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Arsutoria Magazine

La rivoluzione green di Mojito Re-Shoes by SCARPA

L’iconica Mojito di SCARPA è oggi proposta in una versione totalmente ripensata in chiave sostenibile. SCARPA, l’azienda italiana leader nella produzione di calzature outdoor per alpinismo, climbing, hiking, trail running e sci alpinismo, ha infatti annunciato il lancio sul mercato di Mojito Re-Shoes, una nuova versione del modello ispirato al climbing, interamente progettato e realizzato secondo i principi dell’eco-design. Si tratta della prima calzatura che fornisce una soluzione alternativa e circolare per la gestione del “fine vita” delle calzature all’interno della stessa filiera produttiva, un cambiamento realizzato grazie al progetto LIFE Re-Shoes, coordinato da SCARPA nell’ambito del programma LIFE dell’Unione Europea. La campagna di raccolta, attiva per due anni all’interno delle reti distributive europee di SCARPA, ha consentito all’azienda di recuperare calzature usate, in quantità sufficienti per produrre 15.000 paia di nuove Mojito Re-Shoes.

“Questo progetto, che ora si conclude con la commercializzazione del prodotto – ha affermato Sandro Parisotto, Presidente di SCARPA – rappresenta un nuovo punto di partenza per l’industria calzaturiera: l’idea è quella di sviluppare un nuovo modello di business più sostenibile, in cui le calzature a fine vita diventino la fonte da cui ricavare nuovi materiali da impiegare direttamente nella produzione di nuove scarpe. Un approccio circolare che restituisce valore a ciò che esiste già, riduce gli sprechi e promuove un’idea più consapevole di prodotto e di impresa”.

DESIGN FOR RECYCLING CONCEPT

Il cuore dell’innovazione è un processo avanzato di idrolisi selettiva, che ha permesso di separare tomaia e suola, decomporre chimicamente la pelle e rigenerarla in nuovo materiale. Le suole usurate sono state macinate e trasformate in nuove intersuole, mentre il nuovo battistrada ed i rinforzi sono stati ottenuti con alte percentuali di materiale riciclato. Nel dettaglio, l’intersuola contiene fino al 35% di materiale proveniente da suole macinate e la suola è composta per il 50% da gomma devulcanizzata, ottenuta dagli scarti produttivi di SCARPA. In generale, le scarpe risultano difficili da riciclare a causa della complessa stratificazione di materiali eterogenei che le compongono, spesso difficili da separare in fase di smaltimento. La Mojito Re-Shoes, invece, è stata progettata seguendo i principi del “design for recycling”: sono stati eliminati gli occhielli in metallo, ridotto il numero di materiali utilizzati e impiegate nuove tecnologie, favorendo così la separabilità dei componenti (suola e tomaia). Questo approccio rende a sua volta la Mojito Re-Shoes più facilmente riciclabile a fine vita, senza comprometterne l’estetica e la funzionalità che hanno reso iconico il modello originale. Il processo di riciclo e quello produttivo sono tracciabili digitalmente e accompagnati da un’analisi LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) che fornirà dati puntuali su emissioni, consumo di acqua, energia e sostanze chimiche impiegate nel processo produttivo.


TFL highlights sustainable leather solutions at IILF 2026

The global supplier of leather chemicals is strengthening its position as a partner for responsible innovation and high performance in the leather industry.

TFL confirms its participation in the India International Leather Fair (IILF) 2026, taking place from 1–3 February 2026 at the Chennai Trade Centre in India. Building on a tradition spanning more than 20 years, TFL will present its high-quality leather chemical solutions.

At booth H1A‑05‑A in Hall 1, TFL will not only showcase its latest collection of leather articles for garments, accessories, and footwear in the forecasted Spring–Summer 2027 colors, but also demonstrate its commitment to sustainability and efficiency combined with technical excellence.

A particular highlight this year will be TFL’s “local for local” range of ultra‑low bisphenol syntans, developed to support ecological production without compromising performance. These ultra‑low bisphenol solutions remain a key focus, as TFL continues to offer a versatile portfolio enabling the manufacture of all types of leather articles while staying below the detection level for bisphenols.

In addition to the ultra‑low bisphenol range, the exhibition will demonstrate how TFL delivers solutions that best meet tanners’ and market demands, including:

* A new era of biobased products with a high share of biogenic carbon.

* The RODA® Line coating application system for versatile finishing.

* An extended waterproofing portfolio enhancing protection and durability.

