The Cork Tiger (Portugal Collection)
The Cork Tiger (Portugal Collection)
A bold and neutral “textile” with a great story to tell, our Cork Tiger capsule collection from the Portugal Collection pairs with just about everything. Beyond its good looks, our cork textile is naturally lightweight, flexible, hypo-allergenic and water resistant. It’s also sustainable. These are good fun you can feel good about wearing. Be sure to read more about this incredible material and the making of the collection below. Meow.
DETAILS
Artisan textile handcrafted in Italy with Portuguese cork.
Leather lining and trim.
Supportive insole and removable footbed.
Rubber sole.
Waxed cotton laces.
Shoes made by hand and with love in a family-run factory in Portugal.
Fit Tips: Our shoes come in whole, European sizes. The sizing is unisex. If you wear a half size, we recommend ordering the size down. If you typically wear a half size but have a larger width foot, consider ordering the size up.
THIS ITEM IS FINAL SALE—NO REFUNDS, ONLY STORE CREDIT.
Portuguese Cork
Portugal has the largest cork oak forest in the world, and is the world leader in cork production and products. A symbol of Portuguese heritage and sustainability, cork is an incredible natural material that has been used for centuries. While cork is best known for its use in wine stoppers, it is an incredible material with surprising applications across many industries, from jet engines to, well, our shoes!
Photo: APCOR.
From Bark to Textiles
Our cork textiles are expertly hand crafted by artisans in Italy who use only raw natural and non-toxic materials in the production of their textiles. We love cork for our shoes because it is 100% natural, flexible, soft, recyclable, hypo-allergenic and water and wear-resistant. Most importantly, it also incredibly sustainable.
Photo: APCOR.
Cork Harvesting
Cork oak is still harvested by hand, requiring years of practice and precision by skilled laborers to delicately remove the outer bark layers of the tree without damaging it.
It takes around 15 years for a cork oak tree to grow its first layer. The bark is then harvested in cycles of nine years after that. And only from the third harvesting on – or 27 years later – is the raw cork bark ready for processing.
Photo: APCOR.
Sustainability
The cork oak forest in Portugal – the Montado -- is one of 35 global biodiversity sanctuaries that serves as a vital ecosystem to the region and is one of the best examples of balanced conservation and development in the world. And, contrary to popular belief, the cork tree is not cut down to obtain cork – only the bark is stripped to harvest the cork while the tree continues to live and grow for up to 200 years. Cultivation requires little human intervention, harvesting is done by hand, and processing requires few but safe substances. Ecological, recyclable and reusable, cork is an amazing natural material.
You can watch the video below for more information on the sustainability and harvesting of cork oak.