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Penelope Chilvers is inspired by the Past with Respect for the Future
We love the natural world and are constantly reviewing our processes to ensure that sustainability sits at the heart of our business.
Back to Slow
When the brand was launched in 2002, we wanted to take a quality over quantity approach to production. We work with skilled local artisans and makers to create pieces that are made to last. Our Goodyear welt construction sits at the heart of this, with durable soles that can be renewed when worn through. This allows customers to breathe new life into their boots every few years and keep them looking good as new.
Makers in Mind
We believe that if something is to be made, it should be made well. Our family run factories and independent artisans have been a part of our story from the beginning, growing alongside us. They have great knowledge and skill passed down through the generations. We have a close working relationship and visit these factories many times a year, seeing first-hand that our makers work in happy environments that operate within EU employment laws.
The Old in the New
We are passionate about keeping dying crafts alive. We work closely with the artisans, who have taught Penelope over the years, and we encourage age-old techniques, knowing that these are often more sustainable in the modern world.
Replaceable Sole
The majority of our collection is made using the Goodyear welt™ construction, which ensures a longer lifecycle for the shoes, often 10 years or more, if cared for correctly. Goodyear welt™ construction allows for the shoes or boots to be entirely resoled.
Made to Order
Producing close to home means that we don't need to produce in great volume, creating wastage. Any surplus raw materials are re-purposed. You will often see a repeated design or material in our collections. We call these Waste-Not-Want-Not pieces.
Plastic-Free Packaging
Our packaging is plastic-free and we use biodegradable materials at all times from our boot boxes to our carrier bags.
Producing in Leather
Vegetable tanned leather is natural and we love to include it in our designs whenever possible. However, for some styles chrome tanned leather is more appropriate. To ensure this more modern production style meets our standards, we follow the Leather Working Group standards for ethical and environmental credentials of leather suppliers across the world and prioritise their audited gold and silver rated tanneries.
Made In Spain
We are a British brand with a strong Spanish equestrian heritage at the heart of everything we do. Our factories and workshops are based in Spain, and we use local materials whenever possible. By sourcing our materials within Spain and Europe, and transporting by road, not air, we are sure to keep our carbon footprint as low as possible.
Photography by Emma Hardy