I am so happy that now, more than ever, there are so many amazing vegan shoes to choose from. Gone are the days when vegans had to contend with velcro sandals or shoes that resembled loaves of bread. I remember when I lived in London, there was a “natural” shoe store, which was the butt of many a joke, as the shoes were absolutely hideous. I now have number of absolutely gorgeous vegan shoes that I’ve collected over the past 4 years – from ballet flats to stilettos, a green girl doesn’t have to go without.
I was chatting to a friend the other day, whose not averse to a designer handbag or two, and she defended her penchant for these luxuries by assuring me that most leather is simply a by-product of the meat industry – the cows were being slaughtered anyway! I explained to her that most leather, and certainly the kind that’s used in mass-produced handbags, is sourced from India and China where the animal welfare laws are terrible. Moreover, in the U.S. millions of animals are raised and slaughtered in appalling conditions just for their skins.
Besides the animal rights/welfare issue, the EPA Superfund list has identified tanneries as some of the most critical environmental 
clean-up sites. Old tannery sites cannot be used for agriculture or anything else afterwards, as they are so toxic. Leather processing requires huge amounts of energy as well as a toxic stew of chemicals. The tanning process is equally toxic and leaves pollutants in the water supplies of the developing world. If you do buy leather, make the effort to find a company that uses old-fashioned tanning practices, which uses plant/vegetable tannins to cure the leather. These eco-friendly leathers are normally much more expensive, but in my opinion well worth the price because most of them are handmade and will last forever. I love Calleen Cordero and MT Labels.
What about pleather? Many environmentalists are wary of buying fake leather made of the poison plastic, however, nowadays most vegan shoe companies eschew the use of PVC in favor of vegan microfiber,Durabuck, and Nusuede. These materials are less expensive than leather too, so you can find yourself a gorgeous bargain. Here are my favorite places to buy vegan shoes:
Rebecca Mink – Rebecca’s shoes are the vegan answer to Jimmy Choo – glamorous and absolutely divine. Voted best vegan shoe!
Beyond Skin– gorgeous beyond, especially their heels and mouth-watering wedges (BTW, they have a great sale on NOW!)
Moo Shoes – fantastic selection of vegan shoes and purses
Melissa – loads of eco-friendly silicone and plastic shoes that are adorable.
Big Buddha Purses – Love LOVE their designs!
Hemptress – fabulous earth-friendly handbags made from hemp. Check out the vegan Sonja collection
Alternative Outfitters – another fantastic selection of vegan purses and shoes
Vivo Barefoot by Terraplana – these are the best eco-friendly running shoes on the planet.
Patagonia – best women’s eco-friendly hiking shoes on the planet.
Vegan Uggs – just as comfy, warm and sturdy as Ugg Boots.
Thank you so much for this post! How fabulous that you can be stylish without being cruel these days! It’s so important that we all think about what we’re actually buying. Leather – ick!