Timpers
When normal is unique
Aitor, Diego and Roberto’s inspiring story is of three friends who decided to create “the most normal trainers in the world” and, at the same time, make something unique and extraordinary. This is the idea behind Timpers, a brand that brings together fashion, diversity, and inclusion, highlighting the talent of people with disabilities. We chat to its founders to learn more about their origins, motivation, and work ethic.
2018. Aitor Carratalá and Roberto Mohedano had already tried to make it in the footwear industry with little success. “Let’s give it one last try,” they thought. They took their prototypes and went to the training ground of the Alicante football team for the blind, in the city where they lived. There they met Diego Soliveres, blind due to a detached retina, who, when touching the trainers, felt that they told a story. That’s how this inspiring project, Timpers, came about. It not only seeks to revolutionise the fashion world, but also give it meaning and convey a message of inclusion and diversity.
A single fact is proof of this: 100% of its employees have some sort of disability. A commitment that, Roberto defends, must be honest: “I think that, in many cases, diversity and inclusion have turned into trends without a major social background; behind them there are only brand positioning or financial motivations.” The current CEO of the company doesn’t stop there and adds: “I think that we’re a clear example of how any company with a real and clear purpose can become a business that really contributes something to society.”
“We help people with disabilities get their self-esteem back, which they often lose because they’re excluded from the job market” — Diego
Diego, the current Communication and Human Resources Director, joined the team after that meeting in Alicante and talks fondly of the project’s launch: “At the beginning, I took part in the design processes a lot and it was really fun. We’d get material samples and throw them on the worktable. We’d feel them and choose the ones we liked the most, and then we’d combine them to give each trainer a message, a story.” And he gives an example: “My favourite trainer is one we made with green felt and cork, materials that were reminiscent of grass and a tree trunk to the touch. It transported me to my grandparents’ village.”
The driving force of talent
The three friends are proud of the inclusive and diverse nature of Timpers, a distinguishing feature that is embroidered in Braille on all their models. Diego comments: “I think we help people with disabilities get their self-esteem back, which they often lose because they’re excluded from the job market. We challenge society by being a business that sees life differently, breaking down barriers and removing limits. We’d like to prove to the business world that hiring a person with disabilities isn’t just a number, a subsidy, a grant, but rather that diversity is enriching.”
“Talent is commitment, ambition, and inquisitiveness, curiosity to know more and not standing still, being humble and knowing when to admit mistakes” — Roberto
This is when Marketing Director Aitor chips in and gives us food for thought: “Our abilities matter more than our disabilities.” And that leitmotif is precisely the driving force of talent for Aitor: “In the end, you have to see what each person is good at and encourage that, not focus on their flaws.” “Talent is commitment, ambition, and inquisitiveness, curiosity to know more and not standing still, being humble and knowing when to admit mistakes,” Roberto recites. And he points towards the importance of leadership when encouraging it: “If someone is led by the right person, they can develop more talent than anyone.” Diego adds to this brainstorming about talent: “It’s the driving force and key for a team to develop and create a mechanism that puts it on the right path.”
A life-changing project
Beyond business repercussions, Timpers has had a big impact on the personal lives of its founders. “The simple act of going all in on this project and feeling that it’s alive, that you’re reaching your goal and seeing that the people with disabilities who work with us are happy fills us with joy,” explains Aitor. For Diego, it was a lifeline: “After playing the drums for 16 years, the last project I’d created had been thwarted and I was tired. So, I started selling ONCE lottery tickets.” Now, with time, he admits: “It has allowed me to get out of the spiral I was living in and move forward in terms of a lot of personal aspects.”
Roberto goes one step further and points out how his experience with people with disabilities changed his life: “For me, it was a turning point. Obviously, it meant becoming independent, moving to a new city [Timpers moved from Alicante to Valencia in 2019] and being away from friends and family, but, above all, it showed me how people with disabilities live, enjoy themselves, and laugh the same as we do. It changes your perspective of life and the things that really matter.”
The secret to success
“I think there are many reasons that explain the success of our company —continues Aitor—, but I would highlight three. The first is that it’s something new, that breaks moulds. Then there’s the human factor that we’ve engraved into the brand because we didn’t want it to just be a product. And, finally, there’s the roguish humour through which we deal with disability. We simply wanted to change things up and treat it normally. We believe that this way, in the future, it might become normal.” Diego and Roberto agree with their colleague’s words but add a couple more concepts: transparency and honesty.
“We deal with disability with humour. We simply wanted to change things up and treat it normally” — Aitor
The business keeps growing and Aitor hones in on one of the keys: quality. “The social message we share may convince you, but if you buy trainers once and don’t like them, you forget about the brand. I think we make a really good product, and we produce it in Alicante —where we’re from—, a city that’s a landmark in the footwear market. Those who purchase Timpers do so again and speak well of them because they’re an excellent product,” he confirms proudly.
Roberto mentions one of the company’s most immediate goals: “I think we have a strong offering, and we must make the most of it. We dream of walking into the office and having 100 people who benefit from what Timpers generates. We have to go slow and not lose focus. In the short term, we will diversify our product [for now, they only sell trainers], open a brick-and-mortar shop, sell to multi-brand shops and, from 2024 onward, we’ll look for new markets.”
