A true testament to human ingenuity and resourcefulness, leather has undoubtedly played a crucial part in the development of civilization. From early man to the modern day, leather has been an enduring feature of almost every era of design and fashion. Our ancestors used leather to protect themselves from the elements. Primitive man hunted wild animals for food, then made clothing, footwear and crude tents from the hides. Like then, hides used today are a by-product. Animals are raised for the meat, dairy and wool industries, not for their hides. Roughly half of all leather produced today is used to make shoes, and about 25% for clothing.