Birth of Steaddi
The Cogs of the Steaddi Machine
AUT University
I studied Industrial Design at AUT, where I was constantly encouraged to question not just how things are made, but why. It was during a second-year paper focused on wool that the Woo-Lace was first created. The university provided me with the tools, spaces, and support network to explore, prototype, and test this idea in a real-world way.
Suppliers
Every Woo-Lace is the result of collaboration with New Zealand-based suppliers — from wool sourced in the Wairarapa, to knitting in Tauranga, to dyeing and tipping in West Auckland. Many local businesses have generously shared their skills and resources, helping me transform the idea into something real.
AUT Ventures
AUT Ventures is a commercialisation arm affiliated with AUT University. Through them, I was able to access external funding and mentorship that helped move the Woo-Lace from a student idea to a tangible product. Their belief in the project gave it a legitimacy and push I couldn’t have achieved alone.
Jacob Smith
CEO & Founder
I’m Jacob — I’m 21, a creative at heart, and I’ve been chasing ideas for as long as I can remember. When I was nine, I asked for chickens for my birthday so I could sell eggs to the neighborhood. That drive to build something of my own never left. I started Steaddi to create something I could be proud of — something real, something that could spark change. During my time studying industrial design at AUT, I found my way into the world of wool. That’s where the first Woo-Lace was born
WTF IS A
!?
Get to Know Us
At Steaddi, we’re building a brand that’s cool first, sustainable always. We don’t expect our customers to carry the weight of “doing better”, we take that on ourselves. Our job is to create something people actually want to wear, and make sure it’s built ethically, with intention, and honesty.
​
Uplift the Value of New Zealand Strong Wool
​
Did you know that 80% of wool in New Zealand is strong wool? With roughly 23.59 million sheep in New Zealand, this means around 18.87 million sheep are strong wool sheep. However, it is significantly underutilised compared to merino causing farmers to make little money due to its small demand.
​
Strong wool is effectively the opposite of merino, it's a coarser fibre and it's commonly used in upholstery, and carpets. We think it has more potential than that, and we want to prove it.
​
Create Change by Rethinking the Overlooked
​
We want to start our journey to change with the parts no one talks about. Because if we can change those, we can start shifting the whole system. Design can be sustainable and aesthetic, even at the smallest scale.
​
Build It All in Aotearoa
​
From the wool to the knitting, dyeing, and tipping, everything we do happens right here in New Zealand.
Our wool comes from a farm in South Wairarapa, Palliser Ridge. Our laces are knitted in Tauranga, and eco dyed with New Zealand produce and fitted with an aglet in West Auckland.
Our only non-New Zealand made product is our aglets, which are made from cellulose acetate, a biodegradable plastic, but they are still finished here.