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Two people people (
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) posted asking about non-leather shoes. Here are two places to try. Just ask for a catalog. Aesop Unlimited P.O.Box 315 N. Cambridge, MA 02140 Heartland Products, Ltd. Box 218 Dakota City, Iowa 50529 Leather Alternatives FAQ list Compiled by Tom Swiss Last modified: Mar 2 1992 Send praise, information, flames, money, etc. to
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This file, along with many others, is available via anonymous ftp from flubber.cs.umd.edu, in directory other/tms/veg. This list is only as good as the information I get. If you have comments on any of the stores, catalogs or products mentioned in this list, or if you know of other good products or sources, _please_ send them to me! ===== Vegetarians and the Use of Leather Goods ===== For the benefit of our lurking omnivores , and for those new to vegetarianism, we should start with a few words about the attitude of vegetarians towards the use of leather goods. We should note that there are some vegetarians who have little or no _object_ion to the use of leather and other animal-derived goods; many who adopt a vegetarian diet primarily for reasons of health would fall into this category, as would some who adopt a vegetarian diet for its lower environmental impact (but see below). Even those who are vegetarian for ethical reasons may use some leather goods - if there is no available alternative, if the goods were gifts, or purchased before the person became a vegetarian or purchased by mistake. I own a pool cue with a leather tip I bought many years ago, and a pair of leather hiking boots I bought thinking they were synthetic, and that I was unable to return. Thus, a vegetarian wearing leather shoes is not necessarily a hypocrite. ===== Environmental Considerations ===== Some claim that using leather alternatives is harmful to the environment, as these alternatives usually use plastics which are derived from petrochemicals, or fabrics like cotton whose production often involves the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers. However, the production of leather is also damaging to the environment. From the Nov/Dec 1991 issue of the Vegetarian Journal: (much of the other information presented here is from the same issue.) <begin quote Environmentally, turing animal hides into leather is an energy intensive and polluting practice. The Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology states, On the basis of quantity of energy consumed per unit of product produced, the leather-manufacturing industry would be categorized with the aluminum, paper, steel, cement, and petroleum-manufacturing industries as a gross consumer of energy. Production of leather basically involves soaking (beamhouse), tanning, dyeing, drying, and finishing. Over 95% of all leather produced in the U.S. is chrome tanned. The effluent that must be treated is primarily related to the beamhouse and tanning operations. The most difficult to treat is effulent from the tanning process. All wastes containing chromium are considered hazardous by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Many other pollutants involved in the processing of leather are associated with environmental and health risks. In terms of disposal, one would think that leather products would be biodegradable, but the primary function for a tanning agent is to stabilize the collagen or protein fibers so that they are no longer biodegradable. Evaluating the relative environmental and health costs of leather versus non-leather products is difficult to do. It is apparent that they all involve practices that can adversely affect public health and the environment. Since leather is intimately related to the exploitation of animals, it seems most desirable to buy canvas, limit purchases, go barefoot, and encourage companies to develop more ecologically sound alternatives. <end quote And this doesn't even take into account the ecological cost of modern animal agriculture techniques. ===== Mail Order and Catalog sources of non-leather goods ===== Heartland Products and Aesop Unlimited carry only non-leather items: Heartland Products Ltd., Box 218, Dakota City, IA 50529, (515) 332-3087. Aesop Unlimited, P.O. Box 315, N. Cambridge, MA 02140, (617) 628-8030. (was: 923-1704.) _The Compassionate Shopper_ regularly lists companies that sell non-leather shoes. Contact Beauty Without Cruelty, 175 W. 12th St., #16G, New York, NY 10011-8275. The following sources carry both leather and non-leather products, so read carefully: Avon Fashions, Avon Lane, Newport News, Va 23630, (800) 322-1119. Shoes, belts, and other clothing items made from synthetic leather. (I get the impression that they only carry women's clothing, but I'm not sure.) I have had a complaint about the quality of the