Cog Store | Chaussures, sneakers et baskets veganes et écologiques

In terms of materials, COG makes a simple and radical commitment: our entire collection is free of animal leather, and our glues are only water-based. This is how we can offer you vegan, cruelty-free shoes labeled PETA APPROVED VEGAN . An ethical approach that is dear to us: at COG, we want to protect life in all its forms, whether human or animal.

But choosing leather-free fashion is not just a moral commitment, it is also a way to support sustainable production that emits less greenhouse gases. In fact, livestock farms are responsible for 14.5% of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. To which must be added soil pollution and deforestation. As for the mineral tanning of leather, it requires the use of chemicals that are harmful to the environment, which are often dumped into nature, polluting the rivers located near the tanneries.

COG has chosen to say “stop” and offer an ecological and sustainable alternative, without compromising on style and quality. To do this, we worked hard to find excellent materials that were pleasant to wear, durable and good for the planet.

Thus, our responsible city shoes and sneakers are made from natural or recycled products, but also from synthetic fibers whose manufacturing has a carbon impact 2 to 20 times lower than that generated by leather. Our materials, designed with respect for the environment and the people working on their design, are OEKO-TEX 100 certified. Finally, COG supports the circular economy and favors the use of recycled materials, giving a second life to materials. which were intended to be thrown away.

For example, the exterior covering of our Topsy and Wallace Raisin Noir vegan sneakers is made of imitation leather composed of grape marc, recycled polyester and water-based polyurethane. For the rest, we have selected mainly ecological and recycled materials. :

• Plastic bottles recovered from the Mediterranean, then reused, for the interior lining and laces.
• Recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) for the laces.
• Cork and recycled plastic fibers for the insole.
• 30% recycled rubber for the outsole

Creating eco-responsible shoes in a framework that respects the people who make them: a guideline that we have followed since the founding of COG. To bring our idea to fruition, we turned to the Porto region, in Portugal, renowned for its excellent artisans, specialized in making shoes.

Located less than 1,200 kilometers from our premises in Lyon, our workshops provide us with multi-generational know-how, which we can demonstrate during each of our on-site visits. From cutting to gluing, including sewing, each employee brings their area of ​​expertise to the making of our models. On site, our teams can follow the progress of production while admiring the mastery and technical richness of these artisans.

A guarantee of quality, but not only that: our vegan shoes are made with consideration for people and respect for their rights . We guarantee that our products are made by hand in a healthy environment, respecting hygiene and safety rules, by workers who make a decent living from their profession.

Choosing proximity to make our responsible sneakers is also a way to reduce distances, and therefore considerably limit greenhouse gas emissions linked to transport. With COG, your shoes don't travel thousands of kilometers before arriving at your home!

Finally, to further control our carbon footprint, we have chosen to use materials sourced locally from European companies, located in Italy, Spain and Portugal.

The COG brand was created to make high-quality vegan street shoes and sneakers accessible to as many people as possible. Products manufactured in an ecological and ethical approach, without any concession on aesthetics and comfort. Our wish: to design shoes of exceptional quality, based on designs that are both sober and elegant, an incomparable production ethic, and unrivaled comfort. These arguments, associated with an accessible selling price, are the key to offering the shoes of tomorrow: a responsible shoe, within everyone's reach, and which is not a privilege reserved for a minority.

However, reconciling ethics, quality and accessibility at a cost that may surprise, and the keystone of COG ethics is our transparency:

• The price of European manufacturing: offering eco-responsible shoes “Made in Europe” necessarily has an impact on the production cost of our models, especially since our shoes are ordered in small quantities. But this choice is an integral part of our philosophy: producing in good working conditions, while limiting CO2 emissions linked to transport.
• The price of ancestral know-how: our vegan shoes are made in a small family workshop whose know-how has been passed down for three generations. Our assembly plant, located a few kilometers south of Porto, benefits from an excellent reputation in this area. Of course, these experienced craftsmen must be paid commensurate with their expertise, and the cost of manufacturing our shoes is intrinsically linked to the salaries and charges practiced in Europe.
• The price of the quality of materials: did you know that the price of a high quality material can be 2 to 5 times higher than that of an entry-level material? COG sources exclusively from European suppliers, while favoring high quality materials , and whenever possible, natural (such as grape marc) or our recycled materials. An approach which necessarily results in a higher price for our responsible sneakers when they leave the factory.

In this context, setting an affordable selling price, while assuming expensive production costs while respecting our ethical and ecological values, is a real challenge that we have met.

To define our prices, we have therefore adopted a clear and transparent methodology, in four steps:

• The specifications of the model are submitted to the workshop. The latter gives us a manufacturing price, taking into account labor and the cost of materials.
• Added to this production price is the cost of our fixed charges and our variable costs.
• Based on this amount, it is possible to calculate a margin that will allow us to replenish our stock and not sell at a loss.
• Finally, the margin and the cost price can be added to define the selling price of our vegan shoes on the site.

