In 2020, as the world came to a standstill, a pair of shoes was born in a corner of St. Petersburg, Russia. What began with the paradoxical concept of "slippers you can wear outside" soon evolved into a footwear brand named
Homies.
With lifestyles drastically altered by the pandemic, Homies emerged from a desire to carry the "free-spirited energy of home" into the outside world. Its simple yet meticulously designed forms and choice of materials have quietly resonated with a global audience.
We sat down with founder Vitalii Polyakov to discuss his brand's philosophy and the story behind its creation.
Shoemaking That Springs from Within
Homies was born in 2020 in St. Petersburg amidst the pandemic. It wasn’t an attempt to break into the fashion industry, but rather “a project that emerged naturally from within,” as founder Vitalii Polyakov describes it.After studying fashion design, he refined his aesthetic sense for form and proportion at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, a legendary art school. There, he discovered the power of minimalism and the fusion of function and beauty—insights that eventually guided him toward creating shoes designed “to support the very act of being.”