Steel-Toe, Street-Ready
Company
Mellow Walk Safety Footwear
Role
Director of Design & Development · Lead Pattern Engineer · Process Improvement Lead
Context
Mellow Walk is a Toronto-based comfort safety shoe company, where I led design, production, and sourcing for all product lines. I contributed to end-to-end footwear development—handling pattern making, trend research, quality control, and process improvement—to support a 500-pair-per-day factory operation. Projects were deeply researched and prototyped, often uncovering gaps other brands overlooked. Our street-inspired skate shoe turned heads in the athletic safety market—surprising customers with a hidden steel toe and exceeding first-year sales expectations by 300%.
“I got home from work, saw a pile of dishes, and started cleaning. An hour later I realized I was still wearing my Mellow Walk shoes — they’re that comfortable.”
Global Sourcing Strategy
Because the product was made in Canada, sourcing required a highly intentional approach. I built a network of right-sized suppliers across Europe and Mexico, forming long-term partnerships where we were meaningful collaborators to each other. Working closely with lifestyle component vendors, I helped adapt and certify fashion materials for CSA safety standards — giving our products a distinct visual edge while meeting strict performance requirements. I coordinated monthly international shipments to support the just-in-time production system I helped develop for the factory.
