The manufacturing steps of COG vegan shoes.
Discover the secrets of making our vegan shoes
“Are you the one who designates the sneakers?”, “When will there be large-size vegan shoes?”, “If I were you, I would have chosen a slightly darker shade of green.”, “Does a vegan shoe grow if you put it in a pot?”
Whether they come from our customers, our loved ones, or from chance encounters with people curious to know more about our approach, the comments and questions we receive about the design of our vegan shoes are numerous, and sometimes atypical.
So, we thought that the best way to answer this question easily was perhaps to say a little more about the research and development phase of our vegan shoes.
Since our Topsy plant basket, to our iconic Laïka vegan women's ankle boots, we are off for a detailed presentation of all the stages of creation of your favorite vegan models, from their design to their production.
Discover the manufacturing of our vegan shoes in 10 steps!
1/ The eco sneaker perfect responsible, above all a story of brainstorming.
It all starts with an internal consultation, based on the shoe models already present in our store, the market trends, our personal tastes and past experiences, conclusive or failed. From there, we project what kind of models we would like to see born, considering the products we lack, ideas and requests reported by our customers, the type of shoes we are keen to offer, and the trends that can motivate the public to try the COG adventure.
Then comes our favorite moment, when we share with you the ideas we have chosen to collect your feedback.
We love to note with surprise - or not - the gap that can exist between what we like and what pleases you, between what we believe in and yet which does not obtain your favors, or vice versa. Well, we reassure you, in the majority of cases, our projections turn out not to be too far from your positions; it's because the profession is coming in!
2/ The outer sole of our city shoes, the keystone of a perfect women's/men's shoe.
Once the style(s) of the model(s) have been determined, it is time to go in search of the centerpiece on which all the design, comfort, and ultimately the success of a pair of shoes rests: the outsole.
There are different styles that we will reduce to 2 very distinct styles to simplify the presentation:
- Prefabricated soles, which are Neolite soles, custom-made, based on a previously modeled shape (we'll tell you more about it below). These are generally the soles that dress your vegan city shoes, like our Richelieu Watson, of our Chelsea man Alan, or even of our Laïka women's ankle boot and finally of our vegan Aïko Richelieu.
- THE injected soles, which are models mainly made of natural rubber or synthetic rubber (TPR, EVA, PVC, etc.), are flexible but cannot be modified, since their shape is determined by the mold into which the rubber is injected. The percentage of recycled rubber generally varies between 20% and 50% of recycled raw material. Their use is especially suitable for the manufacture of our eco-responsible sneakers such as our sneakers Winton, Wallace, Raven, or even our Topsy plant sneaker made from recycled grape waste.
To find our soles, we go to meet the different suppliers, located not far from the region in which our shoes are produced. After reviewing hundreds of references, we retain those that best meet our aesthetic and comfort expectations, while ensuring that they are available in the sizes in which we wish to decline the model.
Yes, our rubber soles are cast in molds, and offering a shoe from 35 to 46 (sizes usually available from sole suppliers) implies that the supplier has the mold of each size in its fleet in order to produce the sole of the size ordered. And producing a mold represents a significant sum, not all sizes are always available. This is the reason why producing shoes that go beyond the sizes offered by sole suppliers remains difficult for us for the time being.
A homemade design
Please... draw me a slipper.
3/ Heat the mines! Design of stylish and trendy shoes.
Back at the office, our sole samples under our arm.
It's time to tackle the design.
Like every step, it is meticulous teamwork and consultation, but here, It is usually Omar who makes the pencil speak, putting his experience as a graphic designer at the service of the brand.. We take out the references and inspirations that catch our eye, then we scratch until a design is found that is unanimously accepted by the team. Then we hide it in our huge home safe so as not to reveal anything about our new must-haves until the day of their official release.
Bim, the magic of instant teleportation, it's wonderful!
Here we are again in Portugal, but this time, at a local form maker, to sculpt a shape in colored wax, which will play the role of a foot throughout the making of the shoes. This will fit perfectly on the sole, and it is on this shape that the various inserts that make up the shoe's inner part will be assembled, whether it is a sneaker, an ankle boot, or any other type of shoe (derbies, sandals, vegan oxfords, the process is the same).
The last will be the core of the shoe until the end of the assembly of the pair, before being removed once the liner is glued or sewn to the sole.
Of course, the creation of the form is entirely carried out in the company of our expert craftsmen, and their hawk eye, which reads and weighs every part of the foot to the millimeter, to ensure we find the perfect shape for an elegant design and a comfortable shoe.
5/ The creation of the first prototypes of our vegan sneakers.
The design is set, the sole is found, and the shape is molded. The workshop then takes over, and the people in the department specializing in creating the pattern of the models, will carefully draw each piece of the shoe on the last.
Pieces which, like a puzzle, will be cut out, then assembled and sewn together, to form the shoe's inner part.
We also print the logos, we choose the shape of the stitching... Prototyping is in some way an extension of the design stage.
