Zecchino d’Oro

Zecchino d’Oro’s shoes are made entirely in Italy by experienced shoemakers in their workshop in Italy. Because the brand makes all the shoes itself, it has control over the working conditions in which production takes place. Because the atelier is in the European Union, the brand must also follow labour laws and regulations, so you can be sure the shoes were ethically produced.

Zecchino d’Oro works partly with European suppliers. Thus, not only the shoes themselves but also the materials used are made in ethical working conditions. Unfortunately, little information is known about the origin of some of the materials so we cannot form a complete picture of the ethical conditions.

Zecchino d’Oro makes high-quality children’s shoes. The brand therefore uses only high-quality materials to prolong the life of the shoes. The shoes are made of leather, in which the brand mainly uses calfskin. Zecchino d’Oro works exclusively with Italian leather manufacturers.

The Italian brand also has a sustainable shoe collection called ​‘Promise’. In this collection, the insoles and outsides of the shoes are made of vegetal-tanned leather. This means that the leather was tanned without harmful chemicals or heavy metals such as chromium. In this collection, the outsoles are made of natural rubber (Para rubber) instead of synthetic rubber. This material comes from rubber trees that grow in Brazil and Thailand and is therefore a natural material.

Finally, the brand also uses other materials in the accessories on the shoes. For example, there are booties with an edge of rabbit fur, a sheepskin lining, leather bows or sequins.

Because a shoe consists of many different components and materials, this is often very difficult to recycle after use. This is also the case with Zecchino d’Oro’s shoes. The brand therefore focuses on extending the shoes’ lifespan, for example by using high-quality materials and production techniques.

The shoes are made at the Zecchino d’Oro atelier in Monte San Giusto, a small village in the Le Marche region of Italy. The brand is committed to keeping their supply chain short by working with Italian producers and suppliers. Still, there are parts that travel a long way, such as the rubber that comes from Brazil.

Zecchino d’Oro unfortunately does not score well in terms of animal welfare. The brand uses many animal materials such as calfskin and lamb, goat and rabbit fur. Here, no information is known about the origin of the materials or the conditions in which the animals live.

The children’s shoe brand is known for their Italian artisanal techniques and quality. The shoes and trainers are handmade by experienced shoemakers, using high-quality materials.

Zecchino d’Oro uses a signature and patented insole with stitched footbed in their shoes. This leather sole is designed to provide anatomical support to the child to help the further development of their feet. 

The brand has now been around for more than 60 years and has a wide collection of children’s and baby shoes. Zecchino d’Oro offers shoes, trainers and sandals for your child’s first steps up to size 41. 

Zecchino d’Oro still has room for improvement in terms of transparency. The brand makes the shoes itself, but does not provide names or locations of their production partners and suppliers. Sharing this information, and possible certificates, would help increase the brand’s transparency.