The manufacturing steps of COG vegan shoes.
Discover the secrets of making our vegan shoes
“Do you choose the sneakers?”, “When will there be vegan shoes in larger sizes?”, “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 learn 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 easily answer that question might be to say a little more about the research and development phase of our vegan shoes.
Since our Topsy plant-based basket, to our iconic vegan women's ankle boots
Discover how our vegan shoes are made in 10 steps!
1/ The perfect eco-responsible sneaker, above all a story of brainstorming.
It all starts with internal discussions, based on the shoe models already available in our store, the market trends, our personal tastes and past experiences, successful or unsuccessful. From there, we project what kind of models we would like to see emerge, considering the products we lack. ideas and requests reported by our clients, the type of shoes we are keen to offer, and the trends that might motivate the public to try the COG adventure.
Then comes our favorite moment, when we share the ideas we've selected to gather your feedback.
We love to observe, with surprise—or not—the gap that can exist between what we like and what you like, between what we believe in but which doesn't win your favor, or vice versa. But rest assured, in most cases, our predictions turn out to be fairly close to your views; it's all part of the learning process!
2/ The outsole 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, the time comes to search for the key component on which the entire design, comfort, and ultimately the success of a pair of shoes depends: the outsole.
There are different styles, which we will reduce to 2 distinct styles for the sake of simplicity:
- Prefabricated soles, which are Neolite soles, Custom-made, according to a pre-modeled shape (more on that below). These are generally the soles that adorn your vegan dress shoes, like... our Richelieu
- THE injected insoles, These models, primarily made of natural or synthetic rubber (TPR, EVA, PVC, etc.), are flexible but not modifiable, as their shape is determined by the mold into which the rubber is injected. The percentage of recycled rubber generally ranges from 20% to 50% recycled raw material. Their use is particularly suited to the manufacture of our eco-friendly sneakers such as our sneakers
To find our soles, we visit various suppliers located near the region where our shoes are produced. After reviewing hundreds of options, we select those that best meet our aesthetic and comfort requirements, while ensuring they are available in the sizes we want to offer the model in.
Yes, our rubber soles are molded, and offering shoes in sizes 35 to 46 (the sizes usually available from sole suppliers) means the supplier must have a mold for each size in stock to produce the sole in the ordered size. Since producing a mold represents a significant investment, not all sizes are always available. This is why producing shoes beyond the sizes offered by sole suppliers remains difficult for us at present.
A homemade design
Please... Draw me a slipper.
3/ Heat up the mines! Stylish and trendy shoe design.
Back at the office, our insole samples under our arm.
It's time to tackle the design.
As with every step, it's a meticulous team effort and consultation, but here, It is usually Omar who does the work, putting his graphic design experience at the service of the brand.. We pull out the references and inspirations that resonate with us, then we start digging. until a design is found that is unanimously approved 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.
4/ The shape of the shoe, sculpting work down to the millimeter.
Bam, the magic of instant teleportation, it's wonderful!
We're back in Portugal, but this time, at a local leatherworker's shop. to sculpt a form in colored wax, which will act as the foot throughout the making of the shoes. This fits perfectly onto the sole, and it is on this form that the various pieces that make up the shoe's upper will be assembled, whether it is a sneaker, an ankle boot, or any other type of shoe (derbie, sandals, vegan brogues, 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 upper 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-like 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 finalized, the sole is chosen, and the shape is molded. The workshop then takes over., and the people in the department specializing in creating the pattern for the models will carefully draw each piece of the shoe onto the last.
Pieces which, like a puzzle, will be cut out, then assembled and sewn together, to form the shoe's upper.
We also print the logos, choose the shape of the stitching… Prototyping is in a way an extension of the design stage.
6/ A perfect shoe: the fit of the prototypes.
Undoubtedly the most exhilarating moment in the prototyping process of our vegan shoes is when the physical version of our design appears before our eyes for the first time. A moment full of satisfaction and joy, and sometimes accompanied by a few unforeseen surprises: technical inconsistencies, comfort that could be optimized, aesthetic lines that need refining, etc.
