COG Store

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.