IINDACO is not simply a brand or a product but a new reality made up of dreams and people. The vision of two designers, Domitilla Rapisardi and Pamela Costantini who have decided to create something that reflects not only their stylistic taste but above all their values.
For this reason the two founders have decided to commit themselves to the creation of an eco-sustainable project that embraces all phases of the product’s life: from design to realization, from conception to disposal.
Their mission is to take part and enhance the circular economy system, reducing waste and abuse typically associated with the fashion industry.
They look to the future and to the new generations, because modern luxury is responsibility and its color is IINDACO.
CREATIVITY
Designing an eco-sustainable collection is a challenge. In addition to the careful research of materials, suppliers and processes in line with this vision, the creation of a product ambassador of these principals becomes essential.
Shoes born to last, to live as long as possible in our wardrobes, from impeccable quality to timeless design. Thus the creative process unfolds between these principles making them part of it, evolving into collections characterized by eco-sustainable manufacture, processes and high-quality materials designed to transcend the fads of the moment, as the best classics do.
OUR FAVOURITE MATERIALS
The materials with which IINDACO shoes are made are all high quality materials united by eco-sustainable characteristics: recycled and recyclable ABS heels, regenerated leather insoles, certified linings in biodegradable leather, fabrics or leathers found after a constant research among warehouses and stocks throughout Italy, production excesses of the great luxury brands … in short, a mix of recycling and innovation that demonstrates how eco-sustainability is a 360-degree research in perpetual development involving many sectors, from the food industry to the technological innovation.
Properly produced and controlled origin leather is a truly sustainable material. The hides mainly depend on the by-product of the meat and dairy product industry. The transformation into leather is the best use that can be made of these scraps, scraps that with suitable and certified processes become quality products for the creation of goods that can be handed down from generation to generation.
The leathers selected for IINDACO shoes come from tanners who have suitable equipment, innovative tanning methods – which we will tell you about it later – certification methods on energy saving and deal with waste management procedures for a product of excellent quality. The workforce is treated properly and is provided with safety clothing and proper training.
The leather from these tanneries is legitimately defined as sustainable since, as already mentioned, it comes from a renewable biological source and is guaranteed safely and without undue waste. In fact, most of what was used to be called waste in the tannery is now a raw material for other products such as gelatin or energy and water is cleaned and reused more and more often.
Another important advantage of leather is that it is generally durable and lasts much longer than synthetic materials. This is considered vital in sustainability, as this avoids the expensive short-term use of resources. Moreover, with leather articles, it is usually not the skin to be damaged, but the hinges and threads, and therefore unlike the synthetic materials that come off and crumble, the leather products can be repaired, another huge advantage to avoid resource consumption.
THE LEATHER
NATURE·L ® leather
Definitely our favorite tanning.
NATURE·L® is an international patent for the processing of goatskin and calfskin for upper and lining. It is a completely biodegradable, versatile and performing product. This production process guarantees a low environmental impact and a clear reduction in disposal costs.
NATURE · L® leathers are non-toxic, non-polluting and highly transpiring.
HEELS AND COMPONENTS
However, the shoe is not made up solely of fabric or leather. To build a quality shoe you have to use different components such as insoles, reinforcements, heels, soles, etc.
IINDACO is committed to ensuring that each of these materials is sustainable and certified, as are our heels made of regenerated ABS (recycled and recyclable material) or our internal insoles made of 100% pure non-bleached cellulose fibers, free of dyes and additives.
STOCKS AND LEFTOVERS
Textiles represent a conspicuous percentage of the waste that ends up in dumps across the world every year. We are committed to seek excess fabrics and leathers left over by other players throughout Italy’s warehouses and stockists. This allows us to reuse and divert these materials from the unjust fate of the landfill (they are not waste or second choice materials but simply leftovers, too much fabric / leather has been ordered for …) to our production chain, giving it new life and limiting waste.
SELECTED SUPLIERS
The research and selection of suppliers of components and raw materials is continuous, aimed at preferring over time those companies who manage to guarantee a high degree of eco-sustainability, from environmental impact to energy saving.
