About Me & SONRA
SONRA is more than just a footwear brand - it is the realization of a lifelong dream.
From the very beginning, my goal was simple: to create sneakers that carry my personal signature, made with uncompromising quality, and produced responsibly in Europe.
The journey started in 2016. With no design background, I spent countless nights sketching shapes, dismantling existing sneakers, and teaching myself the language of patterns and proportions. My wife and I worked side by side on those early experiments - cutting leather, sewing pieces together, pulling the uppers over old soles just to understand form and shape.
The result? Not great - but good enough to keep me motivated..
The next step was finding a factory. From the start, I knew I wanted European production - a decision driven by quality, sustainability, and responsibility. That wasn’t easy - most factories were already busy with their own brands or partners. But eventually, I met people in Germany who believed in my vision. With their experience, the process became much smoother. After several test samples and tweaks, the first SONRA prototype was born.
I called it “proto”- a name that stuck because it reflected the brand’s spirit: always evolving, always prototyping.
From there, every detail mattered. I sourced premium leathers from trusted tanneries around Europe. Nearly every lining is vegetable-tanned, ensuring not just comfort but also a lower environmental impact.
As the brand grew, the demand for production also evolved. Since 2023, SONRA sneakers have been crafted in Portugal - a country with a long tradition of shoemaking and outstanding craftsmanship. The move allows me to stay true to my philosophy: sneakers made in Europe, with sustainable practices and premium materials, while working closely with factories that understand my values.
Was it a “smart” business decision? Many would say no. The margins are slim, the challenges are high. But SONRA has never been about shortcuts. It has always been about building sneakers with honesty, with quality, with soul.
Sustainability is embedded in SONRAs DNA. Local production reduces carbon footprint. Spare parts like laces, insoles, and outsoles mean every pair can be repaired - not replaced.
In fact, a pair of SONRAs could, in theory, last you a lifetime. I still wear my very first pair from the first production run. They are weathered, scarred, and beautiful - they have become a second skin.
SONRA is not just footwear. It’s a story of passion, craftsmanship, and persistence. Each pair represents my belief that sneakers can be timeless companions, not disposable products.
Thank you for being part of this journey and for supporting the dream.
Hugs
Hikmet