Hide | 100% Leather Sneakers

HIDE are sneakers made completely out of leather. Inspired by stretching the materials properties, thus resulting in a hybrid of modern and handcrafted techniques.

Today’s sneakers are constructed out of varying materials, relying on lengthy supply chains and resulting in a mixture of unrecyclable materials. Within the sneaker industry, materials and production methods should be re-examined to reveal more innovate models. HIDE questions production methods and material value by using one single material and a vision of a local supply chain.

HIDE demonstrates that leather can be tanned and finished in a multitude of ways, to give it the qualities needed for all the different parts that make a sneaker. Simplifying processes and minimizing stitching makes for an easy repair and exchange of parts when needed.

Leather for the sneakers was provided by ECCO Leather, tanned and finished at their tannery in Dongen, NL. In the video above you can see highlights of the proccesses used to give the various leather pieces its characteristics and colors.

A nude colour scheme highlights the beauty of Veg-Tanned Leather, which is aging wel and becomes slightly darker over time.

The project was featured in the weekend-edition of Dutch Newspaper NRC, and is still avalable to read online:
Link to the article of NRC [NL]

article: Arjen Ribbens | photo: Merlijn Doomernik