Footwear needs to be extremely durable, so the materials traditionally used have huge environmental impacts. We source innovative materials that are low impact, while still maintaining the qualities required for footwear production, including recycled leather, chrome-free leather, organic linen, and OEKO TEX-certified fabrics. Sounds complicated? Let us explain what each of these mean:
Recycled leather is made from certified post-manufacture waste leather collected from tanneries and footwear factories. By diverting these waste materials from landfill they are able to be recycled into new material that can be used as a virgin leather replacement.
By using pre-existing leather, no new chemicals are used in the tanning process, and energy and water usage during production is heavily minimised.
“Our recycled leather is a modern statement of what the future of fashion looks like. It offers the same luxuriously soft and breathable qualities as virgin leather without the environmental impact associated with leather production” Jamie
The Leather Working Group (LWG) key focus is to improve environmental stewardship within the leather manufacturing industry, to protect the people working in the leather industry and us.
This global organisation audits and certifies the environmental performance of leather manufacturers, and also promotes sustainable environmental business practices.
Our core leathers are sourced from LWG certified tanneries.
The most common tanning process, chromium tanning, which turns animal hides into leather, uses a chemical solution which includes chrome. If not managed correctly, chrome and other substances such as lead, arsenic and acids can get into the local water supply. This can have devastating consequences for soil erosion in the surrounding area and for people living around these water ways.
Vegetable-tanned leather is leather that is tanned using a centuries-old process that doesn’t involve the use of chrome or any other heavy metals.
Around 85% of our leather range is made from vegetable-tanned leather, instead of the more common chrome-tanning process, as part of our commitment to sustainable material choices.
Organic linen is grown without the use of toxic chemicals, which pose detrimental health risks to workers and local communities and which also cause environmental damage.
Linen is made from the fibres of flax plants which are very resilient and can grow in poor soil, often without the need for pesticides or fertilisers. The cultivation of linen also requires less water than the cultivation of cotton. Linen is hard-wearing and durable, making it a perfect material for our sandals.
Deadstock fabrics are essentially left-overs. They are excess fabric stock from designers and fabric mills that are not fully used up in production. By using deadstock fabrics in our collections we are repurposing this excess fabric and helping divert it from landfill. Using deadstock fabric also means these pieces are more unique and sought after, being very limited in numbers.
Our printing partners at Next State are accredited by OEKO TEX and Ethical Clothing Australia for their commitment to sustainable printing practices.
Next State create custom prints that can be ordered in small batches. Their focus on customisation rather than mass production means small businesses like ours can order only the amount of fabric we need for production and eliminate post-production waste that would otherwise go to landfill.
