We believe that leather offers the best protection, breathability, and durability for footwear. Fluevog primarily uses cow leather, but we may also use calf, goat, sheep, or pigskin lining for our shoes. Our leathers are sourced from all around the world from places like Argentina, Brazil, Peru, China, Mexico, Spain, Portugal, and Italy. The leathers are all unique in their characteristics and can vary anywhere from high-end European materials to hand-finished leathers. For example, the leathers used for production in Vietnam are some of the best in Europe; and the leathers used in production in Peru and Mexico are from factory-owned tanneries that use local hides.
In the last few years, we have been using eco-friendly, vegetable-tanned leathers wherever we can and because this is an industry that is still growing, we may use other new materials as more options become available.
Our soles come in a variety of different materials, depending on how we want the shoes to look and perform. For example, a classic dress shoe will have leather or Tunite soles (a rubber mixture produced in Portugal). We strive to support sustainable options whenever possible. Shoes featuring a crepe sole are crafted under an environmentally-friendly process. Some of our most versatile shoes are equipped with a weather-resistant EcoRubber sole made from 70% recycled materials, or a 100% recycled TPR (thermoplastic rubber) sole developed by a family-run factory in Portugal. Both help to reduce factory waste without compromising on performance or durability. Plus, almost all of our shoes are cemented using water-based glues and our boxes are made from recycled materials printed with soy-based inks.
