This research paper presents sturgeon skins as a valuable resource for the luxury leather industry. Although less known for their use in the field of leather garments, sturgeon skins show a distinct alternation between skin and bony shields that suggests the possibility of manufacturing fashion accessories in the current fashion trends. The difficulty of processing technologies results from the peculiar structure of the skin without scales, but rich in bony protrusions. The paper presents the main characteristics of sturgeon skin processing, physical-mechanical and chemical properties, as well as the possibility of manufacturing luxury accessories. Research suggests a superior utilization of a byproduct of the fish processing industry and brings original contributions to knowledge regarding the properties of sturgeon skins.

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The negative impact on the environment caused by the current production of over 23,000 million pairs of shoes each year, either due to the consumption of huge quantities of raw materials or due to the thousands of tons of waste generated, is a sufficient reason to conceive a new type of shoe making process. The predominant manufacturing methods and the many components that the shoe contains make it impossible to recycle, due to the high complexity involved in separating materials. Once they reach the end of their life cycle, they inevitably end up in a landfill, generating a large amount of waste. REWEART is a footwear manufacturing project that is capable of producing sustainable goods based on a circular economy, co-financed by the European Commission through the LIFE program. REWEART aims to make vegan shoes with accessories made from recycled and organic materials, with 90% less energy and almost zero waste. REWEART wants to provide a tool to avoid the generation of waste in footwear consumption and to offer the footwear industry an alternative model of circular production to reduce energy consumption and to stop the destructive and unsustainable production of footwear.