Undyed
Vegetable-tanned leathers, when left undyed, have a natural light beige-brown tone that gradually deepens into a rich cuoio brown over time. Chrome-free tanned leathers, by contrast, retain a soft, milky-white appearance in their undyed state.
In Short: Choosing undyed leathers significantly reduces water consumption during production.
Vegetable tanned
This leather is tanned using a traditional, plant-based method. The primary active agent is tannin, naturally found in oak bark, rhubarb roots, and other plants. As an ancient and ecological alternative to the widely used chrome tanning process - which is fast and inexpensive but generates significant chromium waste - vegetable tanning offers a more sustainable approach.
Our premium vegetable-tanned leathers come from traditional tanneries in Tuscany. Over time, this leather ages beautifully, developing character as its colors deepen into rich, brownish tones.
In Short: The leather is tanned using a plant based process.
The leather working group
The leather is sourced from tanneries certified by the Leather Working Group—an international organization of brands, manufacturers, retailers, and NGOs working to monitor and reduce the environmental impact of leather production.
The group promotes responsible practices through a detailed Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), which evaluates the environmental cost of a product from raw material sourcing and production to use and eventual disposal.
Nearly all of our leather comes from Italian tanneries that are LWG-certified and committed to continuously improving their environmental performance.
In Short: The leather is sourced from tanneries belonging to the LWG.
Metal Free
While chrome tanning has become safer over time, its environmental risks still persist. In addition to our vegetable-tanned leathers, we also use leather tanned with formaldehyde—free of chrome and other metals—which is particularly suited for very light colors, as it does not darken with age.
In Short: This leather is tanned without the use of metals.
Adhesive free
We use almost exclusively water-based solvents and adhesives, which are not only more environmentally friendly but also healthier for our shoemakers. However, certain manufacturing processes still require the use of solvent based adhesives to meet the necessary standards of durability and longevity. Here we use air extraction systems to protect ourselves from strong smells.
In Short: The shoe is produced using solvent free adhesives.
Plastic component free
The shoe contain no additional plastic components. Thanks to innovative design and production techniques, we’ve successfully eliminated from some styles extra plastic parts without compromising quality or performance.
In Short: The shoe does not contain additional plastic components.
Re Treads
The unique longevity of our shoes arises from the sewn on, highly durable rubber soles which can be repeatably removed and renewed, coming as close as possible to a completely adhesive free shoe. Our diversity of design means some models are easier to resole than others, but generally it is always possible. The old rubber soles are collected for recycling.
In Short: The soles can be renewed.
Circular Materials
The circular sole made of 50% recycled post consumer trippen soles collected from our repair workshop, 25% virgin natural rubber, and 25% virgin synthetic rubber. Additionally, the upper may be crafted from recycled yarns or innovative materials developed by reusing leftovers and cutouts from our leather shoe production.
In Short: The style contains some recycled component.
Natural (Indian) rubber
Natural gum rubber is an untreated alternative to conventional treated rubber. Because it is not vulcanized, it remains biodegradable.
This rubber is sourced from the rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis), which grows primarily in Southeast Asia and Central and South America.
It should not be confused with synthetic rubber, which is derived from petrochemical sources.
In Short: The soles are made from biodegradable natural rubber.
Native timber
The soles are crafted from native European timber. The wood is completely untreated - natural, breathable, and gentle on the feet - offering comfort as well as environmental benefits.
In Short: The soles are crafted from native European timber.
Vegan
A vegan shoe has many different interpretations. For us this means, that we don’t use materials from animals origin and no products for them are used animal experiments.
In Short: The shoe is vegan in terms of our interpretation
