How it's made

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The 1960s-70s heralded the demise of the leather and shoe industry in the Langstraat. Numerous tanneries and shoe factories closed their doors due to heavy competition from so-called low-wage countries. Many machines, which had been in use for decades, found their way to the museum collection. Special machines and machines capable of performing special operations form the basis for a brief explanation of the process of making leather and shoes.

TODAY

The machines are set up in a modern museum design, further emphasizing their uniqueness.... In the design corner and stitching area, visitors can use specially developed interactives to create their own shoe design, virtually stitch shoes or experience how complicated it is to make a shoe pattern. An exploded shoe shows how vastly many, often invisible, parts a shoe can consist of.

 FUTURE

The future is highlighted through the table of materials, which features prominently in this exhibition. Today, consumers are increasingly demanding more sustainable and animal-friendly alternatives to both plastics and leather. Recycling and upcycling of materials are important steps in this process. Bio-designers are looking for new materials that are biodegradable but can still match the special properties of leather. Special, new materials are regularly refreshed so that visitors can keep up with developments in sustainability and design.