7 January 2025
Rombaut: Stylish Yet Sustainable
Rombaut is a luxury footwear brand founded by Belgian designer Mats Rombaut. It has gained a strong following among high-profile celebrities like Lil Nas X, Bella Hadid, FKA Twigs, and Suga of BTS. The brand is celebrated for its commitment to sustainability, blending bold silhouettes with eco-friendly materials and processes to create stylish footwear.
Innovative Materials Used by Rombaut
Rombaut incorporates a variety of innovative materials in its designs. For instance, the soles of their shoes are made from 70% recycled rubber. They utilize an outsole crafted from devulcanized rubber, which transforms rubber waste into high-quality raw material. By partnering with suppliers who recycle this waste, Rombaut ensures that only 30% virgin rubber is added in the production of their recycled rubber outsoles.
Another exciting material they use for their sole is Rise by Bloom foam, which combines algae-blended resin with bio-based additives. This foam boasts a renewable carbon content of at least 45%, significantly offsetting carbon emissions compared to traditional EVA foams used in footwear.
“…Many of the cutting-edge fabrics he found — pineapple leather, mycelium-grown materials, biodegradable TPU — were all difficult to put into full-blown production. Years of setbacks and side jobs worked to make ends meet took their toll”
For the upper materials, Rombaut employs corn oil materials, which are made from glucose extracted from corn. This glucose is fermented and polymerized into fine granules, then mixed with PES fibers to create a durable corn leather with a protective coat. They also utilize bamboo-based materials, introducing a PU fabric that contains 38% bamboo fibers.
Rombaut’s commitment to sustainability extends to their use of apple material, made from cores and skins discarded by the food industry. By puréeing and dehydrating this waste, they create a flexible, leather-like sheet combined with Polyurethane, resulting in a vegan material that is 60% PU and 40% apple waste. Additionally, their upper compositions include 70% recycled cotton and 30% Lenzing (Ecovero®), which is derived from sustainably sourced wood and pulp, leading to significant reductions in water impact and CO2 emissions.
However, in an interview published on highsnobiety.com, he mentioned many of the cutting-edge fabrics he found — pineapple leather, mycelium-grown materials, biodegradable TPU — were all difficult to put into full-blown production. Years of setbacks and side jobs worked to make ends meet took their toll.
Veja: A Sustainable Footwear Brand That Perfectly Combines Leather and Sustainable Materials
In today’s fashion landscape, sustainability has become essential, and Veja, a French footwear label founded in 2004 by Sébastien Kopp and François-Ghislain Morillion, exemplifies this shift. The brand has gained acclaim for its commitment to ethical production and environmental responsibility, merging high-quality leather with sustainable materials.
A Commitment to Sustainability
Veja was created with a mission to prioritize ethical practices. The brand sources materials from sustainable farms and cooperatives, ensuring fair wages and working conditions. Its leather is obtained from tanneries that adhere to environmental standards, significantly reducing the ecological impact of production.
Eco-Friendly Materials
Veja’s footwear lineup includes sneakers made from an array of sustainable materials. Organic cotton, grown without harmful pesticides, supports environmental health and the livelihoods of farmers dedicated to sustainable practices. The brand also transforms recycled plastic into stylish designs, further minimizing waste. Additionally, Veja utilizes natural rubber sourced from the Amazon rainforest, balancing durability with eco-friendliness.
Vegan Alternatives to Leather: The C.W.L.
As demand for leather alternatives increases, it’s important to evaluate their environmental impact, especially since many options are plastic-based and petroleum-derived. In 2019, VEJA launched its first C.W.L. model, a vegan and bio-based material from Italy, but it lacked traceability for its non-organic cotton. In 2020, VEJA revamped C.W.L. to be 54% bio-based, replicating leather’s texture and permeability. The new version uses 100% organic cotton canvas sourced from Brazil and Peru, coated with P.U., ricinus oil, and corn starch, enhancing its sustainability.
The Blend of Leather and Sustainability
VEJA partners with tanneries that use standard dyes, comply with international standards, and adhere to their Restricted Substance List (RSL) policy. Regular checks ensure that chromium in VEJA’s leather is free from harmful Chrome VI. The brand sources bovine leather from southern Brazil, where innovative tanning methods eliminate heavy chrome metals and harmful acids, reducing chemical and energy usage by 40%. This process also decreases water and salt consumption by about 80%, with recyclable water usage.
To guarantee environmentally responsible production, all tanneries supplying VEJA with leather—whether ChromeFree, suede, or nubuck—are certified Gold by the Leather Working Group (L.W.G.). This certification ensures that VEJA maintains high standards for sustainable leather sourcing and production.
Kolon Sport: Balancing Performance and Eco-Friendliness
Kolon Sport, a South Korean brand under the Anta Group, focuses on outdoor apparel and gear that combines performance with style. They use a variety of materials, including genuine leather, to enhance durability and functionality in outdoor settings. However, Kolon Sport recognizes the importance of sustainability and is making strides toward incorporating eco-friendly alternatives into their collections.
This includes the use of plant-based materials, recycled materials and innovative fabrics designed to minimize environmental impact. By balancing high-quality materials with a commitment to sustainability, Kolon Sport aims to meet the needs of environmentally conscious consumers without compromising on performance or style.
Hand in hand, APLF Leather and Materials+ offer a complete platform for footwear buyers to source sustainable materials, footwear components, leather goods accessories, and manufacturing technologies. Our sustainability program will also help buyers source according to their specific needs.
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Fair Date: 12-14 March 2025
Location: Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre
Registration: Click to Register and Attend
We bring leather, material and fashion businesses together: an opportunity to meet and greet face to face. We bring them from all parts of the world so that they can find fresh partners, discover new customers or suppliers and keep ahead of industry developments.
We organise a number of trade exhibitions which focus on fashion and lifestyle: sectors that are constantly in flux, so visitors and exhibitors alike need to be constantly aware both of the changes around them and those forecast for coming seasons.
