Valentino Romero is the President and founder of XOL Original (pronounced “Sole Original”), a nonprofit organization that re-purposes indigenous clothing and other items to create shoes and other clothing pieces. The mission of XOL Original as stated on their website is “to safeguard the noble wealth of indigenous traditions through sustainable offerings that teach respect for nature and all human life.”

XOL Original produces wearable art that Romero explains is “taking away the capitalist idea of buying something just based on its value of money, instead creating a relationship with the artist… What makes us unique is we use up-cycled and repurposed materials.”

The soles of every shoe are made from recycled car tires found in local landfills and every sole is hand-stitched. The textile element of the shoe is then made from repurposed indigenous garments from across the world that were originally created by indigenous people on back strap looms. The garments are worn for 10-15 years by indigenous women before purchased by XOL Original to be made into shoes. “I chose shoes as my medium,” Romero says. “Because it is literally what you stand on and represents the values that you walk with.”

XOL Original also makes boots, moccasins, hats, bags, and most recently, hand embroidered face masks. Currently, six employees/volunteers from around Wyoming and Colorado help in the creation of these offerings. “I wanted to support indigenous people who are the most marginalized in the world, anywhere you go they are the poorest of the poor, even here in Wyoming at the Wind Reservation,” Romero says. “We try to support any native artists.”

The organization takes pride in their sustainable and environmentally friendly creations. Over 300 million pairs of shoes are thrown away each year by Americans alone, and these shoes end up in landfills, taking 30 to 40 years to decompose. Romero explains how shoe manufacturing companies many times use exploited labor and long supply chains. “I have never found anyone who has a shorter supply chain than us and is actually taking away from landfills rather than adding to them… our organization is about quality and respect both for people and for nature. We want to invite and inspire more people to have high fashion, but also have sustainability in mind.”

Born and raised in Laramie, Valentino Romero has lived a life of adventure and travel. He has spent time in the mountains with no electricity or running water and also lived in Guatemala for a period, meeting indigenous people and learning about their culture. He now spends six months a year in Wyoming and the states, and six months in Guatemala.

XOL Original travels around Wyoming and Colorado taking part in and helping run powwows, indigenous comic cons, and other cultural events. “It’s about revitalizing culture, and to me, culture has to do with clothing, language, food, and music.” Romero explains that the goal of his organization is to support indigenous people and artists, while raising awareness and appreciation for indigenous cultural traditions.

XOL Original’s offerings can be purchased at the local Thursday and Friday farmer’s markets as well as Bart’s Flea Market and as the featured artist of the season at NU 2 U consignment store. For more information on XOL Original, visit http://www.xoloriginal.org/.