Here at Po-Zu we believe shoes are things you cherish, enjoy wearing and hold onto over time

because they are made to last. We also want you to buy your shoes guilt-free, safe in the
knowledge that they were created with love for people & planet. That’s why we created the Po-Zu
Ethical Shoe Promise.
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OUR MATERIALS

“We promise to use the highest quality natural components and to use renewable, low impact materials

wherever possible”

All of our materials come from naturally renewable sources and are responsibly harvested. They contain

no pesticides, bleaches or toxic dyes and are locally sourced, near our factories in Sri Lanka and Portugal,

wherever possible.

We use GOTS Certified Organic Cotton Canvas, Natural Linen and Natural Cork in our shoes. When we

work with leather, we ensure that it is Chromium-free, and without harmful chemicals. Over the years we

have increased our use of alternatives to leathers, that are both solvent free and animal cruelty free, working

with materials like Eco Microfibre, Frumat Appleskin, Piñatex Pineapple and Desserto Cactus leather,

which are all flexible, hard wearing, durable and 100% vegan. 

For our Foot Mattress we use either Natural Coconut Husk  or Natural Cork, together with Natural

Latex to form a cushioning shock absorbing bounce underfoot. You can read about our materials in more

detail here. 

We recognise that sustainability is a journey and that there are always  improvements to be made. We are

excited by the innovation and happy to experiment and work with these new materials. Mushroom Leather is
 the latest innovative material for the industry and we look forward to working with it on up & coming

collections. 

MANUFACTURING
 

“We promise to minimise the impact of our manufacturing processes”

All of our shoes are made in carefully sourced factories in Portugal and Sri Lanka.  Our factories are

committed to the highest standards of ethical manufacturing, have a strict non-toxic policy and recycle

nearly all their waste products, including fabric off-cuts and water. For more information regarding our

ethical production standards, you can read our Suppliers Code of Practice. 

OUR MASTER SHOEMAKER

 “We promise to treat our team of shoemakers with respect, pay them a fair wage and protect them from

harm.”

How we treat the people we work with is extremely important to us at Po-Zu. we believe in Fair Wages &

Fair Working Conditions and appropriate Health & Safety Measures for all workers and only work with

factories that can guarantee this. We consider everyone involved in the creation of our shoes to be part of our

extended Po-Zu family and we treat them with the utmost respect and care. We only chose like-minded

suppliers and are careful to review their ethical policies.

SOLVENT FREE
“We promise not to use solvents in the making of our shoes, opting for natural and toxic free alternatives.”

We have a Solvent Free Policy, which mean we will not use any solvent-based substances and glues, because

they are harmful and pose hazardous health risks to factory workers.

The majority of our shoes are designed with circularity in mind - which means they can be disassembled easily

and re-born into something new. In the main, they are also glue-less and stitched instead. We use natural latex

as a temporary bond before stitching the upper and sole components together. Some of our shoes due to

their complex construction contain water-based glues. 

Solvent-based glues are the industry norm and are used extensively in shoe factories, mainly because they

provide a quick assembly method and are cheaper than hand-stitching. There are serious health implications

for those exposed to solvents over frequent and long periods of time. You can read about Solvent

Neurotoxicity here.   

  

CERTIFICATIONS
“We promise to be honest and accountable across all of our business”

THE GOOD SHOPPING GUIDE 

We are certified by the Ethical Company Organisation as a company that upholds human rights and animal

welfare, and works to protect the environment.

We are proud to have been ranked the no. 1 shoe brand by The Good Shopping Guide for 15 consecutive

years. This is an unprecedented run at the top of the ethical charts within the footwear sector.

THE FAIR RUBBER ASSOCIATION

Po-Zu became a member of the Fair Rubber Association in September 2017. The aim of the Fair Rubber

Association is to contribute to an improvement in the working and living conditions of the primary producers

of natural latex (rubber). Members of the association pay a Fair Trade premium for every kilogram of rubber
they purchase and the association ensures that this money reaches the supplier partners and leads to

improvement.