The Tod’s Gommino loafer has always been good for getting places — but now it’s going to have its own passport showing where it came from and where it’s been. 

Tod’s is getting ahead of the game, launching Digital Product Passports on its website with the help of Renoon, which is specializing in helping companies meet upcoming regulatory requirements. The European Union is dictating that all products come with more detailed sustainability information, starting in phases next year.

The Tod’s rollout is beginning with the brand’s signature loafers, but the feature will be extended to other products in the near future. Digital passports are now accessible directly on Tod’s website, giving shoppers information on materials, production processes, locations and company certifications. 

Renoon structures and confirms consistency of product and supply chain data across both Tod’s internal systems and those of its partners.

Iris Skrami, chief executive officer of Renoon, said many companies are still holding back on their DPP work. 

“Historically, sustainability legislation has been a bit wobbly,” Skrami said. “So a lot of companies have been waiting on DPP because they fear that the requirements might be scaling down, etc., etc.

“However, DPP is a pretty deep infrastructure that needs to be built because most companies don’t have the data infrastructure,” she said. “They might have the data. So the data might be already somewhere in the company, but it’s fragmented, nonstructured. So the whole work around it, it’s quite deep.”

While shoppers are accustomed to tags that say where a garment was produced or what it’s made of, Skrami said the QR codes carrying DPP’s open up new possibilities for luxury brands.

“It is actually an opportunity for an additional and new channel that is owned by the brand to connect with the consumer,” she said. “The companies might want to increase their [customer relations management], or they would want to increase awareness toward maybe a repair system that they have. So going beyond a regulatory reporting of the data that is needed.”

The regulations are also going to acclimate European shoppers to using QR codes to find out more about their purchase. 

“Consumers will learn the behavior of knowing that there is a channel like that inside of their product,” she said.  

Data in Tod’s DPPs will be ensured though the Aura Blockchain Consortium, which the brand joined in 2023.

Carlo Alberto Beretta, Tod’s general brand manager, said: “Quality and craftsmanship have always been the core values of Tod’s DNA and remain the guiding principles behind every Tod’s creation. With our Digital Product Passport, we are bringing verified product information directly into the customer experience, making the story and the people behind each product more transparent and accessible. Together with Renoon, we are creating a digital ecosystem that connects our heritage of craftsmanship with the future of luxury.”