Pololo

Pololo has been working with a fixed manufacturer in Spain since 2011. Their manufacturer is located near Alicante in Spain and employs approximately 20 people. Within Europe there are strict labor laws and regulations, so we can assume that the shoes are made in ethical conditions.

Pololo puts a strong emphasis on the use of sustainable materials. For instance, all leather used in the collection is vegetal tanned. This means that no chrome or other harmful chemicals are used in the tanning process. The leather is certified by ECARF (European Centre for Allergy Research Foundation) to guarantee that the shoes are hypoallergenic. Pololo is also a member of the International Association for Natural Textiles (IVN) which imposes strict ecological guidelines for natural textile materials. 

Organic cotton is used in a large part of the collection. This means that the cotton is grown pesticide-free and requires less irrigation water. Do you want to read more about the advantages of organic cotton? Then read this blog.

Other sustainable materials used in the Pololo collection include recycled polyester and natural rubber.

In its vegan collection, Pololo has children’s shoes that are made of cactus leather. Unfortunately, it is not clear whether this is a sustainable material, because often cactus leather has a synthetic material mixed in (polyurethane). This provides more quality but means the product is no longer biodegradable and difficult to recycle.

Natural materials such as organic cotton, natural rubber and vegetal tanned leather are fully biodegradable. This helps to close the circular loop because these products are not left to pile up in landfills for years.

Pololo also has a Seaqual collection. These shoes are made of recycled polyester. The Seaqual initiative works together with Spanish fishermen to collect and recycle plastic from the ocean floor. The Seaqual shoes help to make the ocean cleaner and give materials a second life.

Pololo’s head office is located in Germany and works with a fixed manufacturer in Spain. This seems to be a short supply chain, but unfortunately, there is little information known about the origin of the materials Pololo uses in its collections. For example, the countries where natural rubber is produced include Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam. This makes it difficult to make an accurate estimation of the distance your shoes have had to travel to get to you. 

Pololo uses vegetal tanned leather and sheep wool in its collection. Unfortunately, the animal welfare of these products is difficult to assess because there is no information available about the origin of the materials. For the production of sheep wool no animals need to be killed but often leather is also a residual product from the meat and dairy industry. Unfortunately, it is not possible to determine whether this is also the case with the materials used by Pololo. The company does not release any information about the origin of these materials, nor can we verify whether the wool used is mulesing-free or not.

Part of the Pololo collection is vegan. These shoes do not contain any materials of animal origin and are therefore completely animal friendly.

Because of the high-quality materials and timeless design of the shoes they can be passed on to multiple children. On the Pololo website, you can also find tips on how to care for the shoes so they stay beautiful longer.

Pololo makes shoes for toddlers and children. The brand wants to combine original designs with quality, durable materials. The fit of the shoe is also important so that the shoe fits every child’s foot perfectly. You can find the shoes in different colour variations and cheerful prints.

Pololo provides a lot of information on its website but could improve on this. For example, by sharing more information about the manufacturer. This would provide consumers with more information on where the shoes come from. Obtaining certificates could also help, for example by having the working conditions verified by an independent organisation. Currently, Pololo does not yet provide much information on this, nor on the origin of the materials.