The harsh weather conditions in the highlands of Tibet are why the fibres of the full grained yak leather are denser than those of cow leather. The resulting extremely tough and robust leather is also unusually supple, which makes it ideal shoe leather. Hanwag manufactures a hiking shoe from this rough-grained leather which is just as suitable for the demands of hiking in the highlands as it is for a light trekking tour off the beaten path and, thanks to its double stitching, can be resoled. Hanwag receives the leather directly from Tibet, from a local firm which does business according to Western European standards of environmental requirements. There in Tibet, the skins are selected by experienced hands and thoroughly washed, the hair removed (and then used for the padding for sofas) and bleached in tanning vats. Then they are stretched out on wood frames and dried for several days. First quality yak leather is ready after an approximately three-week process. The residues from the tanning process are run through a water cleansing process, filtered, dried and used as fertiliser.

English sizes.