Tikki Shoes

Tikki Shoes is een klein familiebedrijf in Roemenië. Het leder wordt geïmporteerd uit Italië (volledig EU gereguleerd) en de productie vindt plaats in Roemenië volgens fair trade principes. Tikki shoes heeft enkel goed opgeleide mensen in dienst, die werken in goede omstandigheden voor een eerlijk loon. De prijzen van Tikki Shoes zijn relatief laag naar Westerse normen omdat de lonen in Roemenië gewoon lager liggen dan in West Europa, en omdat Tikki Shoes zijn materialen zelf importeert. Op die manier bieden ze premium kwaliteit die ver boven de prijs uitsteekt. 

Bekijk hier een filmpje over Tikki Shoes!

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Due to its 2 mm rubber sole, the "barefoot" line from Tikki Shoes can be used outdoor -they are soft, lightweight and ultra flexible. Tikki shoes are not suitable for rain or snow!

1. Made of soft Italian leather - compliant with EU regulations
The leather tanning and finishing process does not comply to the same regulations all over the world. Some countries are using more hazardous chemicals than others. Although there is cheaper leather on the market from sources like China, Pakistan, etc, we have chosen to use only Italian leather for our new line of kids shoes. It’s true that the Italian leather is more expensive but at the same time it complies with the highest European quality and safety regulations.

2. Inner sole made of Chrome free, vegetable-tanned leather
Knowing how much kids love to walk barefoot, we offer not only comfortable and adorable shoes, but most importantly a safe footwear. The human skin absorbs a part of the substances that it’s getting in contact with - which makes it crucial to use harmless, non-toxic materials. The inner sole of the Tikki shoes line is made of vegetable-tanned leather produced in Italy. This leather was processed following a traditional recipe which uses solely tannins from plants, without any dyes, heavy metals, or other chemicals, thus making them 100% safe for the delicate skin of the kids.

Disclaimer! Because the insole is not classically tanned with Chrome, but with vegetable tannins, there is a slight possibility of transferring shades of pink into children's socks. This is normal and occurs mostly when kids sweat - our recommendation for this situation is to wear dark colored socks.

3. No need for stiffeners
A healthy footwear protects the feet from cold and injuries allowing the barefoot walking sensation all along. As studies have shown, the plastic stiffeners or any other rigid re-enforcing materials do help shoes to keep their original shape but they also force the finger joints to take that specific shape. Tikki shoes do not use any stiffeners at all in order to allow the leather to stretch and mold perfectly on every foot shape. In time, the original shape of the shoes may suffer but the kids’ feet would grow unrestricted.

4. Outer sole made of 2mm Vibram rubber for excellent grip
Vibram® is the worldwide leader in manufacturing high performance rubber soles. The brand was created in 1937 by Vitale Braman, and ever since it has continuously offered highly valued products in areas such as climbing, running, work safety or orthopedics. The renowned Vibram® logo is synonymous with quality, safety as well as innovative design.
Tikki’s sole was especially designed to facilitate kids’ first steps. A flexible and thin outsole allows the kids to properly feel the ground. This gives them confidence in the learning process and strengthens the muscles for a perfect walk.
The outer rubber based sole, together with the inner vegetable-tanned leather sole (aprox. 1.4mm), creates an elastic combination that allows the barefoot sensation, offering excellent protection at the same time.