Our EcoFriendly Sourcing & Production
Our Philosophy
Since its inception in 1888, Stegmann has operated with one overarching mission: To provide natural comfort to its wearers. Keeping the earth and our natural environment in the forefront of our decisions has helped us to evolve our products with sustainability as a key component of our value chain. Over the years, supply chains expanded and manufacturing processes have evolved, but we still continue to operate and develop with this mission in mind.
Our Supply Chain
An intentionally small supply chain means the shortest distance from farm to feet. We try to minimize transport routes where we can. Therefore, short transport routes from our suppliers, inside our company and to our customers are of high value to us.
- Small batch wool for Eco Clog is sourced from Austria, Europe and Peru
- Leather is sourced and produced in Portugal
- Cork and Rubbers footbeds come from Portugal and Italy
- Most other components we need come from suppliers within several hundred miles
- We utilize post consumer recycled packaging that is plastic free and recyclable
Wool Sourcing
Our principles:
Quality: We are continuously seeking to source only the highest quality wools for our product lines.
Diversity: We strive for diversity in terms of colors and origin. We source from 4 continents + New Zealand. This enables us to use natural wools of varying colors and textures to create color depth.
Protection: We focus on the sourcing of rare species to preserve their population.
We get much of our Stonesheep wool from this flock in Tirol.
Our Wools:With the exception of our Eco Clog line, most of our wool clogs are comprised of a Wool blend that includes Merino wool and locally sourced European wools to add color depth and texture. Our Eco Clogs are comprised entirely of rare wools from a single country of origin. Our Shetland wool comes from Scotland, and our Stonesheep wool comes from quite literally, just down the road in our native Austria.
Wool processing
We are proud to own almost the entire value chain of our wool products (aside from the sheep) – from the wool to the shoe – everything happens in house in Austria.
Zero Waste
We are proud to say that our Stegmann uppers are made with zero waste. All the wool that is lost in the carding, cutting and knitting is recycled so that we have been able to reduce waste significantly, as well as minimize costs.
Additionally, we reduce our energy and thermal losses through smart thermal management and heat recovery that is able to recycle thermal energy from production processes. Where possible, we use renewable energy sources and are undergoing a facility wide effort to assess the possibility of converting entirely to solar.
Water recycling
We use only fresh alpine water for our felting process, and it remains so clean and chemical free during production that we can channel it back into the rivers without environmental impact. The only additives introduced to the water during the felting process are wool fibers, dirt from the wool and lanolin (wool oils). You could technically drink our ‘waste water’, but you probably wouldn’t want to. We have regular water inspections by government agencies, both internally an externally and we are consistently below any critical thresholds.
Cork Sourcing
All the cork used in Stegmann products is sourced from Portugal where it is sustainably grown and harvested. Cork is a natural material with unique properties, obtained from the bark of the cork oak, which is harvested mainly in southern Portugal. The cork oak forests are the home of numberless plant and animal species. The forests regulate the water balance, thus protecting the soil in that area. Thus carbon dioxide is bound to a large extent which is a natural effect against the global climate warming. In the economic- and ecosystem these trees play an important role. The cork industry is remarkably sustainable. The peeling of the trees is done according to clearly defined principles. The trees are not damaged thereby and cork is a renewable raw material which is also recyclable and reusable.
Leather Sourcing
Our tannery in Portugal is a nationally certified leader in chemical reduction and sustainable production practices as well as a rated member of the Leather Working Group and is Chrome Free. We have intentionally kept our supply chain footprint within western Europe and the United States. This helps us ensure a high quality product, as well as minimizes the environmental impact of shipping and manufacturing.