UNEAK
A promising Italian brand
UNEAK®, is a brand new brand that designs and develops shoes in Italy with innovative materials as an alternative to animal leather.
Founders and friends Sonia Iacoponi and Davide Brivio decided to join forces to shake up the world of sneakers . They realized that sneakers are the most popular type of footwear, worn by people of all ages all over the world. Unfortunately, they represent a consumer good whose manufacturing has a strong impact on the environment.
By creating the UNEAK® brand, they wanted to meet the needs and desires of society, but by combining: quality, style, durability , and causing as little damage as possible to the planet.
Sonia has been running a family-run, artisanal shoemaking business for several years, and now wants to take the company forward with a new brand that can improve the way shoes are produced and worn, both for the end consumer and for the environment. Sonia has therefore accepted Davide's invitation to join forces to create their own vegan shoe brand . Sonia is responsible for prototyping and managing the artisanal production of each pair of UNEAK® shoes.
Davide , instead, takes care of the brand's business development. A big fan of sneakers , he has long dreamed of creating a community around this type of shoe, so that each person who wears them feels unique both for the design of the products and, above all, for the positive impact that a conscious purchase can have on the planet.
UNEAK® has set itself the goal of inventing and developing shoes that respect the planet and its inhabitants, trying to use the best technologies and materials available on the market, model after model.
Italian fashion brands are recognized for their elegance all over the world, the UNEAK® brand now brings the notion of eco-responsibility in addition.
Cactus leather sneakers
Their first model of vegan sneakers is called Juarez. Not a very Italian name, you might say! This name is simply intended to recall the origins of the product, because the material of these sneakers comes from Mexico: a faux leather partly made from cactus , patented by the Mexican company Desserto®, which claims that it is more resistant than real leather of animal origin.
Desserto® cactus leather , in addition to being GRS (Global Recycle Standard) certified, is a material partly of plant origin and with a low environmental impact, since it uses the waste of the "Nobal" type cactus, which requires little water during its growth.
In fact, no irrigation system needs to be installed for the cultivation of Nobal cacti which are already used in the cosmetic industry.
Desserto® is also certified vegan by PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals)
An eco-responsible brand
The UNEAK® brand is not limited to Desserto® as a choice of eco-responsible and sustainable materials :
- The inner lining, made in Italy, is a sponge made of 80% OEKO-TEX certified bamboo fibers , therefore safe in contact with the skin.
- The laces are made from recycled cotton .
- The sole is made of natural rubber .
- The "transfers", that is, the logos on the sneakers, are made with a special technology that allows them to be applied at lower temperatures than traditional transfers.
- For shipping, UNEAK® uses recycled cardboard packaging , which also serves as a box for the sneakers. The shipping labels are affixed directly to it, which reduces the number of packaging by avoiding putting a box in a box!
Italian quality
The production site of the Juarez vegan sneakers is located in Fermo, in the Marche region of Italy. This small, mostly female-owned company, managed by Sonia Iacoponi, the co-founder of UNEAK®, has over forty years of experience in shoemaking.
Their artisanal know-how ensures the quality and resistance of the sneakers: the soles are sewn to the upper, so there is no risk of them coming off, and each finish is impeccable.
The collections can be produced in small series, as the brand develops, while being as lean as possible, without overproduction.