Environment & Sustainability
As a family-run company founded in 1913, DEICHMANN attaches particular importance to taking a generational perspective, planning for the long term and considering environmental factors in its business decisions.
The company must serve people – this is our corporate philosophy. Our company has grown steadily and at a measured pace. This has enabled us to continuously create new jobs over the long term and to provide extensive training. Although DEICHMANN is now active in more than 30 countries as Europe’s largest shoe retailer, we still feel a strong connection to the Ruhr region, where the company was founded. Around 16,000 of our approximately 50,000 employees worldwide work in Germany. We take economic, environmental and social factors into account throughout our value chain.
Products with special characteristics
The fact that fashion, quality and environmental considerations are becoming increasingly important to our customers reinforces our long-standing approach. When selecting materials, we ensure compliance with applicable legal requirements and our internal quality standards. Our products are regularly tested to ensure compliance with statutory limits and our internal requirements. Our shoes are produced using solvent-free adhesives. We use recycled raw materials for our packaging.
In the children’s footwear segment, for example, DEICHMANN offers models under its elefanten brand as part of a pilot project that carry the German federal government’s “Blue Angel” environmental label. The aim of the Blue Angel is to establish stringent standards across the entire production chain, thereby helping to protect the environment and human health.
The elefanten collection also includes vegan models, meaning models that are free from animal-derived components.
Environmental standards in leather production
DEICHMANN is a member of the international Leather Working Group (LWG), which is dedicated to advancing environmental standards and assessing leather manufacturers.
Responsible value chain
For many years, the responsible management of supply and value chains has been one of the principles guiding DEICHMANN’s procurement activities. The corresponding rules are set out in our “Code of Conduct” and our Declaration of Principles and are regularly reviewed through appropriate controls and due diligence processes.
Asia traditionally plays a major role in the global textile and clothing industry. In fact, 80 percent of the world’s shoes are produced in Asia (source: APICCAPS (Portuguese Footwear, Components and Leather Goods Manufacturers’ Association), 2025, World Footwear Yearbook). DEICHMANN’s product range is no exception.
Our products reach Europe by sea and are then transported via distribution centres to individual stores. DEICHMANN uses ships and railways for the majority of these transport routes – modes of freight transport that can result in lower CO2 emissions than other means of transport. Routes, load-planning concepts and the company’s own fleet of trucks are also continuously reviewed and optimised.
DEICHMANN is a member of B.A.U.M. (Bundesdeutscher Arbeitskreis für Umweltbewusstes Management), Europe’s largest sustainability association. The association promotes responsible environmental practices across all areas of corporate management.
Our product safety requirements
DEICHMANN offers fashionable, good-quality shoes at affordable prices. Our products are regularly tested to ensure compliance with statutory limits and our internal requirements for product safety and chemical management. Manufacturing processes are closely coordinated with our suppliers from an early stage, enabling us to influence product development as early as the collection design phase.
External testing institutes monitor compliance with our internal quality standards and our requirements for product safety and chemical management. These institutes test for potentially harmful or prohibited substances while production is still under way.
Setting standards for the industry
DEICHMANN shares the expertise it has gained in these areas with the industry through its extensive involvement in committees and associations. DEICHMANN is a founding member of cads – “Cooperation for Assuring Defined Standards for Shoe- and Leathergoods Production e.V.” – which was established under the umbrella of the German Shoe Institute (Deutsches Schuhinstitut, DSI) in Offenbach.
cads addresses the issue of harmful substances in shoes and actively works to prevent the use of hazardous substances. The association’s objectives include promoting the exchange of expertise on chemical management and developing and disseminating requirements for materials and production processes in the footwear and leather goods industry. cads also focuses on environmental and social aspects of footwear and leather goods production.