Whilst fashion is sadly having a detrimental impact on our natural resources, it also has the ability to become one of the most circular industries. Learn more about what we're doing to fill the gaps in the lifecycle of our shoes. 

An initiative to show and inspire people that the waste that surrounds us can be transformed into something beautiful and useful. The circular economy can open us up to options that are recycled and reused. It’s the old that becomes new.

Fashion has a waste problem, we want to fix it.  With our “On-Demand” production model, we hope to set an example to reduce overproduction and waste of resources, whilst offering you a personalised experience.

ESSEN was founded in response to an industry that overproduces more than it carefully crafts, chases trends more than it determines classics, and wastes more than it sustains. Our ambition is to create a footwear brand that upholds a more conscious pace and process and does no harm when it’s produced or when it’s consumed.

We’re only small, but have big ambitions, and in the wake of a growing climate emergency every action matters. We've partnered with a charity to carbon compensate the making and shipping of our shoes by supporting energy efficiency, forestry, or clean energy projects that offset the same (or more) amount of carbon emissions released into the atmosphere. 

The power of your purchase goes far beyond our product. By shopping with us you not only support small businesses and skilled artisans, but you also have the opportunity to select where you'd like our donation to go, and to track the growth of our donations in real time.

Certified, non-toxic leathers. We only work with leather that is sourced from Leather Working Group (LWG) Gold & Silver-certified tanneries that are committed to chemical innovation and lower impact methods. Learn more about which steps our tanneries are taking to become more sustainable. 

Every ESSEN shoe has a story and we’re so proud of all the hard work and details that go into making them. Using block-chain technology, we’re now able to show you the complete journey through our supply chain.

We’ve learned from master craftsmen to give you shoes that feel as they should - shoes ready to be worn. We’d like to introduce you to the artisans that we work very closely with and give you an insight into what’s involved in creating your favourite shoes.

We believe that the world needs a better solution to single-use packaging, so we’ve partnered with RePack, a reusable and returnable packaging alternative made from recycled materials. It’s a small step that makes a big difference and part of our ongoing journey to become a more responsible business.