"Piñatex™ resembles a textured leather and is soft but strong, light and breathable."
We believe in order to give up leather you need to know the environmental and cruel impact it has. People often ask us why leather, as a natural material, is not a better choice than the synthetic vegan alternatives we use. We say that the leather used for fashion, unfortunately, is not very natural at all (and far from always a by-product from the food industry). Toxic chemicals such as zinc, lead, dyes, cyanide and formaldehyde are used to treat it, which makes it decompose very slowly, producing a greater quantity of refuse which has an obvious negative environmental impact. In addition, tanneries consume a lot of energy and are very polluting; and the carcinogenic chemicals used negatively affect the health of workers, too. We believe that alternative, innovative and environmentally friendly materials are the future and better than the toxic leathers and PVC’s frequently used to date. All the alternative materials are strong, breathable, durable and water-proof, which is another reason we think these could be a better choice to leather.
What are the nuances that matter in the production of an ethical shoe?
As much as we believe that animals should not be exploited for our fashion needs, we also believe that a good vegan and ethical shoe should be ethically produced for the general wellbeing of the planet, and to ensure the wellbeing of our talented shoemakers that handmake our shoes.