Implementation of a responsible purchasing policy (our suppliers are selected based on environmental criteria)
Everything is designed to generate as little waste as possible throughout production.
Thanks to our ability to stretch leather and replace soles, our shoes can last a lifetime.
Leather scraps are reused whenever possible, or resold to individuals or leather goods artisans.
La Botte Gardiane sources its exceptional leathers from environmentally friendly tanneries (all water is filtered and purified) located mainly in France (and in Italy and Spain if there is no equivalent leather available in France). More than 20% of our production uses 100% vegetable-tanned leather, which is non-polluting and guaranteed chrome-free. We use accessories such as shoe boxes made from recycled cardboard and manufactured in France, tissue paper made by a French Living Heritage Company, and even our thank you cards are French!
We have established long-lasting relationships based on trust with our main suppliers. Our approach is not to seek out the best prices, but to always offer a product of excellence, sourced from France whenever possible. We only select French suppliers if they meet our quality criteria; the raw materials must offer real added value.
The cutting of the hides is optimized to minimize waste. Leather scraps from boots are reused for sandals, certain linings, bracelets, or insoles. Scraps are also available for sale or donation.
All lighting in the building (interior and exterior) is provided entirely by LEDs. In addition, La Botte Gardiane has followed CARSAT recommendations to ensure that each workstation is equipped with 500-lumen LED lighting. This ensures real comfort for operators (no stroboscopic effect or eye strain) and energy savings. The building is constructed in accordance with the RT2012 standard: The building sector is the largest consumer of energy in France (42.5% of total final energy) and generates 23% of greenhouse gas emissions. To combat this and reduce the energy consumption of French homes, the Grenelle Environment Forum has implemented a program to combat climate change and control energy consumption. The RT 2012 thermal regulation is one of the measures adopted at the end of the Grenelle Environment Forum. The workshop/shop car park is equipped with charging stations for electric cars.
Our workshop in Aigues-Vives, in the south of France, is equipped with a centralized dust and solvent extraction system. This means that there are no fine particles or solvent vapors in the air that our employees could inhale.
La Botte Gardiane fights against all forms of discrimination, whether in hiring or throughout the careers of its employees. Equal pay for men and women, diversity in employee backgrounds, and accessibility for people with disabilities are just a few examples.
Every effort has been made to promote well-being at work. Noise pollution generated by production activities is reduced thanks to micro-perforated soundproof walls, which improve the acoustics. To cope with high temperatures, the building is fully air-conditioned and has been constructed in accordance with the RT2012 standard.
The new premises in Aigues-Vives feature a spacious and bright break room with a terrace and comfortable furniture. Facilities are designed to encourage fun activities and team building, including table soccer and ping pong (made in France, of course).
To adapt to everyone's lifestyle, La Botte Gardiane has set up a time account: each employee can adapt their schedule as they wish and make up for any hours not worked if necessary. Every two weeks, we hold a “fougasse meeting” (named after a regional bakery specialty) to discuss the health of the company, the status of orders, and any difficulties or successes we encounter. Finally, twice a year, each employee is invited to an individual interview to discuss their feelings about their position, their working environment, their cohesion with the team, and their aspirations. We try to ensure that no one comes in feeling stressed or anxious.
We have established long-lasting relationships based on trust with our main suppliers. Our approach is not to seek out the best prices, but to always offer a product of excellence, sourced from France whenever possible. We only select French suppliers if they meet our quality criteria; the raw materials must offer real added value.
Generally speaking, 65% of our supply comes from France, 25% from Italy, and 10% from Spain. More specifically, our leathers come from:
