Sustainable children’s shoes made by Franconian craftsmanship
Oberreichenbach, 09.07.2021. The newly founded company Orangenkinder now offers sustainably produced baby and toddler shoes. In its manufactory in Central Franconia, the clothing company works exclusively with ecologically and allergy-certified raw materials. Orangenkinder focuses on German quality craftsmanship and sustainability as a growth factor in the clothing sector.
All Orangenkinder shoes are made of environmentally friendly material from the sole to the embroidery application. The company sources leather exclusively from German production for its slipper line. The chrome-free, vegetable tanning guarantees environmentally friendly shoes with high material quality. “Vegetable-tanned leather protects the environment,” says Verena Carney, founder of Orangenkinder.
Environmentally friendly craftsmanship made in Germany
This type of leather production uses natural tannins such as rhubarb, tara and valonea. Tara and valonea are contained in tree fruits that grow in the Mediterranean and South American Andes. The dyes used are also free of heavy metals.
In the shoe manufactory, the seamstresses work on the longevity of each pair of the almost 50 different models. Orangenkinder uses allergy-friendly raw materials certified by the European Foundation for Allergy Research (ECARF). “Our shoes don’t come to us by cargo ship. We produce here in Franconia, and we do so in an ecologically responsible manner,” says Carney.
Sustainability as a corporate concept
Orangenkinder sees sustainability as a holistic concept. If repairs are necessary, the company offers parents the opportunity to repair the shoes. Puppet shoes and key rings are made from leftover materials. Sustainable management is also a question of fair working conditions for Orangenkinder. “For us, sustainability also means paying our seamstresses and embroiderers a good wage for good work,” says Carney.
About the company
Since 1989, company founder and managing director Verena Carney has been concerned with the question of how beautiful children’s shoes can be produced sustainably. She brings over 30 years of experience in the shoe business to her new project Orangenkinder. The company was founded at the end of 2020 in Oberreichenbach near Erlangen in Bavaria.
