chrome-free for human and nature

all LANGBRETT shoes are manufactured without the use of chrome and other heavy metals that are dangerous to health. chrome is often used during tanning in the process of leather production. to make the animal skins more durable and elastic and to speed up the tanning process, they are treated with harmless chromium III. however, through improper handling and certain conditions, such as heat and humidity, the chromium III oxidises into chromium VI compounds.

chromium VI causes many allergies and is carcinogenic and toxic in contact with skin over an extended period of time. the disposal process also has a negative impact on people and the environment. although there are maximum levels for chromium throughout europe, federal institutes and independent laboratory tests regularly detect the substances in leather goods that are dangerous to health.

in germany, only less than 10% of leather shoes are chrome-free. our LANGBRETT alternative goes one step further than vegetable tanning: since this process consumes a lot of water and energy and the quality of the leather does not meet our expectations, we use a polymer-based tanning solution. according to the german environmental authority, this solution can be discharged unfiltered into the wastewater. nevertheless, we use a closed water circuit in our production facility. polymer-tanned leather is light-resistant and suitable for allergy sufferers. since the tanning times are significantly longer than with chromium tanning, this type of tanning is also more expensive in production.