As the first brand of 2018 I choose an Italian footwear brand and it is not a case; shoes understood as a synonym of walking seems to me an excellent metaphor to start the new year and this idea is written in the name of CamminaLeggero, along with the concept of lightness that, according to a quote by Italo Calvino reported on the site of the brand, is associated with ‘accuracy and determination’.
Here what is behind the project by CamminaLeggero, born in Pavia in 2011 by the vegan mind of Carolina Pini, reflective soul, lover of clean, minimal forms, black and limited editions “that in the care of details move away from seriality”. But the fundamental characteristic of the brand is its cruelty-free being, therefore alien to leather and any other material of animal origin and ‘farm-to-table’ that is projected and manufactured entirely in Northern Italy by craftsmen in the sector.
The desire to avoid the use of material that may cause suffering to animals is combined with environmental sensitivity and a production that favors quality rather than quantity; the material used for the uppers is a latest generation microfiber,
particularly durable and lightweight at the same time which, depending on the type, can be imitation leather or suede-like. The fabric is instead of Fair Trade origin, denim is recycled, while the outsole is VIBRAM®, made of foamed natural rubber, with elasticity, abrasion resistance and toughness. In some models the Vibram® is replaced by handcrafted recycled rubber outsole, which perhaps makes the shoe a little heavier but, as I read in the blog of CamminaLeggero, repays in terms of “lightness compared to the environmental weight that the production of a new sole involves in energy expenditure and pollution”.
The models, for men, women and children, have linear forms that go from mary jane to sneaker, from desert to biker boot and sandals and classic colors like brown and black but also vivid colors like red and yellow, a way to meet different tastes and needs.
CamminaLeggero also produces a line of accessories, always in limited edition and with the same principles of footwear that is the incessant search for sustainable alternatives, “a new way of thinking about what we wear and eat with a view to sustainability and responsibility”.
