The legero Eco Agenda

With our legero Eco Agenda, we focus on socially fair and environmentally friendly production of our shoes – along the entire value chain. We promote the sustainability of our collections with many initiatives. Because, as a manufacturer, we consider ourselves responsible. When designing and producing our shoes, we not only keep pace with the times, but go one step further in terms of sustainability. As a result, our wearers enjoy getting out and about with ease and a clear conscience in the best quality shoes.

Our Quality Assurance and Sustainability department ensures that all models in our collections meet the highest standards. In terms of longevity and material quality as well as the high sustainability standards that we set ourselves, which exceed legal requirements.

Strict criteria for all

We manufacture most of our collections at our own locations, all of which have an environmental management system and are EMAS or ISO14001 certified. We only work with partners who are committed to the strict requirements of our code of conduct. That’s how we ensure that only tested materials are used in the production of our shoes. We regularly evaluate our suppliers, working directly with them without intermediaries. This ensures maximum transparency and quality.

Above industry standards

Prior to the start of production, our quality and sustainability management receives all material data for a collection. For example, on the materials used or about the leather tanning processes. Even if this data meets our strict specifications, the materials are extensively retested in our laboratories. Only when the test results meet our requirements do we use them for our legero collections.

With our women's shoes, we pay particular attention to:

• the durability and longevity of the material 
• an especially light and non-slip sole 
• a pleasant climate for the foot
• stringent sustainability thresholds that exceed the standards set by legislation and many quality seals.

All leather linings in our shoes meet our VIOS standard, i.e. they are tanned chrome-free, additives are far below the legally required limits and material tests are carried out far beyond the industry standard.

Tested for harmful substances: our aim is to ensure that as much sustainable material as possible is used in the production of our shoes. That’s why we test all materials in accredited laboratories. Only when all the criteria of our high standards are met is the tested material approved for further processing. 

Environmentally friendly production: Whether it’s leather tanning or the processing of textiles, we use sustainable production all the way to the finishing stage. We aim to use leathers from tanneries that have been certified gold or silver by the Leather Working Group and have been working with most of our tanneries for decades. 

Socially fair manufacturing: Our code of conduct ensures that social criteria are observed in the extraction of raw materials and final production. In this way, we create better occupational safety and social justice, not only for our own employees but also for those of our suppliers around the world.

Established in 2013, VIOS is our development platform for sustainable materials. The word VIOS comes from the Greek term BIOS and the Latin terms VIVO and VIA: nature, life, way. With VIOS, we handle sustainability holistically – and in a scientifically sound way. We have created our own standard for this with the VIOS Restricted Substance List: It sets far higher threshold requirements than those prescribed by law or quality seals. The goal is to ensure that as much sustainable material as possible is used for the production of shoes.

Our in-house eco-database calculates the average carbon footprint across 500 items in our collections, which we then reduce with targeted measures. Ecological optimisation takes place as early as the design phase for each individual shoe model. With the help of our eco-database, designers can compare different variants in real time. Our eco-database is based on constituent materials, material consumption and environmental aspects such as CO2, water, chemicals and resource consumption. In 2022, the Austrian Federal Environment Agency awarded our Eco-Database the prize for the best environmental and climate protection measure.

We find that the more companies that participate in established initiatives, the more impact we have on the way to a sustainable future. And that’s why we’re involved in a number of important initiatives:

• For example, we use the industry-leading Higg Index, which shows the sustainability of our products along the entire supply chain. 
• We are a member of iVN, the international association of the natural textile industry.
• At respACT, the Austrian platform for social responsibility and sustainable development.
• And at the Leather Working Group, a non-profit organisation that is responsible for the world's leading environmental certification of the leather industry and certifies tanneries. 
• We are also a member of cads, an association of the largest German-speaking shoe manufacturers with the aim of continuously developing ecological and social standards for our industry.
• We are also committed to participating in the Science Based Target Initiative. This provides companies with a scientifically sound methodology for defining CO2 targets in line with the Paris Climate Agreement.

It's that easy to be sustainable.

With our legero Eco Agenda, we want to help make it easy for our wearers to contribute a step towards a sustainable future for us all. With shoes in timeless design, perfect fit, the incomparably light legero feel and sustainable standards. All in pursuit of sustainability with lightness.