The Future of Leather: A Glimpse Into What's Next for a Timeless Material

What's Inside

A Time of Crossroads for Leather

Why the Industry Must Start Speaking Up

Students, Vegans, and New Audiences: A Leather Awakening

A Call to Action for the Consumer

Repair Culture & Conscious Consumption

Leather’s Role in Future Sustainability

A New Frontier: Compostable Leather

Replacing Plastic: One Conscious Choice at a Time

Leather in a Far Future?

The Takeaway: A Future Built on Remembering

A Time of Crossroads for Leather

In this fifth episode of the Leather Tamement Podcast, Volkan and Florian explore the evolving journey of leather—no longer just about craftsmanship and heritage, but also about responsibility, sustainability, and survival in a rapidly changing world.

Leather stands at a crossroads today. On one path lies a future dominated by synthetics—fueled by fast fashion and driven by convenience. On the other lies a reconnection to natural materials like cotton, wool, wood, and of course, leather. Florian emphasizes a critical truth: we, the consumers, hold the power. If we demand leather, we ensure its place in the future. If we ignore it, we may lose not only a material but a deeply sustainable craft.

Why the Industry Must Start Speaking Up

Before consumers can make empowered choices, the industry must do a better job of telling the true story of leather—one rooted in circularity, natural beauty, and longevity.

For decades, leather's reputation has suffered due to misinformation and silence. The industry, often composed of small artisan tanneries and traditional workshops, hasn’t kept up with modern storytelling platforms like social media. Volkan argues it’s time for brands, tanneries, and craftsmen to embrace tools like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube—not for marketing, but for education.

One compelling idea discussed is the creation of a Netflix-level documentary dedicated to demystifying the leather journey. Leather is not the villain in our sustainability story—it might be a hero in disguise.

Students, Vegans, and New Audiences: A Leather Awakening

Education is already bearing fruit. Florian shares how speaking at design universities has inspired young creatives to reconsider leather as a material of choice. Once they learn about leather's circularity and long-lasting nature, they’re eager to work with it again.

Even self-proclaimed vegans are having a change of heart. Volkan shares stories of vegan followers who, after watching his content, realized using leather could be an act of environmental responsibility rather than contradiction. If animals are already being consumed for meat by billions, repurposing hides into durable goods makes far more sense than creating demand for plastic alternatives.

A Call to Action for the Consumer

Volkan and Florian urge consumers to take a stand—not just silently but vocally. Next time you shop and don't see real leather, don't just walk out—tell the staff why. Let brands know you’re looking for natural materials like cotton, wool, linen, and leather. When consumers speak, businesses must listen.

The conversation also touches on slow fashion—the antidote to fast, disposable consumerism. Leather, with its longevity and repairability, is a poster child for this movement. A quality leather item may cost more upfront, but it delivers satisfaction and utility for years, even decades.

Repair Culture & Conscious Consumption

Florian shares an image: two pairs of shoes on a table. One is a leather shoe with a traditional sole that can be repaired again and again. The other, a sneaker—partly made with leather, yes, but unrepairable due to synthetic outsoles glued on in a way that makes restoration impossible.

This leads to a larger issue: repair culture is dying. Yet, it's essential for any sustainable future. Leather naturally invites maintenance and care—polishing shoes, conditioning bags, re-soling boots. These acts aren’t chores; they’re rituals. And they foster a deeper relationship with the things we own.

Leather’s Role in Future Sustainability

Looking toward the long-term, leather may not just survive—but thrive, especially as the truth behind “vegan” materials becomes clearer. Many so-called “vegan leathers” are, in fact, plastics—derived from fossil fuels and destined for landfill. As con

sumers awaken to this reality, the pendulum may swing back toward genuine, responsibly made leather.

Florian is optimistic: leather is showing up again on runways, in furniture, in fashion. Its versatility, natural thermoregulation, and comfort make it ideal for many applications—from car interiors to luxury jackets.

A New Frontier: Compostable Leather

Perhaps the most exciting development in the leather world is its post-life potential. With innovations like Zeology—a chrome-free tanning technology—leather can now be composted and turned into nutrient-rich fertilizer. It can return to the earth not as waste, but as life-giving humus.

Even better, leather stores CO₂. If treated properly, its carbon footprint can be neutral or even negative when composted rather than incinerated. Plants grow up to 20% better in leather-enriched compost compared to synthetic fertilizers—a game-changer as we face a global fertilizer shortage in the coming decades.

Replacing Plastic: One Conscious Choice at a Time

Fast fashion and plastic goods deliver quick hits of dopamine but no lasting joy. Leather is serotonin—a slow, lasting satisfaction rooted in quality, connection, and care. Volkan argues that we must retrain ourselves to choose long-term happiness over fleeting pleasure.

It starts with small choices. Buy one pair of well-made shoes instead of five disposable ones. Ask questions. Value what you have. Shift from consumption to intentional ownership.

Leather in a Far Future?

Toward the end of the conversation, the hosts dive into a science-fiction-like vision of the future. In a world where humanity no longer needs to consume animals or even plants for nutrition—leather may become obsolete. And that’s okay. But until that day comes, if we eat animals, we owe it to them—and the planet—to use the hides responsibly.

The Takeaway: A Future Built on Remembering

Leather is not a new solution—it’s an ancient one. But as with many wise traditions, we've forgotten it in our race toward convenience. The future of leather is not about innovation as much as it is about remembrance—of nature, quality, respect, and longevity.

This episode closes with a promise: the next one will dive deep into sustainability and environmental impacts—how leather stacks up, what can be improved, and what’s already being done.

For now, remember this: leather isn’t just a material. It’s a story. And it's worth telling.