 

After Pinocchio, the shoes

In recent years, sustainability has ceased to be a mere trend and has become a categorical imperative for the fashion industry. The need to reduce carbon footprints and limit the use of petroleum derivatives has prompted designers and materials engineers to explore unexpected frontiers, seeking solutions that combine aesthetics, comfort and respect for the environment. Thus, after Pinocchio, shoes are once again being made from wood, a natural resource that, when properly managed, offers incredible strength and, surprisingly, flexibility. One example is the Woowe brand, which has managed to combine Italian craftsmanship with a totally vegan approach. This brand produces luxury footwear using a very thin sheet of flexible wood. The result is an ethical shoe that is surprisingly soft, but also unique because it bears the grain of the trunk and the history of the tree from which it comes, demonstrating how sustainability can be combined with aesthetics and elegance to compete at the highest levels of international fashion.

Another example of green excellence that creates fashion from wood waste is DotZero, a brand of handmade sneakers made in Italy, in Florence, using waste material from wood processing and the paper industry. Wood and paper account for 94% of DotZero’s components. These products are processed to give the final material the mechanical and physical properties common to the plastics widely used today. The insole, on the otherhand, is made from a material composed of natural fibres derived from coconut food processing waste. This material is agglomerated with the addition of natural latex to create a real dough that is then rolled out and pressed.

Not only that: both brands deal with the ‘end of life’ of the product. Often, even shoes defined as sustainable end up in landfill once worn out, as the different materials they are made of (glues, plastics, fabrics) are difficult to separate. At Woowe, every part can be recycled and reused, promoting a circular economy, as is the case with DotZero, where shoes that have reached the end of their useful life can be returned to the brand’s team, which processes them to create new products, thus closing the circle perfectly.

DotZero
DotZero
Woowe
Woowe


GOT BAG: from trash, to treasure

Freeing the oceans from plastic waste. With this mission in mind, Benjamin Mandos founded GOT BAG in 2018, developing the world’s first Ocean Impact plastic backpack and establishing his first clean-up programme in Demak, Indonesia. Here, participants collect Ocean Impact plastic, i.e. plastic found in the sea or coastal areas, to create beautiful and healthy products for the planet. The company directly involves local communities in waste collection and disposal, spreading a culture of active environmental protection. As a certified B Corp™ company, it is also part of a global network that meets high standards of social and environmental impact. GOT BAG products impress with their minimalist and timeless design.


Pop-Up by ZOOM BAGS: exclusive design, sustainable soul

Created by Chiara Caramelli, Pop-Up by ZOOM BAGS is the travel trolley born from the idea of reducing the bulk of suitcases, to make them more sustainable during the production, transport and storage process, but also more convenient to store at home. Its exclusive and recognisable design was awarded the iF DESIGN AWARD 2024 and selected by ADI DESIGN INDEX for the Compasso d’Oro 2024. Not only that: its shell is made of E.V.A. with over 60% recycled material from shoe sole production waste, extremely impact-resistant but soft, so that if accidentally dropped, it bounces instead of breaking. The linings are made from 100% PES fabric recycled from plastic bottles and dead stock for the colours. Furthermore, thanks to the patented Easy-Click system, replacing the wheels is extremely easy and, in the event of wear or damage, they can be purchased as a replacement accessory and replaced independently. A lightweight, trendy, customisable product designed to last.


Sustainable transition in fashion: the 4sustainability event

The 12th edition of the annual 4sustainability event, which has become a regular fixture for professionals who want to discuss sustainable transition, was successfully concluded on 3 October 2025 at the Eurojersey production facility in Caronno Pertusella, in the province of Varese.

The protagonist of the initiative is Ympact, a brand of the Italian YHub Group that provides innovative services and IT platforms for responsible fashion and which, through the integration of skills, methods and technology, supports brands and supply chains in tracking and reducing the environmental and social impacts of production.

Ympact is the platform that implements the 4sustainability framework, which companies can use to measure their performance on key sustainability dimensions in the sector. It brings together the companies of the YHub group, which has seen the entry into the corporate structure of Foro delle Arti (Brunello Cucinelli SpA holding company), Matteo Marzotto, Federico Marchetti, Giorgio Armani SpA and Fondazione del Tessile Italiano.

The two co-founders of Ympact, Francesca Rulli (creator of the 4sustainability® framework) and Massimo Brandellero (founder of The ID Factory), commented: ‘This event, with over 500 participants, confirms the industry’s interest in shared paths towards responsible fashion: brands and supply chains are called upon to collaborate in tracking processes and products and monitoring environmental and social impact towards new models of sustainable production. With Ympact, we support brands and supply chains in this direction through expertise, methodologies and supporting technologies.’

