Key Points
- Material: cactus leather co-developed with a Mexican farm; reported 99.4% lower water use than animal leather and CO₂-negative cultivation; passes standard leather quality tests.
- Composition: current uppers are 65% biobased with 35% PU (USDA biobased certified); formulation work underway to reach ~90% biobased.
- Build & R&D: two-year process to achieve tight, single-piece dress-shoe tolerances; complementary recycled components for outsole, laces and stitching.
- Market response: early crowdfunding feedback shaped the range; customers prioritise comfort and aesthetics first, with sustainability as a bonus.
- Operations: preference for sea freight and a low-return policy (fit guidance) to cut emissions across the supply chain; ongoing improvements to recycling and logistics.
Full interview with Vouroc
1. What was the inspiration to explore cactus leather as an alternative material for your shoes?
We wanted to produce shoes that our children would be proud of, and that would contribute to a sustainable future for them. We explored various materials, such as pineapple, apple, and cork. Ultimately, we ended up with cactus.
It's a more challenging material to work with due to its sturdiness, but it consumes 99.4% less water in production compared to animal leather. Next, our cactus farm absorbs about 8 million kg of CO2 annually, making it CO2-negative. The material itself is strong and lasts long.
Given global warming and the decrease in drinking water, we found cacti to be a suitable choice for facing a future world where, unfortunately, much more land will become dry. Cactus uses almost no water and lasts about ten years. After the stems are cut, they can regrow.
2. What are the challenges in developing a shoe that meets the quality standards of traditional leather while being sustainable?
The most challenging part was processing the cactus leather in a way that we could make shoes out of it. Producing a shoe is much more complex than that of a product where the leather is less taut, such as a bag. With dress shoes, you use one piece of leather, which has to fit extremely tight to the sole.
After two years of development, we ultimately passed the same quality tests that a classic leather shoe must meet. Our product is 65% biobased and 35% PU. It received the USDA biobased certification. Our farm is currently developing the composition in order to reach 90% biobased.
3. What was the R&D process like to ensure that cactus leather was a viable material for high-quality footwear?
We extensively researched other plant-based leather shoes, like cork and pineapple. As a result, we further developed the cactus leather in collaboration with our Mexican cactus farm into the strong and flexible material we now use in the shoes.
After that, we carefully brought together various recycled materials for the outsole, laces, and stitching, mainly sourced from Europe.
4. How has consumer response to Vouroc’s cactus leather shoes shaped your approach to marketing and production?
The first consumer feedback we received was based on our Kickstarter campaign.
People were excited about the concept and the designs. This initial market consultation led us to give extra attention to certain designs and eliminate others. We've noticed that customers primarily want to wear beautiful, comfortable shoes and are also very proud of the fact that they are contributing to combating climate change.
So far, we have only received extremely positive responses about the shoes. Our sales have grown monthly by 20-30% since our launch date. According to our customers, our men's shoes, in particular, are more comfortable than many sneakers.
5. Could you share more about the practices you have implemented within your supply chain?
Throughout our entire supply chain, we opt for the most sustainable options. For instance, our materials are always transported by sea freight.
Furthermore, we’ve implemented a return policy that ensures customers have to return as few shoes as possible through strong upfront information. As a result, the likelihood of a shoe needing to be returned is very low. Extensive research in the Netherlands showed that in 2019, the average CO2 emission per return ranged from 0,79 to 1,9 kg.
This is beneficial for our profit, as well as for the overall reduction of CO2 emissions.
6. As an entrepreneur, what have you learned about consumer behavior towards sustainable products, particularly in the footwear industry?
We've noticed that people are willing to pay a bit more for a more sustainable product, but only if the product aligns with their taste. Sustainable materials alone don't sell the product. Customers don't want to compromise on the quality of products compared to those made with animal leather.
We’ve also discovered that customers are somewhat hesitant toward a new type of material they are not familiar with.
7. Looking ahead, are there other sustainable practices you are considering?
We are actively working on further developing our shoes and the leather (in collaboration with our farm). The production of the material and the shoes should seamlessly align. We highly value customer feedback as input for this process.
Additionally, we are continually seeking even more sustainable methods for producing and transporting our shoes, such as recycling used shoes and using more efficient ways of logistics.
