The Portuguese company RICAP has grown and developed thanks to its foresight in investing many resources in research and development in order to make a comfortable, functional, well-made, beautiful and highly successful product

Nowadays, RICAP Group owns RICAP, Softwalk, Da Silva, Easyone, Softland and Botland brands; it has 150 employees and manufactures about 1,500 – 2,000 pair a day, shipped anywhere in the world. A successful company that made way with courage, foresight and by investing in research and in the development of functional, comfortable and sustainable products. The origin of this vision dates back to 1984, when Guilherme da Silva Almeida decided to exploit his experience in the footwear industry to open his own company.

He built a 200 sm plant where 6 people worked to manufacture 60 pairs a day for the Portuguese market. In 2000 that small laboratory transformed into 4,000 sm headquarters that managed a group that owned many brands and manufacturing plants, exported all over the world (France, Spain, Germany and Middle East the main markets) and attended the most important international trade fairs. One of the most interesting strategic initiatives was to exploit part of the old seat to open, in 2001, a Research and Development center intended to give RICAP models a high level of innovation. And so it did. The production of the group’s brand, entirely Portuguese – covering 70% of the entire production (80% for men, 20% for women) – uses proprietary technologies that enable models to boast special comfort, removable insole linings and anti-shock, antistatic and antibacterial constructions.

Softwalk turns 20

The Softwalk brand was born exactly 20 years ago; it is maybe the most successful brand, conceived for export and dedicated to men who are able to appreciate the extremely comfortable fit, the craftsmanship of the manufacture and the attention to the use of natural materials and high-quality leathers. Nowadays, 2 million pairs are manufactured.