MABACOL — Local services in Jim Thorpe

Update: I went back for a second pair! After a year of consistent wear, I needed a fresh pair. I never thought a pair of shoes could change my life, but these have! My husband is beyond thankful we found this shop and these shoes. After almost a decade of chronic back pain, I am beyond thankful to finally have relief! My husband no longer has to hear "my back hurts" after work each day. Maria (shop owner) is so sweet and helpful!

I stopped in this store with my husband while visiting JT and I am so glad I did! My husband purchased his pair first, we left, got some food, and realized I could not leave without these shoes! I suffer from back pain from damaged nerves due to an old injury and when I spoke to Maria, she had me sold! I had been looking to replace my old hiking shoes as they were becoming a little worn, and MABACOL shoes have changed my world! I was looking for something with arch support and comfortable insoles. I bought these shoes for daily wear - They checked off all of my boxes including cool and unique designs. I spend quite a few hours on my feet a day working in a bike shop, so comfort is key! These shoes are like walking on clouds. I have been wearing them for over a month and did a little test over a week of not wearing them to see if the shoes really helped with the level of back pain - they did!! After my first month of literal daily wear, the only hiccup I've experienced is a slight separation from the body of the shoe and the sole. Nothing a little super glue couldn't handle. You cannot tell they needed a any kind of repair. Before I had fixed them myself, I contacted Maria to see what she recommended. Customer Service is on point! She was quick to respond and followed up the following day to see if I needed any additional help. Oh! and they're VEGAN!! I personally am not, but think its so cool that cactus leather is a thing & coffee bean soles not only feel nice to walk on, but smell good too! I cannot say enough positive things about this shop, their goods, or their employees! I look forward to visiting JT again and hopefully pick up a second pair - maybe...

tl;dr - best shoes, great mission and practices, great store owner, worth the cost

edit: 10 months later, still wearing daily, still love them. could use a little black dye as theyre starting to wear, but otherwise holding up strong. im too lazy to do it despite having dye on-hand lol

best shoes I've ever worn - it has been several months and I've been wearing them every day I go anywhere farther than the grocery store. I love how they look and they're extremely comfortable and versatile (and I wear them without insoles!).

Expensive, but well worth the price considering the longevity others seem to be getting out of them. Big bonus is how ethically they're made :) also I stink up most pairs of shoes I own to HELL and these guys are holding up MUCH better despite being waterproof!

the store experience itself was unique for me. I didn't know what kind of store I was walking into, just went in a door that looked open and naturey. I also like wearing boring, understated shoes. This store is 99% NOT that (though they all look awesome).

My friend, wife, and I were definitely being Sold To, but I wasn't seeing anything that caught my eye. I told the owner as much and she went to great lengths to find me something boring that also fits my abnormally wide feet. No winners, but she recommended me take the insoles out of a near-fit.

It ended up perfect and I've been wearing nothing but these and a pair of flip flops ever since. I don't think I'll be able to settle for anything else anymore. I was in no financial position to be buying these shoes, but with how I normally tear up my shoes I expect these to pay for themselves. They convinced me to throw away my (not-so) old Merrell stinkers, and i usually wear my shoes until my toes stick out

The owner was also extremely personable and welcoming! I love the work she is doing. This is a business well...

Year-worn shoe update!

I visited MABACOL for the first time with friends of mine in Jim Thorpe about 2 years ago. There, I purchased my first pair of beautiful colorful sneakers. I loved them so much because of how comfortable, sleak, and sustainable they were. Every step I felt more connected with to the Earth than before because the sole is organic 🌎

I decided to purchase custom shoes from MABACOL that I could wear for work. I am a stagehand rigger which means they have to be all black and lightweight. I understand the former condition was hard to ask of Maria and her team because this went against the artistic nature of their product, but nonetheless after our very detailed conversation we came to a good understanding of what we both wanted. I purchased another pair of low-top sneakers and a pair of high-top shoes. The high-top shoes were a size too small, and Maria helped me replace them with the right size 👍 free of charge.

I waited a year before writing this review because I wanted to test them out and see how they held up after prolonged use. I have included pictures of the soles, insoles and the exterior: I haven't had shoes last nearly as long as these! Especially since I have been wearing them quite frequently to work and while riding my bicycle. Many people compliment my shoes and ask wear they came from, and I love telling them that they are all made from recycled materials 🌱

My only issues with these sneakers was I replaced the insoles and I didn't really appreciate the look of the shoe laces with my high-tops. (I think these are personal foot and cosmetic issues that don't deserve a demerit of review score)

Thank you, Maria. Sorry it took me so long to write a review 😅 I look forward to purchasing my next set of artistic (colorful) casual sneakers when I want to...