PRESS REVIEWS
The leather that respects your skin
Completely new features eliminate the problems of those suffering from dermatological pathologies who have to give up certain kinds of shoes or bags. Recouping these clients is the objective of askinshoes, registered trademark of the firm Karuna of Montopoli in Val d’Arno (PI). Experimentation-begun several years ago in a laboratory for chemical products – has become a productive itinerary. A Tuscan tannery has begun production of this type of article, structuring a department so as to guarantee the processing of leather to meet standards of antiallergenicity. In its turn the tannery has formed a collaboration to make shoes for both men and women with three shoe factories, which have dedicated a large part of their production to this kind of shoe. Finally, another structure, this time a commercial one, has organised a distribution network dedicated to antiallergenic shoes for sales in Italy in 56 locations by June 2006. The next step will be to enlarge the network to the rest of Europe. Informative communication is scheduled for both doctors and patients, including warranties. Shoes with the askinshoes brand are actually made with a partnership with the dermatological section of the University of Florence, which tests the footwear before it is put on the market. Guaranteeing the quality of the product is not so much the company as the university itself, which will provide a document attesting to its validity. From the beginning the university has proven itself to be a valuable partner during the phases of research and experimentation. Now, given the results obtained with the leather, in the shoes, and above all with the patients, it has entered into an agreement with the commercial society to testify to the quality of the final product. This too is a innovation that shouldn’t be disregarded.