goods sold by this company; caveat emptor. Birkenstock, 1339 Massachusetts, Lawrence, KS, 66044, (913) 841-7027. The Capri and Nobbi sandals, Birki clogs, and Teva sandals are free of animal products. John Blair Co, Warren, PA 16366. Mostly women's shoes, some men's shoes and work boots. Brights Creek, Bay Point Place, Hampton, VA 23653, (800) 622-9202. Excellent selection of non-leather children's shoes. Forestry Suppliers Inc., 205 W. Rankin St., P.O. Box 8397, Jackson Ms 39284-8397, (800) 647-5368. LaCrosse Timber Boots (see below). J. Crew, One Ivy Crescent, Lynchburg, VA 24506-1001, (800) 932-0043. Men's and women's canvas deck shoes and thongs, women's espadrilles, slip-ons and tie sneakers. L.L. Bean, (800) 221-4221. Various New Balance shoes (see below), Canvas Main Canoe Shoes, River Runner Thongs and Sandals, canvas Sperry Top-Siders, non-leather bags, watch bands and jackets. Massey's, (800) 627-7397. Canvas and synthetic slip-ons, leather-like flats, pumps, and other _style_s. Somewhat pricey. Old Pueblo Traders (OPT), Palo Verde at 34th, P.O. Box 27800, Tucson, AZ 85726-7800, (602) 748-8600. Women's shoes, sandals, and boots, many in hard-to-find sizes. Leatherlike pants, suedelike skirts, and faux furs. J.C. Penny, (800) 222-6161. Often carries some non-leather products. Recreational Equipment Inc. (REI), (800) 426-4840. REI carries two non-leather sandals, the Kahala and the Response. They have the Novara Lifeline Lycra bicycling glove, and non-leather bags, backpacks, deck booties, and watch bands. Roaman's, (800) 274-7130. Often has some non-leather shoes. Sears Roebuck, (800) 366-3000. Several types on synthetic footwear, in canvas and suedelike materials. Smith & Hawken, (415) 383-2000. Rubberlike garden clogs for men and women. Sports Wave, 5484 S.W. Alger, Suite #G-13, Beaverton, OR 97005, (800) 322-3381. Avia shoes (see below). The Tog Shop, (912) 924-4800. Women's shoes: canvas sneakers, rubber rain boots, sandals, slip-ons and slippers. WearGuard Work Clothes, (800) 388-3300. Walkers in Chukka and Oxford _style_s, rubber steel-toe and waterproof boots. No Sweat work gloves (see below). ===== Athletic Shoes ===== Men's: Avia shoes made with hydrolite or HLT2; the 141 crosstrainer; the 2000 series running shoes; the 333, Arc 351, and Arc 383 walking shoes; and several basketballs shoes are non-leather. Converse All Stars ( Chuck Taylors ). K-Swiss canvas sneakers. New Balance 677 running shoes, 320 athletic shoes and cross trainers - read labels. Nike - call (800) 344-NIKE for a list of non-animal products; many of their non-leather shoes use a synthetic called Durabuck. Saucony has non-leather running and other athletic shoes. Women's: Avia 680 and 525 aerobics shoes, running shoes in the 2000 series, the 333, 383, and 351 walking shoes. Converse All Stars. New Balance 677 running shoes, 320 athletic shoes and cross trainers - read labels. Nike - call (800) 344-NIKE for a list of non-animal products; many of their non-leather shoes use a synthetic called Durabuck. Reebok canvas sneakers. Saucony has non-leather running and other athletic shoes. Tretorn canvas tennis and walking shoes. Children's: Attack Force. Converse All Stars. Nike shoes with Durabuck (that number again, (800) 344-NIKE). Pro Wings. WJ 900. Kim Laurie (
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) reports that La Sportiva's Tao rock-climbing shoes are non-leather. Thanks to Tim Tyler (
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) for providing a copy of Nike's list of non-leather shoes. Unless otherwise indicated, all colors for both sexes are non-leather. NIKE Fall 1992 Footwear not containing animal-products Technical Running, Men's & Women's: Air 180, Air Verona (Women's), Air Max ST, Air Huarache, Air Alpha, Air Anodyne (Men's), Air Skylon 2, Air Pegasus, Air Icarus, Air Craft (Women's), Air Athena (Women's). Racing Shoes: Air Mariah, Sarone, The Waffle Racer, Air Pegasus Racer. Track & Field: Zoom D, Zoom S, Zoom V, Zoom Extra, Zoom Rotational, Javelin, Zoom Rival, Zoom Glide, High Jump, Long Jump. Men's Basketball: Air Jordan (ONLY Black/Light Graphite/bordeaux colors are Durabuck! Other colors are LEATHER), Air Flight Hurache Air Solo Flight (Black/Black ONLY), Air Bound (Black/Black-Light Graphite, Black/White-Dark Royal Blue, & Midnight Navy/Midnight Navy-_meta_llic Gold color ways), Air Flight Mid, Air Force 180 Low (Black/white/dark Royal Blue color way ONLY!), Air Ballistic Force High (Black/White true-red ONLY), Air Magnum Force 3/4 (Black/Black-bronze ONLY). Men's Cross-Training: Air Trainer Hurache, Air Trainer Lite. Men's Tennis: Air Challenge Hurache. Women's Tennis: Air Challenge Hurache. Women's Cross-Training: Air Trainer Hurache, Air Elite Max, Air Elite Hurache. Hiking/Outdoor: Air Revaderchi, Air Deschutz. Outdoor Volleyball: Foot Digs.
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