Meet Chicago’s new men’s shoe designer and co-founder of Marc Nolan

Sebastian Malczewski is no stranger to men’s fashion and footwear. His passion for design began as teenager and evolved into over a decade of being embedded in the footwear industry before he founded Marc Nolan in 2017 with his business partner Marc. 

Sebastian always knew he wanted to have his own men’s shoe line and devote his life to creating a great product. So he started Marc Nolan in order to bring attention-grabbing shoes that are comfortable and affordable to the modern man. Each design is made with intention. Sebastian believes in innovating, so his shoes always have unique details like bright stripes or blends of textures. 
We caught up with Sebastian to learn more about his story, how he stays inspired and a few other interesting facts.

Tell us little bit about more about yourself.
I was born and raised in Poland and moved to the U.S. over 20 years ago. Beginnings were not easy, I must say. I have been everything from a driver to a car salesman to a bartender. I changed jobs frequently because I just couldn't see myself in those positions long term. Fashion was always my drive, though my focus on footwear came later. It started by accident, in a way, when I walked into a shoe store in Brooklyn and met the owner, who later became my best friend and business partner.

When did you realized fashion was your passion?
I think I’ve always had a thing for fashion, even when I was little boy. To this day, I remember this particular clothing store. I used to go there to see what was new every week. I wasn't able to afford their clothes, but I just liked to go and see new fashions and be in that environment. When I moved here and started working, I was finally able to buy lots of clothes. It might sound shallow, but I just like clothes! Perhaps it started as my mother and grandmother were raising me because they appreciated clothes, and shoes too. But who doesn't like shoes? You can change the whole look of an outfit just by pairing different footwear with it.

How do you stay inspired?
A lot of my inspiration comes from interacting with customers in the store – listening to what they say and what they need. Then I can turn this into ready-to-wear products. Of course, I always keep an eye on what people wear and pay attention to what’s in style at the moment. I’m always trying to add my own personal touch to every pair of Marc Nolans too. I never want to sell boring shoes; men already have plenty of that on the market. Comfort is also important to me. Being on my feet all day and having some back issues, I need comfy shoes. Comfort and style and affordability are what make Marc Nolan different.

No one likes playing favorites but if you had to choose your favorite Marc Nolan shoe, which would it be and why?
That’s a tough one, because with the new fall collection it’s hard to pick just one. But if I must, it would be between the Alfie Black Suede Chelsea Boots and the Jake Denim Cap-Toe Boots. I had a boot similar to Jake a while ago, and I loved that. And Chelsea boots are a classic. You can wear them both with anything from black denim to camo joggers – just like I do. 

From boots to dress shoe-sneaker hybrids, there are so many ways to up your shoe game. Check out our collections.