PERSISKIN

The message of the project

Persiskin and Shoelutions are companies that have both centered their mission on providing sustainable products to the market. Persiskin is a Spanish company, located in Valencia, that has developed a unique vegan skin that is based on persimmon fruit waste from the region of Valencia in Spain. The material contains more than 75% of natural matter and is produced in the same region where the persimmons are grown.

Shoelutions is a Portuguese company that focuses on sustainable fashion and crafts vegan footwear for numerous footwear brands worldwide.

The idea behind the project

The Persiskin Project aims at designing and producing a vegan sneaker from a highly sustainable leather-like material made from persimmon fruit waste from the region of Valencia, Spain in order to demonstrate that it is possible to make a footwear product with extremely high vegetal material content (more than 75%) that delivers the same  quality (resistance, durability, aspect) as animal leather or PVC while reducing the impact of the product on the environment and avoiding animal suffering. In addition, by using a raw material that was otherwise destined to waste, Persiskin returns some income to growers and contributes to revitalizing the local economy

What next?

Demonstrate that an alternative material, with a very high vegetal content, to animal leather and PVC is possible and performs equally well - or better - to make footwear. 

The challenge is not only technical. It is cultural and social as the industry we target is very traditional and is not familiar with new, vegan alternatives yet.