Sandro Ferraro from Kenda Farben: chemical components, strategic footwear partners

Kenda Farben is an Italian producer of chemical auxiliaries for footwear manufacturing. The company supplies materials used across the production process, from bonding to decorative finishes. 

The business started in 1963 and manufactures chemicals for the Italian shoe production market and for export. Over the years, Kenda Farben invested in foreign chemical factories to better serve their local shoe makers with products that cannot be easily shipped from Italy, such as solvent-based products. It currently has a direct presence in six countries (Italy, Serbia, India, China, Vietnam and Cambodia) and is supported by a distributor network spanning more than 100 markets.

The company’s Global Commercial Director, Sandro Ferraro, is a chemist by training and has held the role since 2012. Before joining Kenda Farben, he undertook technical and managerial roles at multinational firms.

According to the Director, his role “stems from the need to coordinate the availability of [our] products where they need to be used, meeting the needs of any footwear manufacturer, those who produce shoes on their own country and export, and those who mostly design in their own country and produce abroad. For instance, European and American brands, producing in Asia or other overseas countries”. 

While some chemical inputs remain largely unseen by consumers, Ferraro highlights that others, particularly paints, varnishes, and finishing products, play a visible role in a shoe's appearance and influence its perceived value at retail. Against this backdrop, Kenda Farben focuses less on selling chemicals as standardised commodities and more on supporting their application within the production process.

“What differentiates us from a commodity manufacturer is the high level of technical assistance we provide in implementing the production process”, the Director shares. It spans from the early development of brand sales samples to maintaining matching quality in large-scale production, including at factories located far from design centres. 

Examples include helping brands to achieve specific dyeing and polishing effects for new collections and supporting the rollout of durable bonding solutions for newer, lightweight soles that require more precise processes to ensure long-term performance.

Ferraro also points out that the “value” of components is assessed differently across footwear organisations, depending on who is making the decisions. Procurement teams may focus on unit cost, whereas production and methods managers weigh the implications for cost per pair and throughput. 

Other functions may take a broader view: leather buyers consider how finishes can upgrade less refined materials for fashion applications, while marketing teams “see the beauty of the finish as a key factor in making their brand a buyer's choice when compared to the competition in a multi-brand showcase”, the Director notes.

Compliance and sustainability are increasingly important factors in supplier selection, not only through formal documentation but also through recognised industry benchmarks and labelling systems used by major brands. “A production manager appreciates our sustainability certifications, such as our 194 ZDHC (Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals) Level 3 products”, Ferraro highlights.

Kenda Farben’s Director outlines a patchwork of geographical and sector-specific regulatory frameworks for restricted substances, with brands historically “having their own list of chemical product restrictions, called RSL (Restricted Substance List), containing the maximum concentrations accepted in the shoe, bag, garment, known as PRSL, or in the chemical product used for its manufacturing (MRSL)”.

Nowadays, however, brands are moving towards greater alignment in environmental sustainability through collective initiatives. However, it is still necessary to distinguish between limits applied to finished goods and limits applied to chemical formulations used in manufacturing. These are often conflated despite having different implications for consumer exposure, workplace safety and environmental impact.

For instance, Ferraro notes that “in the United States, the acronym AFIRM (Apparel and Footwear International RSL Management) is used, in Europe, the ZDHC, in Germany, the CADs (Cooperation for Assuring Defined Standards for Shoe- and Leather Goods Production) regulation must still be respected, which does not exactly overlap with the first two”.

In terms of innovation adoption, the broader message is that chemical suppliers are becoming more involved in product development and industrial decision-making as brands demand consistent aesthetics, durable performance and clearer compliance pathways across global supply chains.