Sara Irvani, a third-generation shoemaker and Chairman’s Club member, leads Oka Brands in Buford, Georgia. The company is the parent of Okabashi footwear and was founded by Irvani’s grandfather in 1984. Today, it remains one of less than 1% of American footwear companies that still manufacture all products in the United States.
“It was a different landscape in our industry when the company began, but we’ve always stuck to our value of manufacturing our products in America,” Irvani said. “To remain competitive, we’ve maintained a lean, scrappy company and focused on specific niches that we serve really well.”
Okabashi has sold over 40 million pairs of sandals known for ergonomic design and use of sustainable materials. Designers at the company incorporate reflexology principles into their products to improve comfort. The shoes are designed for easy care and are fully recyclable.
The Oka Brands facility in Buford can produce more than 5 million shoes annually and offers contract manufacturing services for other brands interested in U.S.-based production. “Many companies want to manufacture in the U.S. but don’t know where to start,” Irvani said. “We offer a full-service solution — from model design and material sourcing to production and fulfillment — to simplify the process.”
This business model allows Oka Brands not only to make its own products but also support other brands’ efforts toward sustainability while contributing to domestic manufacturing.
Oka Brands employs nearly 100 people at its Buford site. Irvani emphasizes workplace culture as a priority: “I’ve always believed that ‘Culture eats strategy for breakfast,’” she said. “We’re intentional about creating an environment where our team feels connected, valued and motivated.” She added, “Our employees enjoy shipping out high-quality shoes that bring people joy. We’re proud to make something meaningful and do it here in our own community.”
Outside her work with Oka Brands, Irvani serves on the board of Soles4Souls, a nonprofit that collects overstock and gently used shoes for repurposing or donation. The organization has provided athletic shoes to more than 1.5 million school-aged children experiencing homelessness. “We’ve seen how having a new pair of shoes can boost school participation, grades and even graduation rates,” she said. “It’s incredibly rewarding to see that data and know we’re helping change lives.”
She is also a founding board member of the Footwear Innovation Foundation, which supports research and entrepreneurship focused on sustainable footwear manufacturing methods: “We’re building models to push the industry forward,” Irvani said. “It’s about encouraging innovation and giving entrepreneurs the opportunity to bring new ways of manufacturing to the industry.”
Irvani credits Gwinnett County’s pro-business environment as helpful for her company’s growth: “Partnership Gwinnett, the Gwinnett County government and the Gwinnett Chamber foster an active business community here. It’s easy to get involved and learn best practices from other leaders,” she said.
“There are so many people in Gwinnett who are being proactive and doing good work in the community — professionally and personally,” she added.” It’s great to see people going above and beyond for the community, and it inspires me to do more.”