Tracing Fashion to a Responsible Future

After introductory remarks by Rulli and Crespi, Valentina Boschetto Doorly (Associate Partner Italy, Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies) outlined the four mega trends that characterise our historical period: climate change, demographic change, technology and artificial intelligence, and deglobalisation. In order to respond adequately to these four trends, it is necessary to track data, processes and supply chains – as outlined by Francesca Rulli and Massimo Brandellero – so as to enable the management of a responsible supply chain and production model based on harmonised frameworks and supported by experts and technology.

Digital Product Passport and Supply Chain Due Diligence

The Ympact system is designed to facilitate the adoption of the Digital Product Passport (DPP), made mandatory by the European Ecodesign Regulation (ESPR): a topic at the centre of the dialogue between Michele Zuccheri (Head of Business Development, Certilogo) and Carolynn Bernier (Coordinator, CIRPASS-2 consortium). But, in practical terms, how can we ensure that systematic data collection becomes the starting point for genuine improvement? This was the starting point for the debate between Elisa Gavazza (Southern Europe and Quality Management Director, ZDHC), Daniele Massetti (Regional Lead Italy, Apparel Impact Institute), Alessandro Barrani (Industrial Sustainability Manager, Prada) and Elisa Santi (Sustainability Manager, Beste), moderated by Ester Falletta (Technical Director, Consorzio Physis | Consultant, Ympact).

The discussion then turned to supply chain due diligence, comparing the consulting perspective, represented by Deloitte with Partner Franco Amelio, with whom Ympact has just launched a White Paper on good monitoring practices, and that of a brand of the calibre of Giorgio Armani. Rossella Ravagli, Sustainability Director at Giorgio Armani, emphasised how the supplier monitoring system must start with a significant commitment on the part of the company.

To consolidate its structure and reinforce long-established best practices, the Armani Group has streamlined its supplier base, imposed clear contractual clauses and carried out unannounced checks. Starting this year, the entire process is supported by the Ympact technology platform for data collection and traceability, aimed at digitising and optimising the procedures adopted.  

However, for monitoring systems to work, they must be harmonised with each other. Otherwise, suppliers risk being overwhelmed by heterogeneous, repetitive and purely compilative requests. Harmonisation is the concept that guides Ympact in defining 4s ETHIC, the new 4sustainability pillar through which suppliers can certify their compliance (environmental, social and reputational) in line with market demands, due diligence and the legality protocol. Luca Sburlati (President, Confindustria Moda), Paolo Tondi (Italy Certification Sales Manager, Bureau Veritas) and Andrea Sianesi (Professor of Operations and Supply Chain Management, Politecnico di Milano) discussed the topic.

Made in Italy and unfair competition

Luca Sburlati, president of Confindustria Moda, made it clear that the sector – which employs 1.2 million people in Italy and accounts for 5% of GDP, according to CDP – must face competition from Chinese giants, who can afford to offer rock-bottom prices thanks to their very low environmental and social standards and the absence of customs duties on small shipments. Made in Italy, currently under attack, can move from reactivity to proactivity by working together on a major plan for the next ten years. Three measures to be accelerated, he explained, are the extended producer responsibility (EPR) system, factory monitoring (including suppliers’ factories) and a common auditing system.

One of the most significant measures taken in recent months is the Memorandum of Understanding for the legality of procurement contracts in the fashion supply chain, signed at the Prefecture of Milan at the end of May. Andrea Sianesi, Professor of Operations and Supply Chain Management at the Politecnico di Milano, contributed to this project. Sianesi emphasised that, thanks to the collaboration of all stakeholders, the legality protocol has the potential to transform Made in Italy into a world champion of social sustainability, because it protects those who operate responsibly and isolates those who do not. However, for this mechanism to work in market terms, incentives for sustainable production are needed.

Francesca Rulli


Vivolo: materials, culture and responsibility

Led by two generations of family governance, Vivolo has not simply stood the test of time: it has anticipated it. From the first leather patch made from industrial waste in the 1970s to a range that now includes over 15 million accessories produced every year.

Based in San Lazzaro di Savena (BO), in a 10,000 m² building where nature inhabits the production spaces, Vivolo operates through a vertically integrated model: every stage, from design to prototyping, from the choice of materials to production and quality control, is managed in-house, allowing for maximum flexibility, record prototyping times (24 hours) and a tailor-made service for partners and fashion houses around the world.

