We trust in nature

We have been using natural leather for 200 years, because nature always produces materials that are more durable and full of character than humans could ever create from plastics.

From generations for generations

The Perwanger Leather Tannery was founded in 1780 in the unique and breath-taking Alpine landscape of the Dolomites, which is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The art and craft of tanning has been handed down from father to son for more than five generations and over two hundred years. We have to thank the ingenuity and persistence of the people in the South Tyrol for constantly developing and improving traditional tanning processes to adapt to the challenges of their way of life. The name Perwanger® stands for innovation and long-lasting premium quality in leather production.

Out of a love of nature

The careful and sparing use of nature‘s precious resources comes naturally to mountain dwellers of the impassable Alps, and the Perwanger family are no exception. The smart combination of modern technology and an in-depth knowledge of traditional craftsmanship enables us to produce the unique Perwanger© Leather quality, while minimising the consumption of water and energy. At Perwanger, we are constantly working to build on our expertise to serve people and the environment. The result is innovation born out of a love of nature.

A passion for the mountain world

In 1968 Josef Perwanger met Francesco Delladio, founder of the ‘La Sportiva’ brand. They shared a passion for the mountains and the desire to develop a waterproof mountain boot. Josef Perwanger then managed to produce a leather with water-repellent properties in the early ‘70s. His son Lorenz developed the special ‚Nepal Perwanger’ leather, which is also suitable for bonding rubber trims: The modern mountain boot was born.

Leather is life

We obtain the raw materials for our Perwanger© Leather from selected and certified suppliers. The high-quality hides come from cattle in the Alpine region which are reared for their meat. No animal dies just for Perwanger© Leather!
The traditional craft of tanning preserves the quality of the valuable skins. We process and refine these resources with loving care to create a natural material for shoes that is unsurpassed in its robust vitality.

‘Made in Italy’ quality

Similar to many legendary leather products, Perwanger® Leather is made in Italy: Every stage of production is supervised by qualified specialists in Italy. We do of course comply with the legal requirements of the EU and the strict environmental standards imposed by Italy. Responsibility for quality goes hand in hand with a social responsibility. At Perwanger, we attach great importance to the quality of the employment and the preservation of traditional craftsmanship. That’s why we are committed to thorough training of our employees and high social standards.

This is what athletes say about Perwanger quality

This is the only world we have, which is why we do everything we can to preserve human health and the natural environment: this of course includes ensuring that Perwanger leathers contain no harmful substances.

We are proud to have been awarded the strict OEKO-TEX® LEATHER STANDARD environmental certificate for our high-performance leathers.