We therefore take this opportunity to raise our comments and make the 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/ Research of 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 charts, in order to be able to produce the validated prototype in different colors.
Here again, we delve into color trends, we consult with each other, and we never hesitate to gather the opinions of our subscribers and our loved ones through our small in-house surveys, in order to best match their color expectations, and to know which variations to focus on for our upcoming collections.
While seemingly simple, this phase can turn out to be quite a puzzle, because although our suppliers' showrooms are veritable treasure troves of vegan materials, falling in love with a particular material doesn't automatically translate into a material approved for production. Many factors can interfere with its use. The material might not be available in a certain shade, might not meet our expectations in terms of composition or percentage of recycled content, or it might no longer be produced or in stock at the supplier.
We must then turn to other alternatives, and find some vegan materials, We are doing everything we can to find other beads that are recycled, strong, have a nice color and finish, and are also available. It's 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 establishing a technical sheet for each model to be produced, in order to perfectly guide the workshop staff and share with them all the instructions for the variation of the model in the various approved color versions.
8/ Development of color variants and creation of conformity samples.
A shoemaking workshop consists of a whole range of people, each operating in a very specific trade, with its own range of skills and specialized field of application.
At this stage, the person in charge of ordering materials will contact each of the material suppliers to order either a small piece of imitation leather or other textile material needed for prototyping, or a full roll of material, if we are certain to use this reference in production, without needing to test it beforehand.
Once the materials are received, the final prototype pair, called the conformity sample, will be assembled by each of the team members responsible for assembly; from employees in cutting, to those in stitching (sewing), to employees operating in shaping, gluing…
Once all these steps are completed, we obtain a pair that is supposed to be compliant, and therefore a reference, for future production.
When pairs are deemed non-compliant due to minor imperfections (a poorly positioned logo, a tone that doesn't perfectly match the selected materials, or a detail that needs adjusting), they are still wearable and of good quality, but as non-compliant specimens, and thus 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 unique pair of vegan shoes at a low price!
9/ Validation of conformity samples.
If the conformity sample is validated, we pop the bottle of lemonade (glass bottle please), then after the party, 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 for the joys of the contract negotiation and drafting phases.
The workshop coordinates internally to provide us with a production schedule, then the process begins to take shape with the purchase from suppliers of vegan materials (plant materials, synthetic leathers), and the inspection of all the prerequisites necessary for the smooth running of the production of the shoes: ordering of reinforcement materials, insoles (also called insoles), comfort foams, recycled laces.
We would also like to take this opportunity to commend the skilled work involved in preparing and coordinating the order for the raw materials., carried out by the teams upstream of the assembly, because their position requires no less skill and vigilance than that of the meticulous hands that operate carefully in the downstream manufacturing.
Once the materials arrive at the factory, everything is finally ready to begin manufacturing the shoes.
Once this was completed and the final touches were made (cleaning the shoes, adjusting the laces, boxing, preparing the shipping packages...), The produce is sent to us by road freight..
After receiving it, all we will have to do is order logistics accessories necessary for the delivery of the pairs, check the goods received, manage production risks, inventory and organize the stocks, to take photos from all angles as well as at the feet of all our models, integrate each of the new references into the site, to pay all the bills and charges incurred by the launch of productions… A whole host of joyful tasks that we will be happy to share with you in a future article.
Until then, thank you for reading this step-by-step summary of the creation of your dress shoes And vegan sneakers COG favorites, hoping you enjoyed it, and that it was an opportunity to learn a little more about the behind-the-scenes of the world of ethical footwear and fashion.
If you have any questions or ideas to share, please feel free to contact us using our contact form. We invite you to discover or rediscover our selection of handmade shoes from Portugal, and we'll see you next time for a new article on our ethical blog.
Oh yes, by the way, before I go. No, our vegan shoes don't grow if you put them in a pot.
The COG team.
“The value of an object is not measured by its rarity, but by the ethics of its creation.”