Our partner is the shoe factory that makes all IINDACO creations, the Ramones company, located in San Mauro Pascoli, one of the most important footwear districts in Italy. A reality founded on the traditional craftsmanship endogenous to the area, capable of evolving and growing into the future, guaranteeing sustainable production both humanly and energetically.
PACKAGING
Our packaging is ergonomically and practically designed to best preserve IINDACO footwear and otherwise be reused to organize the wardrobe, bedroom or other spaces.
The practical drawer shape allows you to stack it on top of other boxes without having to dismantle the pile every time to reach the desired container.
In addition, the cardboard and paper with which they are made are FSC certified and not only, the IINDACO color paper that covers our packaging is made with EKOenergy, GMO-free and contains 40% post-consumer recycled.
To inspire the natural range of colors that characterizes the offer of this particular paper, ten different organic residues are incorporated in its creation, one per color. For the paper of the IINDACO boxes agro-industrial scraps of Lavender were used, which give the sheets the cerulean nuance that we love so much.
The product and the production process of this material are protected by a European patent and guarantee a carbon footprint reduced by 20%.
SHIPMENTS
Stopping at the idea that an e-commerce cannot be sustainable due to the CO2 emissions related to the shipments of the various orders is comprehensible but incorrect. Buying online is now part of everyday life, there are many digital stores and consequently an evermore increasing amount of shipments is carried out on behalf of this industry. The leading logistics players in the sector are therefore taking action to find effective solutions to reorganize and guarantee shipping services in order to be as sustainable as possible. Logistics in fact plays a central role in the global economy, therefore becoming fundamental in the way in which the business is carried out with respect to the environmental impact.
IINDACO has decided to collaborate with the pioneers of ecological logistics by investing in research, optimizing emissions, monitoring them and adhering to their compensation projects, looking for a service with zero climate impact, for which all carbon emissions are precisely quantified and compensated automatically.
AND NOT IT’S YOURSELF
yes, now it’s your turn … creating, producing and distributing a product does not complete its life-cycle. In line with the cornerstones of the circular economy, the life of a product had to be extended as much as possible and, if not needed any longer, be properly disposed of.
Taking care of your shoes will guarantee them a longer life, and it can be as easy as outlined in the following few steps:
STORE YOUR SHOES PROPERLY
Footwear must be protected from dust, water and sunlight. Try not to stack them or throw them in a disordered heap, this can damage them irreversibly ruining their shape. There are many sites online on which to find ingenious advice to better organize the space and your shoes, dedicating yourself to an orderly wardrobe is respectful of products and to the environment.
DIVIDE YOUR SHOES BY SEASON AND PURPOSE
Following a criterion (such as the season or the use you make of it) will help you organize the closet and preserve your shoes with care.
DO NOT STORE SHOES WHEN THEY ARE WET
Do not put them in containers or in the closet until they are completely dry. Wet shoes can become moldy after being stored, and in this way be more likely to develop unpleasant scents.
DO NOT WRAP LEATHER OR SUEDE SHOES WITH PLASTIC
These shoes need ventilation after being stored. Wrapping them with plastic could cause mold or stains to form. Instead, use acid-free tissue paper, such as the one you find inside our boxes.
CLEAN THEM
Storing dirty or dusty shoes could irreversibly ruin them. Try to clean them whenever possible, it will prevent the formation of stains and the degradation of materials.
Along with these simple suggestions we also advise you to get into the habit of examining all the shoes you own once a year and understand what you want to do with them: whether to repair them, give them to a charity or sell them in a second-hand shop.
It is important to know that shoes can be repaired. Finding trusted shoemakers will grant you the opportunity to extend your shoes’ life. They will give you excellent advice on how to clean them and take care of them depending on the material. Options like resoling them or changing the heel will make them like as good as new!
If, on the other hand, you don’t like your shoes anymore but they are still usable, give them the chance to be loved by someone else. You can resell them online, look for the vintage shop that are closest to you or give them to a charity, but throwing them away would be a terrible waste.
Despite all these precautions, it may happen that your shoes are no longer repairable and usable. In this case you should look for collection points in your city of disused shoes so that they can be recycled becoming a resource for new productions.