Negroni's goal of regeneration and circulation
We reclaim the goods we produce through a process of sole restoration that involves over 1,000 pairs of soles per year, returning them to their owners in beautiful condition.
This is an important mission of Negroni, a factory brand, and it is also our brand philosophy that we always want to be regenerative in spirit.
Negroni repairs go through the same process as the production line and are handmade.
We are always deeply impressed by the awareness of each and every customer who uses their purchased products with great care for a long time while having them repaired.
This is because we can realize a next-generation product cycle of "regeneration and circulation" by carefully using the purchased sneakers for a long time with sole replacement repairs, instead of discarding them.
Divergence from Well-Being
However, there is a point of view that what is a common concept for us, who have our own factory, is a very minority for the shoe manufacturing industry until now. In the traditional shoe production industry, which has been producing and consuming shoes on a large scale, our methods and ideas of manufacturing and repairing shoes are seen as too inefficient.
In the apparel and footwear business model, we have always felt uncomfortable with the idea of manufacturing a large volume of products each season, introducing them to the market, and disposing of or discarding them if they do not sell well. Simply continuing to overwrite production and consumption without considering "regeneration and circulation" will eventually create distortions and disrupt the cycle.
Besides, it is not only the products that are manufactured that are discarded. In addition to the large quantities of metal and plastic molds generated by each design, materials such as soles and leathers have nowhere to go once they are no longer marketed, resulting in a large amount of waste. Moreover, for some reason, the responsibility for disposal is almost always borne by the manufacturer contracted to produce the product, not by the ordering party or the brand.
I feel that this is a major departure from the global trend toward reducing environmental impact and promoting responsible manufacturing in the context of sound economic activities. Even if Negroni is in the minority, we would like to co-create the future of manufacturing with our users through the "regeneration and circulation" of products.
Creating a mechanism for successful continuation
Negroni takes responsibility for the products it plans once and continues to produce them for as long as possible. This is because we know that the quality of a product can never be measured in a single season. This is in line with Negroni's own manufacturing concept of continuity and updating, which is influenced by the way car culture works. It may seem obvious from a manufacturer's ethical point of view to continue to make and waste as much as possible, even if it has been on the market for more than 10 years, but it is no easy task to keep up with the times and continue to create cycles of continuity.
One of Negroni's strengths is its ability to reproduce and reissue almost any product, as long as the materials do not become unavailable as the years go by. By continuing to carefully craft our products by carefully examining the materials used, rather than being caught up in transient market trends, we are able to reduce waste and create a cycle of good circulation.
Italian-made rubber soles have been used by Negroni for more than 20 years. They now bear the brand's logo stamp.
Toward a Positive Industry
Old shoe production has been largely eliminated by the 2020 Covid-19 trend, and we are sensing a slight shift in direction. There seems to be a growing number of environmentally conscious companies that are trying to balance economic and social concerns, and are offering more and more services for the future.
We are also considering initiatives to use more environmentally friendly materials, such as the transition to rubber soles made from renewable, upcycled materials as our next goal. If the brand, the material manufacturer, and the manufacturing plant all have a firm vision and share an awareness of social issues together, Negroni will be able to achieve its ideal of "regeneration and circulation.
