Lavoro unveiled KOURUO on 17 September, a new sub-brand of professional leather footwear aimed at executives and professionals whose roles require particular attention to personal appearance. The launch comes in the year that ICC Group, Lavoro’s parent company, celebrates its 40th anniversary.
Featuring a wide range of leather styles, KOURUO was created as a tribute to Guimarães’ longstanding leather tanning heritage and the Leite family’s historic connection to leather. The new sub-brand aims to combine refined appearance with the demands of professional life, from the office to the factory floor, construction sites, restaurants, hotels and other working environments.
The launch took place in Guimarães’ Zona de Couros (Leather District), a particularly symbolic location. The area was classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in September 2023, in recognition of its historically significant concentration of leather tanning activities and its production based on traditional techniques.
According to Teófilo Leite, Chairman of the Board of ICC, "choosing the Leather District for the presentation reinforces one of the central ideas behind the new sub-brand: transforming heritage into the future without losing the authenticity of its origins.”
In a statement, the company also explained that KOURUO was born precisely from this connection to the region: "The tradition, culture and heritage of leather are deeply rooted in the history of the Leite family and its company, ICC. The new sub-brand aims to pay tribute to that legacy, preserving it while simultaneously projecting it into the future through a new range of professional footwear made from leather — a material widely recognised for promoting foot comfort and health.”
Teófilo Leite also stresses that "innovation in professional footwear does not mean abandoning materials that continue to offer superior performance, such as leather.” Instead, these materials should be "used intelligently”, through more sustainable tanning processes and improved manufacturing technologies.
"The future of professional footwear, particularly in demanding environments, whether in terms of risk or appearance requirements, continues to be leather,” he notes.
Under the concept "For refined professionals”, KOURUO positions itself as a professional leather footwear sub-brand designed for professionals who are expected to maintain a refined appearance. The first KOURUO styles, whose names are closely associated with the Leather District and the tanning industry, were also unveiled during the launch event.
The programme also included a guided tour of the UNESCO-listed public space and the exhibition "Leather Is Our Heritage”, organised by Lavoro ahead of the presentation of the new sub-brand.
With KOURUO, Lavoro adds a new dimension to the professional footwear market, establishing a connection between the industrial heritage of Guimarães and the history of a company and family deeply associated with this legacy.
Lavoro, which this year received the 2025 Five Star Award, a distinction based on the choice of Portuguese consumers, further strengthens the brand’s recognition within the professional footwear sector.
Remaining true to its founding principle of anticipating innovation and making its own products obsolete before its competitors do, ICC stands out for having its own testing laboratory, 18 utility registrations and a track record defined by pioneering solutions and the development of innovative models.
The company is currently investing around €5 million in the expansion and modernisation of its facilities. Exporting to more than 50 markets, ICC continues to consolidate its position as a European reference in footwear.
Featuring a wide range of leather styles, KOURUO was created as a tribute to Guimarães’ longstanding leather tanning heritage and the Leite family’s historic connection to leather. The new sub-brand aims to combine refined appearance with the demands of professional life, from the office to the factory floor, construction sites, restaurants, hotels and other working environments.
The launch took place in Guimarães’ Zona de Couros (Leather District), a particularly symbolic location. The area was classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in September 2023, in recognition of its historically significant concentration of leather tanning activities and its production based on traditional techniques.
According to Teófilo Leite, Chairman of the Board of ICC, "choosing the Leather District for the presentation reinforces one of the central ideas behind the new sub-brand: transforming heritage into the future without losing the authenticity of its origins.”
In a statement, the company also explained that KOURUO was born precisely from this connection to the region: "The tradition, culture and heritage of leather are deeply rooted in the history of the Leite family and its company, ICC. The new sub-brand aims to pay tribute to that legacy, preserving it while simultaneously projecting it into the future through a new range of professional footwear made from leather — a material widely recognised for promoting foot comfort and health.”
Teófilo Leite also stresses that "innovation in professional footwear does not mean abandoning materials that continue to offer superior performance, such as leather.” Instead, these materials should be "used intelligently”, through more sustainable tanning processes and improved manufacturing technologies.
"The future of professional footwear, particularly in demanding environments, whether in terms of risk or appearance requirements, continues to be leather,” he notes.
Under the concept "For refined professionals”, KOURUO positions itself as a professional leather footwear sub-brand designed for professionals who are expected to maintain a refined appearance. The first KOURUO styles, whose names are closely associated with the Leather District and the tanning industry, were also unveiled during the launch event.
The programme also included a guided tour of the UNESCO-listed public space and the exhibition "Leather Is Our Heritage”, organised by Lavoro ahead of the presentation of the new sub-brand.
With KOURUO, Lavoro adds a new dimension to the professional footwear market, establishing a connection between the industrial heritage of Guimarães and the history of a company and family deeply associated with this legacy.
Lavoro, which this year received the 2025 Five Star Award, a distinction based on the choice of Portuguese consumers, further strengthens the brand’s recognition within the professional footwear sector.
Remaining true to its founding principle of anticipating innovation and making its own products obsolete before its competitors do, ICC stands out for having its own testing laboratory, 18 utility registrations and a track record defined by pioneering solutions and the development of innovative models.
The company is currently investing around €5 million in the expansion and modernisation of its facilities. Exporting to more than 50 markets, ICC continues to consolidate its position as a European reference in footwear.
