Sylven New York is Likely a Fully Vegan Brand

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Sylven New York Brand Overview

"Sustainability cannot exist without taking into consideration the people involved in the making process. We are committed to working only with factories that are ethically certified. They provide excellent working conditions while paying fair wages to our artisans." - Sylven New York team

About Sylven New York

"Innovative materials are a driving force for our brand. We are always in pursuit of the best plant-based, organic, bio-based, biodegradable, recycled, and renewable components. Our vegan leathers, our recycled rubber soles, and even the glue we use, all seek to reinvent how footwear is produced, from the inside out." - Sylven New York team

What materials are used to make Sylven New York shoes and boots?

Within each shoe's description on the Sylven website it will give a general breakdown of the materials used to make that shoe. For example, their limited edition ALMASI silver vegan apple leather boots contain the following materials:
-Apple leather vegan uppers
-Vegan lining made from renewable plant-based resources (wheat and barley by-product)
-Regenerated rubber sole (melted down "off-cut" waste from their factory)
-Custom fair trade artisan-made gold diamond-shaped zipper pull
-Apple leather-covered heel
Additionally, other models contain materials such as:
-Coconut husk insoles
-Vegan Nappa (made from 100% recycled fibres)
-Closed-loop heels (from their factory partner)
-Closed-loop lasts (from their factory partner)

Are their shoes eco-friendly/sustainable?

Although it's difficult to truly define and quantify the sustainability of a product, Sylven New York makes quite an effort to ensure that their shoes & boots are as environmentally-friendly as possible, as they incorporate many plant-based leathers and recycled materials into their designs, in addition to working with a shoe recycling partner. And while the plant-based leathers they use are generally considered worse for the environment than organic natural materials, those plant-based leather materials are still considered to be much more environmentally friendly than animal-derived leathers (due to the inclusion of various toxic chemicals used in the tanning process, among other reasons). This is backed up by data from inside the fashion industry as well as outside of it. For the data, please see Collective Fashion Justice’s CIRCUMFAUNA initiative. All-in-all, for a leather-look shoe company, they are doing quite well in the eco-friendliness category - so much so that Marie Claire UK awarded them "Best Sustainable Accessory Brand" in 2021.

Does production of their shoes create a lot of CO2 emissions?

From a carbon footprint standpoint, it's difficult to asses the impact that Sylven New York has, and what they do to remediate it. The brand does not currently provide data as to their environmental impact or remediation efforts, so it's difficult to accurately asses them in these areas. However, it's worth mentioning that their materials and production are all from Italy, which means there is less travel involved in bringing the components into production, which saves on emissions creation. Also, their vegan Nappa leather is made without any virgin plastics and uses a water-based manufacturing process. According to Sylven, this water-based process still uses 95% less water than the standard chemical process, and energy consumption is also reduced in this process by roughly 55%.

Does Sylven use eco-friendly packaging?

Yes! According to the brand, "Every pair of Sylven New York shoes is shipped with recycled paper, recycled cotton dust bags, and recycled and recyclable shoe boxes. We employ a plastic-free packaging mandate with all of our factory partners, and we encourage them to extend these regulations into their day-to-day practices."

Are Sylven New York shoes recyclable?

In part, yes. Sylven New York works with a recycling partner, TerraCycle, to ensure proper recycling and disposal of all unusable parts of their products.

How should I dispose of my old Sylven New York shoes?

Our best advice is to contact Sylven to find out about how to send their shoes to them or their partner, TerraCycle, in order to ensure proper recycling and disposal of all unusable parts of their products.

What stores can I buy their shoes from?

Sylven New York shoes can be purchased from their website, and can be shipped within the United States (but if you contact them, they may be able to accommodate international shipping, on a case-by-case basis). We've asked them if they have plans to work with retailers, and are currently awaiting reply.

Do their shoes ever go on sale?

We haven’t noticed any sales for Sylven shoes when visiting their site and perusing their social channels. However, they currently offer a 50$ voucher for subscribing to their newsletter.

Where are Sylven shoes made?

Sylven shoes and boots are handcrafted in Italy. Their materials are also sourced from within Italy.

Are their shoes made with fair labour?

Yes! Sylven shoes and boots are made in Italy, which means their labourers are protected by the stringent labour laws of the European Union, which also include strong health and safety regulations.

Does Sylven promote ‘slow fashion’ or a ‘circular economy’?

Very much so. Sylven incorporates several elements of a circular economy/slow fashion model, such as: employing fair labour; using recycled materials; using innovative plant-based leathers; avoiding discount-level pricing; making timeless styles; making their products by hand; working with a shoe repair partner; using eco-friendly packaging; and using closed-loop shoe lasts, heels, and soles.

Is Sylven a charitable company?

We’ve asked their team about any charitable initiatives they're involved with (if any), and are currently awaiting reply, as there is no such information available on their website.

Does Sylven use ‘green’ shipping methods?

It's unclear from their website if Sylven New York uses net-zero or negative emissions shipping partners, either domestically or internationally. We’ve asked them for clarification, and are currently awaiting reply.

Sylven New York Footwear Range

Sylven New York makes luxury women's boots, sneakers and flats with an elegant, leather-look aesthetic. Their footwear is made in timeless styles with modern touches, and sells at a high-end price point. Their current lineup includes: