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Innovative and superior materials

Sneaky Panda has a wide range of progressive designer sneakers. Our brands use the most innovative materials selected in the field of people, animals and the environment. All shoes in our assortment are 100% vegan. The range of sustainable high quality alternatives to leather is in an enormous growth at the moment. Below is a list of the most innovative materials that can be found in our webshop.

Future Leather / Artificial Leather / PU

Future leather (PU) is the most widely used vegan alternative to leather, and is made by a strictly controlled and regulated chemical process, in which only a few grams per tonne of chemicals ever enter the environment. PU is biodegradable by means of fungi that are found in landfills and in the ground.
In general, poor quality PU is used in the fashion industry, simply because it is sometimes 5 times cheaper. Sneaky Panda stands for slow fashion, and therefore only selects the brands that use the highest quality future leather. A good quality future leather is in all respects superior to real leather.
The brands where this material can be found are: Brave Gentleman, Good Guys Don’t Wear Leather, Sydney Brown, Rombaut and Donnant Donnant.

(Recycled) Rubber

All sneakers in our range use natural rubber. Synthetic rubber is often used in the fashion world, which wears out much faster than real rubber and has a greater impact on the environment. And where natural rubber is biodegradable, most types of synthetic rubber remain lying around on this earth for a very long time.
Our collection also includes a number of brands that use recycled rubber, such as Brave Gentleman and Rombaut.

Cork

One of the most environmentally friendly materials at the moment is cork.
The production of cork is very sustainable because the cork tree is not cut down to obtain cork. Only the bark is stripped in order to harvest the cork. The tree continues to live and grow. The most distinguishing marks of cork are the durability of production and the easy recycling of cork products and by-products. In addition, cork is 100% natural, water-repellent, anti-bacterial and heat-insulating. Our range includes several sneakers with a cork insole, and Sydney Brown even has a number of models where the entire upper material consists of cork.

Piñatex

Piñatex is a natural and sustainable alternative to leather and is made from pineapple leaves, a waste product of the pineapple industry.
Piñatex is produced in various colours and finishes, including a structured surface and a metallic finish. Compared to synthetic leather (PU), Piñatex is softer and more flexible.
This material can be found in some Rombaut models.

Bamboo

A sustainable alternative to cotton is bamboo. It has a 100% natural growth, is 100% biodegradable and it grows quickly and almost everywhere. In addition, bamboo yields 10 times more per m2 than cotton.
Bamboo regulates the temperature better than other fabrics, and absorbs up to 3 times as much moisture as cotton. That’s why it’s a perfect material to use as a lining in shoes. Many Rombaut models use a bamboo lining.

Recycled PET Bottles

Plastic waste that normally ends up on the waste heap or in the ocean is given a new function in this way. Because the fibres are very strong, this material has a very long durability, and is also easy to recycle. In addition, the production of textiles from used PET bottles uses about 90% less CO2 emissions than the production of polyester. This innovative material can be found in most models of Sydney Brown and Nat-2.

Organic Cotton

Organic cotton has the same quality as ordinary cotton, it has only been grown without the use of agricultural poisons such as pesticides.
Organic cotton is also harvested by hand, because mechanical harvesting requires chemical defoliants.

Reflective Glass

Together with 3M, Nat-2 developed a very fine and smooth material made of reflective glass. The surface is covered with miniscule glass beads, which catch light from every angle and reflect in the same direction. This material is characteristic for all Nat-2 sneakers.

Silver x Bio-ceramic

Durable eco-friendly material made of real silver and bio ceramics. This material is used as a lining because it has a very soft feel and is completely anti-bacterial. The material has been specially developed for Nat-2 in collaboration with Mattes & Ammann, and can be found in most models of Nat-2.

Holographic TPU

Holographic TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane) is an ultra-irritating and reflective material. This colour-changing material is ultra-strong with a very long service life. This patented material is used for the Nat-2 Vanish.

Recycled Coffee Grounds

A sustainable material made from recycled coffee, coffee beans and coffee plant. The coffee is pressed and applied to a natural layer. This results in a unique appearance where the natural coffee scent can be smelled!
This material is used in the Nat-2 Coffee and Nat-2 Coffee Cube.

Mushroom Leather

This special material was developed by Berlin designer Nina Fabert van Zvnder. The “mushroom leather” is incredibly soft and has a unique optical grain. By using the material on both sides, interesting contrasts and combinations are created. The leather-like material is obtained from the trama of the fomes fomentarius. The tinder fungus is a parasite that grows on weakened trees such as birch and beech, but also on dead wood. In an extensive process, the fungus is dried for up to a year after a successful search and a soft, certified and nature conserving hand harvest, then peeled by hand and extensively processed.
The material is organic, vegan, gluten and chemical free. The fungus is completely antiseptic and antibacterial.
This material can be found at the Nat-2 Fungi.

FCS Certified Wood

Wood as an alternative to leather? Nat-2 introduced the world’s first wooden sneaker in 2016. The wood is attached to organic cotton and very finely lasered, which makes the material very flexible. The wooden material retains its original natural texture. The processed wood comes from ethically and sustainably managed forests. The material is certified, which guarantees the traceability and origin of the wood.
The patented material and the finished sneaker are 100% Italian.
The woods used are ash, birch, maple, tulip, walnut, cherry, elm and beech. Click here for the Nat-2 Wooden collection.

Grass

Nat-2 uses real grass for its Hayfield models,
The sustainable and recycled hay, grass and flowers originate from the Austrian and Bavarian landscapes.
The grass is dried and pressed and applied to a layer, while retaining the natural mountain scent. The patented material has been developed in Germany and Austria.

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Cruelty free
Worldwide delivery
Sustainable
Fair labor