6/ A perfect shoe: the fit of the prototypes.
Without a doubt the most exciting moment of the prototyping process of our vegan shoes, when before our eyes appears for the first time the physical version of our design. A moment full of satisfaction, joy, and sometimes also accompanied by some unanticipated surprises: technical inconsistencies, comfort that can be optimized, aesthetic line to refine, etc.
We therefore take the opportunity to pass on our comments and make the few necessary adjustments to obtain a reflection of our image of the perfect shoe, or at least one that is as close as possible to what we want the model to look like once it is mass produced.
7/ Search for vegan materials and alternatives to animal leather.
While adjustments are being made in the workshop, our team is busy searching for samples of materials and their color cards, in order to be able to produce the validated prototype in different colors.
Here again, we explore color trends, we consult with each other, and we never hesitate to collect the opinions of our subscribers and our loved ones through our small in-house surveys, to best meet their color expectations, and to know which variants to focus on for our future collections.
Seemingly simple, this phase can turn out to be a real little headache, because if our suppliers' showrooms are real little Ali Baba's caves of vegan materials, a crush on a material does not systematically turn into a material validated for production because many parameters can interfere with its use. The material may not be available in a particular shade, may not match our expectations in terms of composition or percentage of recycled material, it may also no longer be produced or no longer be in stock at the supplier.
We must then turn to other alternatives, and find vegan materials, doing our best to find other beads that are recycled, solid, have a nice color and look, and are also available. A quest not to be taken lightly.
Once the choice of material combinations is complete, it is generally Ambre who takes care of listing all the material references, and of establishing a technical sheet for each model to be produced, in order to perfectly guide the workshop staff and to share with them all the instructions for the variation of the model in the various versions of approved colors.
8/ Decline of color variants and creation of conformity samples.
A shoemaking workshop is made up of a whole range of people, each operating in a very specific trade, with its own range of know-how and its own specialized field of applications.
At this stage, the person in charge of ordering the materials will contact each of the material suppliers, in order to order either a small scrap of imitation leather or other textile material necessary for prototyping, or a complete roll of material, if we are certain of using this reference in production, without the need to test it beforehand.
Once the materials have been received, the final prototyping pair, called a conformity sample, will be assembled by each of the people in the assembly team; from the cutting employees, to those in stitching (sewing), to the employees operating the shaping, the gluing, etc.
Once all these steps are completed, we obtain a pair that is supposed to be compliant, and therefore a reference, for future production.
When the pairs are not considered compliant, because they have some small imperfections (badly positioned logo or a tone that does not match perfectly with the color of the selected materials, detail to be adjusted) these being wearable, of quality, but being a non-compliant specimen, they potentially end up in our selection of pairs Imperfect, sold at a reduced price. We invite you to take a look, to perhaps find your pair of vegan shoes in a unique version at a low price!
9/ Validation of conformity samples.
If the conformity sample is validated, we pop the lemonade bottle (glass bottle please), then once the party is over, we roll up our sleeves to put everything in place and organize the launch of production.
10/ Last step: the production of your Cruelty Free shoes.
Now it’s time for the joys of the negotiation and contract drafting phases.
The workshop coordinates internally in order to provide us with a production schedule, then the process begins to be structured with the purchase from suppliers of vegan materials (plant materials, synthetic imitation leathers), and the inspection of all the prerequisites necessary for the smooth running of the production of the shoes: ordering of reinforcement materials, insoles (known as cleanliness soles), comfort foams, recycled laces.
We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the expert work of preparing and orchestrating the ordering of materials., carried out by the teams upstream of the assembly, because their position requires no less mastery and vigilance than that of the meticulous little hands who carefully operate the production downstream.
Once the materials arrive at the factory, everything is finally ready to begin manufacturing the shoes.
This completed and the final touches made (cleaning of shoes, adjustment of laces, boxing, preparation of shipping packages, etc.), The production is sent to us by road freight.
After receipt, all we have to do is order logistics accessories necessary for the delivery of the pairs, check the goods received, manage production hazards, inventory and put away the stocks, take pictures from all angles as well as at the feet of our models all the models, integrate each of the new references into the site, pay all the bills and charges incurred by the launch of productions… A whole bunch of joyful tasks that we will take great pleasure in sharing with you in a future article.
Until then, thank you for reading this step-by-step summary of how to create your city shoes And vegan sneakers Favorite COGs, hoping that you liked it, and that it was an opportunity to learn a little more about the behind the scenes of the world of shoes and ethical fashion.
If you have any questions or ideas to share with us, do not hesitate to write to us via our contact form. All that remains is for us to invite you to discover or rediscover our selection of handmade shoes in Portugal, and to say see you next time, for a new article on your ethical blog.
Oh yeah, by the way, before I leave you. No, our vegan shoes don't grow if we put them in pots.
The COG team.
“The value of an object is not measured by its rarity, but by the ethics of its making.”
