Our Story
A Korean shoe brand. Launched in New York. Built for American travelers.
The story of how a guesthouse host in New York discovered the perfect travel shoe — and brought it to the US.
It started with a problem I saw every day.
I've been running a guesthouse in New York for years. Every week, guests would arrive from all over the country — excited, ready to explore the city — and within a day or two, the same thing would happen.
Their feet would give out before the city did.
Heavy sneakers. Stiff boots. Shoes that looked great in a suitcase photo but turned into torture devices after six hours on Manhattan sidewalks. I watched it happen over and over. And every time, I thought: there has to be a better option.
Then I found Bluemountain.
Bluemountain is a Korean footwear brand with over a decade of history — built on a simple obsession with making shoes that actually feel good to wear all day. Their woven slip-ons were already beloved across Korea: ultralight, breathable, handcrafted, and designed for people who actually move.
The moment I tried a pair, I knew: this is the shoe I had been looking for.
In 2022, I launched Bluemountain in the United States — bringing a shoe that had proven itself in one of the world's most demanding footwear markets directly to American travelers who deserve better than what's been available.
What makes Bluemountain different.
Most travel shoes make a compromise: comfort or style, lightweight or durable, packable or supportive. Bluemountain doesn't ask you to choose.
Every pair is hand-woven — an elastic upper that flexes with your foot, breathes on hot days, and compresses flat into any carry-on. The TPE insole cushions like a yoga mat and doesn't flatten out after mile three. The high-rebound EVA outsole gives you energy back with every step. And at just 174 grams, you'll forget you're wearing shoes at all.
This isn't fast fashion. It's footwear built the way good things used to be built — with real craft, real materials, and real thought about how people actually live.
Designed in Korea. Sold from New York. Built for wherever you're going.
Bluemountain US is a small operation. I handle it personally — sourcing, quality, customer experience, all of it. When you reach out, you're talking to the person who chose this brand and believes in it completely.
My goal is simple: to make sure that the next time you pack for a trip, you only need one pair of shoes.