<Certified by the Japan Leather Industry Association>

Uses Eco-leather that is both kind to the environment and safe for the human body

The world’s resources are limited and need to be protected. This can be achieved with the help of skilled craftsmen using the resources that they have at the disposal in the right ways. With the PESS Eco Leather Sneakers we plan to use their ability alongside genuine leather obtained in an eco friendly way to help combat this problem!

Mass production of shoes as well as mass consumption of shoes are a massive problem that the world faces, and we must make an effort to stem this or face a massive global problem. At the same time, local skilled craftsmen are missing out of this market and the skills that they pass down are at risk of being lost. We want to help combat this problem and help Japanese Craftsmen in need.

I've experienced both sides of the shoe making world, both mass production and now the meticulous handcrafted production. While the former leads to extremely cheap shoes, they don't last long at all, and are not great for the environment. The side of shoemaking that this project looks to promote, while being slightly more expensive, is also longer lasting, and gives the user a much better value for money over time. It is also much better for the environment, leading to many people keeping their shoes for much longer helping to reduce unneeded waste.

But what's more, it allows for the amazing abilities of the shoemakers to shine. These skilled makers are at real risk of being forced out of the industry that they helped to build. We believe that the process of making shoes is incredibly important, and something that should be celebrated. 

We want to show the work that goes into creating the shoes, so we have included the creation process further down the page for you to take a look at. So many steps go in to making just one shoe, that you will be surprised and question why you can get lower priced shoes. 

The eco-leather used for the upper part of the shoes is carefully handled from manufacturing to disposal so not to contaminate the local environment with toxic substances. It has been certified as eco-leather by the Japan Leather Industry Association.

The sneakers themselves are also certified by the Japan Leather Industry Association as products using eco-leather, and have traceability that allows you to link your shoes to which tanner and manufacturer your shoes' leather came from.

When it comes to disposal of the leather, it is biodegradable and meets the strict standards for health, that means it’s not harmful to humans even if for example your small child gets a hold of it and puts it in their mouth. In regards to how the leather is obtained, the hide is taken from cows that are used to create beef meat products, meaning that for the most part, the cow is used in an ecological way.

We wanted to create a shoe that values the environment, and not put unnecessary burden on it.

With that we have made this eco leather sneaker using one piece of leather per shoe!

Shoes are one of the hardest items to be produced in Japan.

Even so, we wanted to create this shoe and help lead an effort to raise up the levels of future domestic production and help to show off to the world the reliable technology of Japanese manufacturers.

Most shoes are made by sewing various parts of the shoe together, thus giving it shape, however with these shoes, they are made and moulded with only one piece of leather fitting with no joints other than at the heel.

It takes a great amount of skill to manufacture these types of shoes, as the shoemaker needs to be able to shape the flat leather into the correct shoe shape, relying on the properties of the leather and stretching of the leather.

One piece leather shoes are a testament to the skill of the shoemaker, and any well-made one piece leather shoe works in any type of situation, due to the simplicity of the design which is beautiful in itself.

We have been able to create a shoe that both looks to reduce the impact on the environment and showing off Japanese craftsmanship.

We first wash the rawhide we receive to remove any impurities and salts on it.

We then drain the water from the leather we take out of the barrel and proceed to adjust the thickness of the leather and then let it dry.

We dye the leather all by hand. After that we proceed to put the dyed leather in a lacquer spraying machine which help fix the colour to the leather’s surface.

We use a special process to give each piece of leather a unique texture. By putting the leather in a barrel and turning it, wrinkles are formed on the leather, and it is less pronounced that other texturing techniques such as embossing.

In order to give the shoes their shape, we need to use a last to help the leather keep its shape.

While keeping an eye on the overall balance of the shape of the shoe, we adjust the sides, and then to help strengthen this shaping process, we use an abrasion technique against the leather.

After the upper show has been created, we use the Opanka manufacturing method to sew the sole to the upper shoe. With this method, we can remove and reuse the upper part if the bottom becomes worn out.

The last we use for the shoe is something we have made from scratch.

We have created this in order to both maximize comfort while being the perfect design, and it has gone through multiple iterations. The heel of the shoe is shaved, and the instep has been given special attention.

One of the beauties of one piece leather shoes is the lack of seams. 

This means that there are few overlapping parts, meaning your foot is literally wrapped in leather.

For the lining of the shoe, we use Tokyo made pig leather. This leather helps to absorb the moisture in the shoe. We also have placed cushioning around the moth of the shoe and behind the tongue to help give it a great fit. We have calculated the thickness of this cushioning to not interfere with the design of the shoe.

The insole that we use is a cup insole, that is known for helping to disperse the load on the feet.

The sole that we use is an insole from Vibram Co, based in Italy. It is very anti-slip and has a great resistance to abrasion.

January 31st: Project launch

March 17th: Project finishes

Beginning of April: Production Starts

Start of July: Shoes start to be shipped

PESS Co.,Ltd.

中川 博文 Hirofumi Nakagawa

As a manufacturer of women's shoes that were made mainly overseas, I have had a hand in making a variety of cost-performance shoes, mainly in China. Over the years however, this has started to weigh heavily on me and I have felt that I've been having a negative impact on the Japanese market and for Japanese Craftsmen.

 We have seen in recent years a decline in domestic manufacturers and the market has been flooded with extremely cheap products, with many amazing products being buried. This creates a vicious cycle of domestic makers declining.
 

With this project, we will look to bring in the help of local makers, and challenge the current market and try to show off the amazing quality of local creators. We want to impact not just Japanese people but those all over the world, showing that even if the product is a little more pricey, the love that goes into the craftsmanship can create a long lasting product. 

So please try our PESS Eco-Leather Sustainable Shoes, and feel how different they are! 

Finally, we know that many people are hurting due to the tough times that we are in, and we hope that you all keep safe!