Zwartjes van 1883

Zwartjes’ collection is produced in Europe. The brand has several regular manufacturers in Italy and Spain, among other places. Thanks to their regular partnerships, Zwartjes is in direct contact with their manufacturers, allowing them more control over the production process and the quality of the products. 

Manufacturers in Italy and Spain are obliged to comply with strict labour regulation and legislation, indicating that Zwartjes’ production takes place in safe and ethical working conditions. The close cooperation between the manufacturers and Zwartjes also means they can enforce greater social responsibility.

Zwartjes van 1883 only works with the highest quality leather for their shoes. This means their shoes are longer-lasting. In fact, high-quality leather is more resistant than certain types of vegan artificial leather, which often contain plastic. 

All leather used by Zwartjes is a by-product of the meat or dairy industry. The cattle leather that Zwartjes uses comes from smaller European manufacturers, who have to comply with strict European environmental laws for tanneries. These pertain to both the use of chemicals in tanneries and the working conditions. Learn all about the impact of leather products here.

Shoes often combine different materials to improve their quality and sturdiness. Unfortunately, this does make it more difficult to recycle them. For this reason, Zwartjes van 1883 does not score very highly on circularity.

Zwartjes does help you, however, repair your shoes if necessary. They arrange repairs with local cobblers or the original manufacturers. Give your shoes a new life by giving them a well-deserved facelift!

The length of the supply chain varies per product. Shoes made from cow leather have a shorter chain because the leather comes from Europe. Other (exotic) leathers may have a longer chain.

All production takes place in Europe, however, so the shoes don’t have to travel long distances to get to you from the manufacturer.

Zwartjes van 1883 uses many different materials of animal origin. To reduce animal suffering as much as possible, the brand only uses leather that is a by-product of other industries. This means the different types of leather all come from animals that were killed for other purposes.

In addition, the brand only uses cow leather from Europe, affording them a better insight into the wellbeing of the animals and their slaughtering.

Zwartjes also uses exotic leathers, such as crocodile leather, which they state is also a by-product of the meat industry. However, the origin of these leathers is unknown.

Zwartjes van 1883 have a stylish collection of shoes for men and women with designs that are not really found elsewhere anymore. Their shoes are true classics, made with care and craftsmanship.

Zwartjes feel very strongly about quality and ensuring their shoes have the longest lives possible. That’s why their designs are timeless and not specific to a season and why the brand does not ever do clearance sales. The brand also has various care products and accessories to keep your purchase looking great for longer.

Zwartjes van 1883 scores moderately on transparency. Although there isn’t much information available on their website, COSH! was able to learn directly from them about their manufacturers. We appreciate that the brand was so open about their operations.