Premium Materials, Without Compromise
At Laiik, we always source the best materials we can find and do not compromise on quality, ethical production and eco-conscious practices.
All of our footwear is made with vegetable-tanned Italian vachetta and chromium-free leathers that we source from responsible tanneries in the heart of Italy. Vegetable tanning is an ancient method for ‘making’ leather — taking it from hide to wearable leather that will last you for ages. It’s a process that has been handed down from generation to generation, and results in leathers that will age beautifully.
Vegetable-tanned vachetta leather is beautiful, unique, and supports a more sustainable fashion cycle. We source our leather from tanneries that are part of Pelle Al Vegetale, a consortium of leather makers located in Tuscany. The special attributes are as follow:
The tanneries we employ reclaim hides from the food sector and they all come from European farms which comply with EU legislation on animal welfare.
The leather is tanned using natural plant-based tannins, which means that they’re metal-free and don’t have the harmful toxins - like chromium VI, nickel, or azo-dyes - found in mass-produced leathers.
Our leather products are biodegradable and can easily be discarded at the end of their natural life without poisoning the earth. Consortium ensures the correct treatment and purification of tanning wastewater.
According to the principles of circular economy of recover - recycle - reuse, the waste from the various processing steps is turned into useful raw materials for other supply chains.
We introduced fall and winter styles in October 2020 with the commitment to match the standards we apply to our sandals. With the vachetta and cuoio leathers sorted, we needed to find a leather lining that would be high quality, beautiful and eco-friendly. So, we searched far and wide and found an incredible tannery all the way back in Italy. The lining is impossibly soft, durable and chromium and metal-free. It’s also: 100% biodegradable, non-toxic, breathable with a guaranteed low environmental impact and a marked reduction in water waste during production. We use this lining across our closed-shoe styles, including our sneakers. Opa!
For our sandals and shoes that have a leather sole, we only source the most durable, responsible and beautiful material for our sole leather as well. It’s vegetable-tanned cuoio sourced from a responsible consortium of tanneries in Tuscany called Cuoio di Toscana. From reclaimed hides to reduction of water usage to repurposing the waste by-product, our soles match our uppers when it comes to eco-consciousness and quality. Our soles are then finished with a thin outer layer of thermo-rubber for increased flexibility and durability.
Learn about our recycled sneaker soles.
