Water-based adhesives hold our shoes together. Our uppers are made of either organic hemp canvas or two new materials. The first is a product called Treetape, a rubber harvested by hand in the Amazon Basin. The latex is tapped and applied to cotton sacks and cured. Not only is Treetap a great material for shoes, it creates economic stability for the rubber tappers and promotes rain forest preservation.
Sustanae leather is our other new material.
The leather is made from the hides of sustainably managed cattle. The cattle are raised on the Coleman Ranch in the San Luis Valley in Colorado. Mel Coleman, the ranch owner, has developed a rotational grazing system to reduce erosion and other impacts of overgrazing. He uses no hormones, antibiotics, or pesticide-sprayed feed. Mel even monitors the transport of his cattle to ensure they are not subject to harmful exhaust fumes.