Atheist Shoes

Since 2012, Atheist Shoes has been designed in Berlin and handcrafted in Northern Portugal: three leather parts in the upper instead of ten, Blake stitch, leather from Wegberg, Tuscany, and Chicago, with the inscription ICH BIN ATHEIST in the outsole. Sizes range from 34 to 51 on a unisex scale. The Blue Shoe costs 290 Euros, consultations are held in Sophienstraße.

Atheist Shoes in Sophienstraße: Neon Sign in the Barn Quarter

Atheist Shoes is located in Sophienstraße in the Scheunenviertel (Barn Quarter), less than 250 meters from Weinmeisterstraße U-Bahn station and about 300 meters from Hackescher Markt. The shop can be recognized by its glowing neon sign, which is repeatedly cited in customer reviews as the reason for entering. The establishment itself calls its sales room a “Menagerie,” and indeed, it is less a sales area and more a showroom for a single brand: only its own line is carried, with no intermediaries. Behind the project is David Bonney, a former London copywriter who learned shoemaking in Berlin and launched the first shoe in 2012. The start was unusual: a photo of the first pair landed on Reddit in January 2012 and reached the front page within an hour, followed by thousands of inquiries and a Kickstarter campaign with 385 backers in April. Today, seven people work for the brand, three in Berlin and four in Portugal.

Blake Stitch, Leather from Portugal, and the Inscription in the Sole

Production is handcrafted in Northern Portugal, in a family workshop with which the Berlin team has collaborated since the beginning. The upper consists of only three leather parts instead of the usual ten or more, the last follows the shape of a real foot, and the sole lies completely underneath, without a surrounding edge. Nubuck, Napa, and waxed pull-up leather from tanneries in Wegberg, Tuscany, and Chicago are processed, and the shoes are lined with calfskin. The construction is Blake-stitched with a leather insole and EVA cushioning; newer boots are Goodyear-welted and feature Vibram soles. The inscription ICH BIN ATHEIST is embossed into the outsole with a metal mold, and whoever does not identify with it is still welcome to wear Atheist Shoes. Sizes range from 34 to 51 on a unisex scale; the team assists with measurements using its own formula and, upon request, checks submitted foot outlines. The Blue Shoe costs 290 Euros, an A Serious Boot made of Badalassi leather costs 450 Euros. Custom colors are available upon request for an extra charge but then require several months.