In 2025, the company published its first Sustainability Report (2023-2024), a concrete and voluntary testimony to a commitment that spans every area of the company. The document, drawn up in accordance with EFRAG standards, provides a transparent and integrated view of the company. In addition, it has defined a multi-year ESG roadmap that includes, in addition to the annual sustainability report, the digitisation of traceability and greater transparency throughout the supply chain, investments in responsible innovation (new regenerated and bio-based materials, solvent-free technologies and low-impact machinery), as well as the expansion of training partnerships with schools and institutions to promote a culture of circular design.


Making of: Arsutoria School

A new direction for the future of education

Arsutoria School and Istituto Secoli announce a new campus in Milan’s Certosa District, opening in the second half of 2026. These two Italian institutions, with over 90 years of history, announce the opening of their new Milan campus on Via Barrella, in the heart of the “Certosa District” project developed by RealStep. Starting in mid-2026, the institutions will share a modern campus, designed to house laboratories, research areas, and student living spaces.

Artificial Intelligence in the Arsutoria School’s Design Course: Tools, Methodology, and Student Experience

Speed up, amplify, and make the final project more readable. Valentino Parlato, coordinator of the Arsutoria School’s design courses, comments: “AI shortens time, but creativity and technique remain the human side of the work.” This is the vision that guides the school’s shoe and bag design courses: integrating advanced tools while maintaining a solid foundation in drawing, technical knowledge, and digitalization. It is from this core that AI becomes a true ally.

Arsutoria School and Newlast join forces for training in last design

Following the experience gained during 2025 at the Fermo ITS, which saw the launch of the first training course on lasts organized by Arsutoria in collaboration with Newlast, the Milanese school has decided to invest further resources in the extraordinary world of last design. The arrival of a next-generation 3D scanner marks a new step forward in training courses dedicated to lasts and soles.

Technology report

The 51st edition confirmed its status as a strategic business platform, with over 7,000 visitors, approximately 49% of whom were international, and 25% of exhibitors from abroad.

The leading event for technology and machinery in the footwear, leather goods and tanning industries closed its 51st edition on 25 September at Fiera Milano Rho, confirming its status as the sector’s strategic platform of reference, capable of generating new connections and business opportunities at an international level: over 7,000 visitors, approximately 49% of whom were international, and 25% of exhibitors from around 20 countries. These results were made possible thanks to the valuable support of the Italian Trade Agency (ICE) and close collaboration with Lineapelle, which led to over 9,000 visitors attending both fairs.

“In a particularly difficult year, with a 12.8% decline in exports in the first five months of 2025, our sector is showing solid resilience. Simac Tanning Tech is the place where Italian excellence is showcased, promoting technology transfer and collaboration on a global level. It is here that we show the world how our innovation can help build a more competitive and resilient production system.” commented Mauro Bergozza, President of Assomac.

The event is also an expression of the Italian footwear, leather goods and tanning machinery supply chain, which confirms its leadership and propensity for innovation and has maintained a substantially stable number of companies and employees in recent years. The sector, which has 225 active companies and exports worth €385 million, is unique in Europe, having been created and developed thanks to close collaboration between machinery manufacturers and manufacturing companies.

This result is all the more significant when considered in the context of a difficult overall situation, with the Italian footwear, leather goods and tanning machinery industry facing a critical phase from 2024 onwards.

Innovation Outlook 2025: AI, robotics and sustainability

Among the stands, a sector emerged that is embracing the digital transition with unprecedented concreteness, focusing on machinery capable of transforming production into a fluid and connected ecosystem.

The first major trend concerns Artificial Intelligence applied to vision. We are no longer talking about simple sensors, but about machines that ‘learn’. Advanced systems capable of recognising leather defects in a matter of seconds, classifying them and suggesting the optimal placement to drastically reduce waste. Cutting tables equipped with ‘superpowers’ have been presented: soon, operators will be able to interact with the software even through voice commands, combining irreplaceable artisan experience with the precision of the algorithm.

Robotics has taken a further step towards total flexibility. Automatic gluing and carding systems now adapt autonomously without the need for machine downtime or costly reprogramming. It is interconnected automation: platforms have been created that network data and operators, ensuring total traceability through RFID systems and integrated X-ray quality controls.

Sustainability is the other fundamental pillar. It manifests itself both in materials – with new recycled and bio-based polymers – and in processes. Chemical-physical expansion technologies for polyurethane allow for extreme lightness with unaltered performance, while the transition to fully electric machinery guarantees, in some cases, energy savings and the abandonment of hydrocarbons, in line with the Industry 5.0 philosophy.

Finally, attention to people closes the circle. From new cyclone extraction systems for cleaner air to machines designed to allow seated working, Simac 2025 tells us that technology is now the best ally for healthier, more precise and more environmentally friendly work.