Cydwoq Inc. Information

Cydwoq founder, Rafi Balouzian comes from a long line of master shoe-makers. In the early 1900’s, his great grandfather earned the reputation as a true artisan, crafting custom-made shoes to discriminating customers in Armenia. As a child, Balouzian grew up around his father’s shoe factory, drawing the shoe making process into his blood. It was also on trips with his father to Italy and France that the young Balouzian was exposed to those nations’ great handcrafted leather artists, learning the materials and techniques, molding them with crafts, which made his family’s products the ultimate shoes of the region. Rafi has continued the family tradition by obtaining a degree in architecture, which influences his designs. His son, Ari, the seventh generation of the family artistry, designs for the line and is also the company’s Creative Director. Ari initiates styles, which place CYDWOQ shoes in a place of fashion leadership for the young, powerful and famous in that special place of glamour. The design in CYDWOQ is based on an architectural approach of modifying and creating new constructions while using a handmade process to create shoes that are timeless as well as unique. Influences in the designs come from nature (in terms of shapes used and natural finishes), architecture, automobile design (in creating lines that complement the shape of the foot) as well as old films (in terms of materials used as well as modifying classic shapes).