At a demonstration event in the Technological Centre for the Tanning Industry, in Alcanena, Portugal, BioShoes4All project coordinator Maria José Ferreira emphasised that over the past two years, “a lot of work has been done to identify waste, agri-food and agri-industrial surpluses that exist in large quantities, and they have been studied to understand how we can make use of them in footwear materials”. She gave examples of “surplus chestnut shells, coffee grounds, pine wood and olive leaves, among many others”.

“The tanning industry is very close to tailoring”, said Susana Ferreira of the Boaventura tannery, one of the companies visited during the demonstration. “Customers today are so demanding that they want something made to measure, according to their rules and requirements. That’s why we have to adapt to what they want. We have to improve our efficiency, get all the certifications and invest in new products” she said.  

So far, the project has produced 24 types of organic leather, 26 types of organic fibre and 22 new footwear products. All these solutions have a reduced environmental footprint, are made from extra-lightweight leather and use innovative tanning processes.

“The BioShoes4All project is first and foremost an endorsement of leather as an organic material. Leather is a natural material; it comes from an animal. It’s not a material that needs to be extracted, it’s a material that renews itself”, explains Gonçalo Santos. The APIC Secretary General explains that “projects such as BioShoes4All reaffirm leather’s credentials and present proposals for combining it with other materials, which further enhances the sustainable characteristics of leather per se”.

The demonstration also included a round table of specialists from the sector. João Carvalho, Trends Specialist, Gonçalo Santos from APIC and Manuel Dias from Dias Ruivo Tanning, discussed under the motto ‘The skin we inhabit’, highlighting the main challenges facing the sector.

“The future will only be interesting, and we can only innovate if we control all the parameters that enter society. And, if possible, with a reduced range of materials on the table”, explains Manuel Dias. On the other hand, João Carvalho believes this is the ideal time to promote all the lessons learned from leather. “I’d like us all to take this opportunity to spread the word. Take advantage of this ecological revolution we’re experiencing. Many young people are against plastic, for example”.

About BioShoes4all

The project, which involves 70 partners including companies, technology centres and universities, aims to bring about a radical change in footwear and leather goods materials, technologies, processes and products over three years, creating sustainable solutions with international economic value.  It’s based on five pillars: biomaterials, ecological footwear, circular economy, advanced production technologies, training and production.