A responsible journey
Since the beginning, natural and responsible materials have been a conscious and close choice for us. From the materials we select to the processes we work with in production, we strive for environmentally friendly solutions that take both people, wildlife, and the nature around us into consideration.
It is not a final destination, but an ongoing journey where we continuously work to improve and take even greater responsibility.
craftmanship & product
The product is at the heart of our business at bisgaard. We take great pride in ensuring that our shoes meet strict standards regarding unwanted chemicals, quality, and environmental responsibility. This is essential so that parents can choose bisgaard shoes for their children with full confidence.
Focus on unwanted chemicals
We have a strong focus on minimising the use of unwanted chemicals in our products. It is important to us to ensure that children receive products that are both safe and of high quality. Therefore, we comply with REACH standards, which are among the most comprehensive chemical safety regulations in the world.
Our commitment to avoiding unwanted chemicals means that we continuously update our production processes and select materials that meet the strictest safety requirements. This ensures that you, as a consumer, can feel confident using bisgaard products, knowing that they are free from unwanted substances.
LWG – Leather Working Group
At bisgaard, we work step by step to reduce our environmental impact on the world we all call home. An important step in this journey is using leather from certified tanneries. At the beginning of 2024, bisgaard achieved LWG certification as a company. This means that our production processes have been audited and approved according to the standards of the Leather Working Group – a globally recognised certification that evaluates tanneries based on a range of environmental criteria.
Are there fluorinated substances in our TEX membrane?
Like many other shoe manufacturers, we use a TEX membrane in many of our shoes and boots at bisgaard, making them waterproof and keeping children’s feet dry on rainy days. Waterproof membranes have recently been the subject of debate, as some may contain problematic fluorinated substances (PFAS) to achieve water resistance.
However, our TEX membrane is free from PFAS, as we set high standards for both materials and suppliers.
The best materials from nature
At bisgaard, sustainable materials have been a natural choice from the very beginning. When we design and create new collections, it is close to our hearts to use the very best materials nature has to offer. Natural materials such as leather, 100% wool, organic cotton, and natural rubber have an inherent durability and long lifespan, and often become even more beautiful over time.
Nature has endlessly much to offer and inspires us every day with its colours, textures, and fascinating patterns. Behind every design choice at bisgaard lies a deeper intention that celebrates the love of nature’s own artistry – because our children’s feet deserve the very best.
eco care
Eco Care is the story of falling in love with the finest materials nature has to offer and highlighting their beauty, quality, and durability in sustainable designs created with care for the environment.
Every single day, we work dedicatedly to ensure a more sustainable everyday life, where we can make a difference by producing responsibly and respectfully, while taking good care of people, wildlife, and nature.
Free from harmful chemicals
For us, it is essential that our customers feel confident when choosing bisgaard. We work dedicatedly to ensure that our footwear does not contain unwanted chemicals and has no harmful impact on either the environment or human health. bisgaard’s collections are free from harmful chemicals in accordance with the EU REACH regulation. We set strict requirements for our suppliers regarding the content of harmful chemical substances and continuously follow developments in this area.
Created with care for people and nature
We put heart, passion, and care into everything we do – from design to production and distribution. We maintain long-standing and close relationships with our suppliers, who share the same passion for shoes as we do. Together with our suppliers, we ensure that our shoes are created with consideration for both people and nature.
A large part of bisgaard’s collections is handmade in Portugal by passionate craftsmen who take pride in refining every detail. The country has a long and rich tradition in footwear production. Thanks to close and long-term collaboration, we have established a stable, quality-conscious, and responsible production.
We believe that the best shoes are made close to the origin of the raw materials, where local expertise in handling them is innovative and unique. Therefore, a smaller part of bisgaard’s collections – mainly rubber boots – is produced in dedicated and quality-conscious factories in Asia, where the expertise is truly exceptional.
It is important to us that production takes place responsibly and with respect for people, animals, and the environment. That is why we collaborate with SMETA and BSCI certified factories, so our customers can feel assured that the products they purchase from bisgaard are made with respect for human rights and with a focus on working conditions, social responsibility, climate, and the environment. We have our own employees in both Portugal and Asia who work to build close relationships with our suppliers, inspect orders, carry out quality controls, and monitor factory conditions.
Less waste
No matter how sustainably you design and produce, some waste will always occur. Therefore, we must use natural resources responsibly and reduce the amount of waste we create. This requires producing only the quantities we need and ensuring a quality so high that the footwear can be worn again and again.
Since the beginning, bisgaard has produced according to a made-to-order principle, meaning that we primarily manufacture our shoes based on purchase orders. This allows us to avoid large inventories and overproduction. After all, we do not need more shoes – we need better ones.
Responsibility is deeply rooted in bisgaard’s DNA, and we are committed to making use of the surplus materials already available to us. Therefore, all of our leather materials always come from surplus production.
FSC certified packaging
Our shoe boxes, paper materials, flyers, and hangtags are FSC certified. This guarantees that animal and plant life are protected and that no more trees are cut down than the forests can regenerate. At the same time, it ensures that the people working in the forests are trained, have the proper safety equipment, and receive fair wages.
Our packaging is easy to separate, making it possible to sort it correctly for recycling. In this way, the packaging can become part of a sustainable cycle and be reused again and again.