Sustainable Manufacturing

Ethical & Sustainable Manufacturing

At Italian Shoe Factory, sustainable manufacturing is at the core of all our operations and it starts right at the procurement stage of raw materials. We strive to create ethical shoes & products using economically sound processes, minimizing the negative environmental impacts on society, while conserving energy and natural resources. Above all, our craftsmen are at the core of our manufacturing process, and thus we treat our employees fairly in order to enhance the community at large.

Three-dimensional aspects of sustainable manufacturing

Economic Impact

Our efforts should lead to Economic impact, which may include creating jobs, driving innovation & investing in infrastructure.

Society Impact

We strive to offer our employees good working conditions, respecting human rights, treating our suppliers fairly and ensuring product safety.

Environmental Impact

Our goal is to produce ethical shoes with ethically sourced materials. This means reducing the environmental footprint.

How We Source Our Materials: Traceability and Transparency

Each product that leaves the Italian Shoe Factory features pristine quality leather and suede, sourced from the best ethical tanneries in Italy and around the world. When selecting a tannery, we ensure that each leather supplier has been audited and certified Gold by the Leather Working Group. Ensuring that the leather tanning process is free of chromium. Although harmless and present in nature, it can oxidize and become toxic if all the parameters are not respected. Therefore, we prefer using Vegetable tanned leather as much as possible.

The LWG group seeks to improve the leather manufacturing industry by creating alignment on environmental priorities, bringing visibility to best practices and providing suggested guidelines for continual improvement.

Innovative Materials & Vegan Leather

In addition, as a shoe manufacturer, we are constantly adopting innovative materials, also known as Upcycling. This is a process of recovering materials or products that are no longer needed, giving a second life to waste. Recycled Plastic bottles, cotton from the textile industry, polyester and organic materials from pineapple, rubber or corn are a few examples of what we can use in production. Learn more about Vegan leather and leather substitutes.