Sustainability
Auprès is a french preposition that designates proximity and aims to reflect the spirit of the brand: close, direct and transparent. Thus, we’d love to share with you some important information about our sustainable practices and the partners that help us in this mission.
Upper and lining materials
From November 2020 we’ve decided to take one step further towards a more environmentally respectful future and have committed from now on to use exclusively leathers that meet at least one of these parameters: having some kind of sustainable certification given by a credible institution, being chrome or metal-free leather or being a vegetable tanned leather.
We're constantly looking for ways to improve our practices, and for the time being, leather has been our material of choice, due to its amazing natural properties that are hard to beat: comfort, good heat insulation, flexibility, breathability and durability. All of our leathers are a byproduct of the meat industry, and although that might be a controversial subject, while we can't find an alternative that meets our standards, we believe that it's still pertinent to use these upcycled hides, that otherwise would generate a massive waste, to create quality products that will last many years. That said, we use mainly bovine leathers and refuse to use exotic leathers.
However, we're currently testing an innovative vegan material, that we hope we can show you soon.
CERTIFIED SUSTAINABLE LEATHERS by DANI SUSTAINABLE LEATHER
Since most of the suppliers that don't use chrome or any metal in the tanning process require high quantities that we are not yet in a position to fulfill, a certified supplier, such as Dani Sustainable Leather, has been a more accessible and environmentally-engaged alternative available for us at the moment.
For the upper this certified sustainable Italian leather supplier is one of our favorites, due to their commitment to the product's quality, processes’ reliability, worker safety, and environmental concerns, which has been recognized throughout the years with many product certifications, such as ISO9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISO/IEC 27001, ISO 14067: 2018, UNI EN 16484, RAL UZ 148, ISO 14025 and Gold Rated by the LWG (Leather Working Group), an international organization dedicated to assess and promote sustainable environmental practices across the leather industry. Check our supplier to know more
METAL-FREE LEATHERS by AVENEDA BIOLEATHERS
Metal-free leather means that the leather has undergone a metal-free tanning process, where the animal hide is converted to leather using vegetable or synthetic extracts instead of metal salts.
This is another supplier we work with, from Portugal, that has developed an outstanding tanning circular system that is chemically innocuous, compostable, suitable to produce fertilizers, and completely biodegradable (it guarantees a total disintegration in 15 days).
While we can’t develop our custom leathers due to the minimums required, it's a good option for some classic colors that they usually have in stock. Check our supplier to know more
LWG-CERTIFIED TANNERIES
LWG stands for Leather Working Group, an international organization dedicated to improving the environmental impact of the leather industry by assessing and promoting sustainable practices. All LWG-certified leather manufacturers have successfully completed the LWG Environmental Audit, which examines the tanning process regarding energy and water use, waste management, and the use of pre-approved chemicals in the tanning processes. We’ve been collaborating with Silva Santos e Silva, an LWG-certified supplier, especially for embossed and patent leathers. Check our supplier to know more
REACH-CERTIFIED LEATHERS
REACH is a regulation of the European Union, adopted to improve the protection of human health and the environment from the risks that can be posed by chemicals. It also promotes alternative methods for the hazard assessment of substances in order to reduce the number of tests on animals. We’ve been collaborating with Horse Portugal, a supplier that works only with REACH-certified leathers. Check our supplier to know more
CHROME-FREE LEATHER LINING by RAMIRO LEATHERS
Chrome-free leather means that the leather has undergone a chrome-free tanning process, where the animal hide is converted to leather using vegetable or synthetic extracts instead of chromium sulfate.
We’ve chosen this supplier for the lining, for its breathing and comfort qualities, and its absence of chrome — as the lining is in direct contact with the skin for us it is important to use a premium natural product. They're also members of the LWG (Leather Working Group). Check our supplier to know more
Packaging
The paper from our shoe box meets FSC and PEFC standards and is also certified under ISO 14001, meaning that all the raw materials come from self-sustainable forests and does not support the destruction of ecosystems. Check our supplier to know more
Our shipping boxes are 100% recyclable and for packing we use the minimum amount of paper needed to protect the shoes on the shipping journey.
Our parcel tape is made from kraft paper with rubber-based adhesive being 100% recyclable and biodegradable. Check our supplier to know more
Our note cards are made from a pioneering paper inspired by our environment. It is a dynamic combination of chemistry and artistry that takes disposable paper coffee cups destined for landfills and transforms them into beautiful FSC certified paper. Check our supplier to know more
Although our courier partner only offers plastic packing list envelopes at the moment, we’re happy to have found a 100% paper alternative, made in Portugal. Check our supplier to know more
That said, we can proudly state that our packaging is 100% recyclable and plastic-free.