What a shoe upper is

The upper is the part of the shoe that covers the foot. Uppers can be made from a variety of materials. 

What our uppers are made of

In keeping with our commitment to making comfortable, sustainable, and stylish shoes, we choose to craft our uppers using fine, durable, environment-friendly materials that are lovely to look at and pleasant on your feet: eco-leather and recycled polyester (rPET). 

 

ECO-LEATHER

We use top-quality eco-leather to make the uppers of our summer shoes and sandals.

Eco-leather is a pioneering sustainable material that challenges natural leather in terms of wearability, fineness, durability, and versatility.

The qualities of eco-leather 

Eco-leather’s best qualities are those that have made PU-coated natural leather (a split hide leather covered with a polyurethane coat) so popular. Specifically, these are moisture absorption, flexibility, breathability, elasticity, and resistance to wear and tear, as well as uniformity in color. But what makes high-quality eco-leather unique is its ecological value: in fact, as endorsed by A.I.T.E.X, a leading company in OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certifications, eco-leather is 100% free from harmful and toxic chemicals. 

 

RECYCLED POLYESTER (rPET)

We use recycled polyester (rPET) to make the uppers of our winter shoes.

Recycled polyester (rPET) is a synthetic textile fiber made by fusing plastic and recasting it into a new polyester fiber. Recycled polyester can be made from post-consumer plastic (e.g. plastic bottles) as well as pre-consumer plastic. 

Why rPET is the ultimate sustainable material

It goes without saying that turning plastic into recycled polyester prevents it from ending up in landfills, incinerators, or, worse of all, our seas and oceans. But there’s more to rPET’s eco-friendliness than this. In fact, recycled polyester has the same qualities as virgin polyester and yields a strong, durable, comfortable fabric, but producing it generates less carbon emission than making brand-new polyester. Figures in hand, the production of rPET requires 59 percent less energy than virgin polyester and reduces CO2 emissions by 32%.