Through its numerous commitments, COG works daily to achieve its ambition: to democratize ethical, vegan, mixed and stylish fashion.

At COG, we are committed to offering vegan shoes that respect animals, humans and our planet. Our models, whether eco-responsible sneakers or sustainable ankle boots such as our Olympe or our Chelsea for women Laïka , embody this ethic . Each pair of shoes is designed with ecological and vegan materials , without any compromise on quality or style. We make it a point of honor to guarantee local European production , by maximizing the purchase of materials manufactured according to a circular economy process. Our approach goes beyond the simple manufacture of shoes without animal material , it aims to educate our customers about thoughtful and controlled consumption, in opposition to fast fashion.

Ecological materials

Our vegan shoes are made from innovative and eco-designed materials . These ecological solutions can beplant-based . These include grape marc , which is a by-product of the wine industry, which offers an ecological, sustainable and beautifully rendered alternative to traditional animal leather while imitating its aesthetic and robust characteristics. We also use recycled cereals, which allows us to revalue waste destined to be thrown away. In addition, our models incorporate recycled plastic materials, such as rubber and plastic bottles fished out of the Mediterranean Sea , transformed into high-quality synthetic fibers, which are then transformed into fabric. These materials are not only environmentally friendly, but they also ensure durability and comfort for our shoes. Our little extra? The materials making up our ecological shoes without animal-based materials are hypoallergenic, antiperspirant, anti-odor, and abrasion-resistant. They also meet the European standard OEKO Tex 100 (textiles made without agents harmful to human health and nature).

A local production

At COG, we produce all our shoes in Portugal, in family workshops located south of Porto. This choice of local production not only reduces our carbon footprint, but also guarantees good working conditions for the people who make our products, and a health environment that respects the well-being of these artisans. In addition, this production policy means that each pair of COGs that leaves our shoe factories is the result of exceptional know-how and a meticulous process, in which every detail counts . By working with European suppliers , we also ensure that the employees of our partner workshops are also considered by being paid fairly.

Discover the behind the scenes of our prices and our production in one click .

Making the circular economy work

While recycling a pair of shoes remains a delicate operation to this day, producing recycled shoes - or shoes made from recycled materials - is at the heart of our concerns. Thus, the circular economy, and giving a second life to used materials, are an integral part of our production approach. Our team strives to limit our environmental impact as much as possible by favoring suppliers who can offer us labeled materials, which integrate recycled materials in addition to using non-toxic and water-efficient manufacturing processes. By choosing raw materials from the circular economy, such as recycled synthetic fibers, we contribute to reducing waste and preserving natural resources. In addition, our shoes are designed to last, which has the effect of reducing the need for purchases, and invites our customers to embrace a more responsible mode of consumption.

Interested in second-hand? We invite you to discover our discounted shoes and models of imperfect shoes sold on salehere .

All our shoes are vegan , which means that we ban all materials of animal origin from their composition. Each model proudly bears the PETA APPROVED VEGAN label. The latter, awarded by the animal protection organization PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), guarantees that our products are entirely free of animal materials and do not involve any form of cruelty to animals. This is a rigorous certification that validates our commitment to offering synthetic alternatives to animal leather and any other material or process involving the exploitation of animal species. Thus, by opting to purchase a pair of PETA-certified COG shoes, our customers are making a choice that respects animals, living things and biodiversity, since the icing on the cake is that our materials are also the result of ecological production.

From a general perspective, our customers' opinions demonstrate not only their support for our brand and the ethical initiative we are leading through the sale ofour vegan shoes for their positive impact on the environment and animal welfare , but also their satisfaction with the sustainability of our products.

Customer reviews of our products also show that they appreciate their innovative design, the superior quality of the materials they are made of, and their comfort on the feet. Also, each of the comments left by our customers is a satisfaction for us, not only because it allows us to know the level of their appreciation, but also to know what pleases or may displease about our eco-responsible shoes seen by our community, and on which points to work in order to improve the COG customer experience.

Sharing photos of our shoes on our customers' feet is just as exciting and a form of pride for us, because more COG on their feet means fewer animals exploited and a better-considered planet! And for that we can only express our infinite gratitude to all the people who support us!

Finally, one point about which our customers often share their satisfaction is the transparency we are keen to demonstrate, and the fact of remaining faithful to our founding commitment to produce our shoes locally on European territory. This guarantees fair trade practices of which we can only be proud.

COG is committed to offering vegan and eco-friendly shoes, placing ethics and sustainability at the heart of our approach. Each pair of shoes, whether it is our sneakers , our Chelsea boots , ankle boots or Oxfords , is designed with eco-friendly materials and produced responsibly in Portugal. Our PETA APPROVED VEGAN label guarantees that our models are cruelty free and environmentally friendly. The positive feedback we receive from our customers is a testament to the quality and positive impact of our shoes on the planet and its inhabitants, which for us is an accomplishment, combined with the pleasure of knowing that our values ​​resonate with a growing number of people.