Our leather sandals are socially responsible, ethical and sustainable but they may be flawed

Our leather sandals are not perfect. As a handmade item, they will always bear the mark of the person who made them. Moreover, as we hold to the idea of being as environmentally sustainable as possible it also means that leathers we use may be considered second or third grade. Don’t get us wrong, our quality control is stringent but it’s important to note that they will not look like something you buy from a fast fashion outlet. But they will last longer and for us, the idea of imperfection seems perfect right now. With the industrial revolution we lost the appreciation and craft of handmade. We gave up quality for quantity. These days, the technological revolution has led us to confuse surface value (think airbrushing, face tuning and filtering which has invaded every aspect of our lives) with reality. This latest article from The Guardian is a perfect illustration of this idea. 

We have not and will never hide that you may see a scar, scratch or some other mark that would usually be considered a defect. We think it’s an important reminder that this sandal is made from an animal that was living and breathing. That is something we don’t want to shy away from. As we use 99% kangaroo leather, it is important to note that these animals are culled commercially in the wild and it is strictly controlled by the government in each state and territory in Australia with specific quotas and zones in place (more information here). Most importantly, any harvester of kangaroos must be complete an accreditation program to meet the National Code of Practice for the Humane Shooting of Kangaroos and Wallabies for Commercial Purposes.  

 Each year, we make sure we are up to date on what is happening in this area, as we want to make the most informed choice possible for our sandals and ensure we are making the most ethical choice. There are two sides of the argument obviously and we understand that there is a cost to animals in the production of leather. We have previously posted on why we chose kangaroo leather as our main leather (it’s local, abundant and one of the strongest leathers in the world – blog link here)

This is why we will continue to use leather that on the surface may look flawed but in reality, will last a very long time.