corp recertification is being pursued, rather than allowing an outdated certification to be displayed.
About Nisolo
Nisolo was founded in 2011 after Patrick Woodyard encountered skilled shoemakers in Trujillo, Peru, and set out to build a direct-to-consumer brand that paid artisans fairly. For over a decade, the Nashville-based company earned a reputation as one of the most credible names in ethical fashion, B Corp certified since 2017, Climate Neutral certified, and Eco-Stylist Gold-rated. At its peak, the brand generated over $150 million in cumulative revenue and supported workers across multiple continents.
The unraveling began in 2023 with capital access difficulties and a "large, unexpected financial loss" at the Creatra factory in Peru, reportedly linked to employee fraud. In January 2025, Nisolo LLC defaulted on its commercial loans and entered foreclosure. IRL Ventures, a brand investment firm led by former Kate Spade SVP Taryn Jones Laeben, acquired the brand through its Project Bound subsidiary in February 2025.
The fallout has been severe. Creatra's ~100 workers were given just two weeks' notice before closure and are still awaiting promised severance. The Five for Five subscription program (where customers prepaid ~$500 for 10 pairs of shoes) was permanently cancelled with no refunds. Affiliate partners lost unpaid commissions. B Lab removed Nisolo from its directory. Eco-Stylist revoked its Gold certification.
New ownership has shifted manufacturing to Mexico, Brazil, and Europe, and is positioning the restart around "responsibility pillars" rather than the previous ESG framework. Whether the new Nisolo can earn back the trust its predecessor spent a decade building remains the central question. As one former Peruvian worker told Prism Reports: "When I see them keep saying they're ethical, it infuriates me."
Product highlights
Huarache 2.0
Signature handwoven leather sandal with slip-on profile; available in multiple colorways
$138
The brand's most iconic product, a handcrafted staple that predates the ownership change
Dari Boot 2.0
Women's heeled boot with water-resistant vegetable-tanned leather upper, 2.5" heel, back zipper
$250
Updated design under new ownership; frequently found at 60–70% off on Zappos ($75)
Eva Everyday Chelsea Boot
Chelsea-style boot with 5-layer memory foam insole, V-shaped elastic panel, water-resistant leather
~$228
Combines comfort engineering with classic styling; available in 6+ colors
Alejandro Woven Slip-On 2.0
Men's handwoven leather slip-on with breathability features; leather molds to feet over time
~$148
Showcases artisan weaving technique; versatile year-round style
![10 Best Vegan Chelsea Boots For Women & Men [2025]](/images/blog/vegan-chelsea-boots.webp)
