Our Materials
Like the element from which we take our name, our vegan materials and their manufacturing processes are clean and transparent, with a dedication to craftsmanship and cause in equal measure.
Recycled Piumino Nylon
Recycled Nylon diverts waste from landfills and its production uses much fewer resources than virgin nylon (including water, energy and fossil fuel). A large part of the recycled nylon produced comes from old fishing nets. This is a great solution to divert garbage from the ocean. It also comes from nylon carpets, tights, etc. 600,000 tons of fishing gears, including fishing nets, are dumped into the ocean every year. Nylon represents 10% of the debris in oceans.
Cactus Leather
Desserto® is a highly sustainable plant based vegan-leather made from cactus, often distinguished by its great softness to touch while offering great performance for a wide variety of applications and complying with the most rigorous quality and environmental standards. This vegan leather aims to offer a cruel-free and sustainable alternative, without toxic chemicals, phthalates and PVC. Located in the Mexican state of Zacatecas, the Desserto®. farm is an example of how innovation can be developed responsibly. There, the harvesting process respects the cactus cycle where they select and cut only the mature leaves of the plant around every 6-8 months. No irrigation systems is used as the cacti grow healthy with rain water and earth minerals found in the area. The ranch is fully organic, so no herbicides or pesticides are used in the process.
Wood
While the application of wood in shoe manufacturing is well-estab-lished, the use of the biodegradable, animal-free material in place of leather reduces CO2 emissions by approximately 60% per square meter. Incredibly soft and flexible, our conscientiously sourced wood sheets come from ethically managed forests and possess FSC certification that attests to their origins. They are bonded to our supple plant-based fabrics using an environmentally friendly adhe-sive.
Pinatex
This supple, durable, resistant vegan leather is fabricated from felted pineapple-leaf fibers and PLA, a bio-plastic sourced from renewable resources. Because pineapple leaves are traditionally discarded or burned, the closed-loop fabric’s source material requires no additional land, water, pesticides or fertilizers. It also provides rural pineapple famers with additional income and leftover biomass, produced by the separation process, which can be employed as fertilizer. Further, Pinatex dyes are GOTS certified and its resins comply with AFIRM standards.
Vitigna
The most innovative “wine leather” available, this eco-friendly veg-an leather begins life in Tuscany’s famous vineyards. While the 100% plant-based bio-engineered material feels and performs like conventional leather, it is crafted exclusively from wine industry leftovers using a water-free processes, free of the toxic chemicals used in traditional tanning.
Freska
Our insoles are crafted from Freska, a pioneering vegan lining made of corn and cereal, with minimal solvent residue levels. As functional as it is sustainable, Freska is extremely breathable, absorbent and resistant for enhanced comfort. It is also self-molding and is more than 60% lighter than a traditional leather insole of equal thickness.
Bioveg
This supple, sustainable vegan leather combines recycled polyester reclaimed from water bottles with signature Veg technology. The latter comprises bio-polyols, which are safely derived from plants without robbing consumable resources from farms or animals. Manufacturer stats confirm that BioVeg reduces energy consumption from non-renewable resources by 44%, diminishes its carbon footprint by 15% and contains more than 50% bio content, derived from renewable sources. Additionally, the energy employed during the coating process comes from renewable sources.
Thunit
Our outsoles are fabricated with Thunit, a flexible, durable, abrasion- and water-resistant vegan fabric made without hazardous or harmful substances, that the manufacturer defines as 100% recyclable. Moreover, its environmentally rigorous manufacturing process includes the recapture and depigmentation of water waste.
Every element of O2 Monde shoes - from insoles and lasts to adhesives and uppers - is made from sustainable, plant-based materials sourced from the world’s most innovative eco-materials manufacturers, who just happen to be Italian.
Like us, these partners continuously seek and create ever-better alternatives, with the highest percentage of renewable plant material possible.
We also use 100% of the whole surface (whereas traditional leather shoes use only a percentage of a hide, due to natural imperfections). Further, our cutting scraps are captured and recycled. Skin finishing is also minimal, because plant-based materials are naturally perfect.
Collectively, we are not yet perfect, but we’re always improving.