Vegetable tanned leather is perhaps the oldest material used by man and a benchmark for luxury made goods. This tanning method takes months versus the mere hours of chrome and synthetic tanning (which sadly accounts for 95%+ of leather goods out there). The cost of veg tan leather is also about 4X more.
So why do we use this leather?
It is important to differentiate leather talk of veg tan to other discussions of leather or plastic/vegan/pleather/synthetic leathers. Vegetable tanned leather is leather tanned with plant extracts like mimosa, chestnut, oak, and our favorite tara bean. The natural tannins in plants, likewise seen in wines, work to bind the structure of the cowhide, keeping it stable until it returns to the ground. The usual decomposition of most of our vegetable tanned leather is tested to be around 45 days in the ground and above ground is made to last for decades upon decades.
Unlike the usual chrome tanned leathers we see in factory made shoes, veg tanned leather is very water conscious. Most of our leathers come from a heritage tannery in Florence, Italy that returns 100% of its water usage back to drinkable state.
BUT ALSO...
Time and time again, we hear it from you. "My shoes just don't stink!"
Find out on our blog why vegetable tanned leather sourcing is so critical to keeping your shoes fresh here....