At Botanica, we are making leather sandals for next fall and winter, but we do not use leather for anything else.
This time, too, I had intended to use leather for shoes, provided it was a byproduct of the food industry.
Even when I asked the factory staff, I couldn't confirm if it was originally for food, so I asked about the age of the cattle.
As a designer, I was ignorant; I didn't realize kid leather came from such young cattle.
And as for how haircell (harako) is made, tears came to my eyes as I listened to the explanation.

I decided against it after all. No leather, whatsoever.

The very idea of calling it a byproduct of the food industry implies treating life as if it were an industrial product.
However, shoe production inherently relies on leather, with processes like stretching and attaching soles to molds. Not using leather presents a significant handicap.
Yet, I believe that by finding innovative solutions, foregoing leather could lead to new design possibilities.

Creating without harming any living beings or the soil is a difficult endeavor. Conversely, it means that human existence has, until now, been built upon countless sacrifices.

But I feel that by mobilizing all our current technology, ingenuity, and the wisdom of our predecessors, humanity can become a force that benefits others.
As if to be the father and mother to all living creatures.