Here I present a newer Italian welted shoe brand specializing in sustainable vegan footwear made for those who value conscious-minded shoe production. Truth be told, I never cared much for this side of the industry as I never once found these types of shoes appealing, but Zingales has done a great job at creating a boot that looks like any other classic welted boot, simply made with ‘ethically sourced’ products. If one didn’t know any better, they could very well mistake the ‘microfiber suede’ with actual suede. Let’s learn more.
Made in Italy
Zingales is an Italian brand specializing in Goodyear Welted Vegan footwear made proudly in Italy. They pride themselves in the history this brings, along with top-level craftsmanship and attention to detail that the Italians are known for. While I do not agree with their slogans of ‘entirely handmade’, I do think that they are a solid well-made boot that stands up against other classic welted footwear. Made in Italy still means something in many factories.
Treatment of Workers
One of their core values is how factory workers are treated. If you have been inside of a production, you will understand this value. Many factories are not glamorous places and that lack of glamour can be passed on to the treatment of the workers. Now that is not to say that all factories are bad, far from it, but it would appear that Zingales wishes to set the bar for how they believe the treatment of their employees should reflect in the values they hold and the footwear they produce. An admirable trait, for sure. They do this through the process of ‘fair wages’ and less pollution from chemicals that can affect workers throughout their lives.
Ethically Sourced Materials
Zingales has very high standards for their footwear and how they want to create them using materials that do not harm the environment. First and foremost, is the protection of animals via the use of non-animal materials to produce their footwear. Second, is the lack of support for the tanning industry which apparently creates a lot of deforestation, which in turn harms the environment. Lastly, the idea to simply have a 100% green policy towards their vegan welted footwear and branding, and company policy.
Conclusion
It is all very honorable the aspirations Zingales has towards the production of their footwear. I respect it and am happy to see a brand that finally created a well-made, good-looking, and solid Vegan product. I imagine they will have high success for their ability to put all of these pieces together and thus create a solid product. While I have yet to wear-test the materials, from first glance and feel, they will stand up against the average welted piece of footwear.
Much respect to Zingales for their creation.
Learn more: https://www.zingalesfootwear.com/en/
Find them on my Marketplace here: https://theshoesnobmarketplace.com/collections/zingales-footwear
—Justin FitzPatrick, The Shoe Snob
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