While choosing vegan shoes it’s worth finding out more than just if they are made of non-animal originated textile. They are supposed to be durable, comfortable and meet our taste with their design. This way it’s going to be a satisfying investment. How to help our chances to get there? Here’s a couple of thing worth looking into before making the decision.
1. Vegan certification – like for example PETA Approved Vegan certificate
It means that it is proved that no animal originated material was used in production process.
Buying shoes (or other products) with this certificate we can be sure that they are cruelty-free. It’s not always obvious when it comes to shoes that are made from non-leather fabric. There can be leather details or parts like insoles (quite popular), ornaments, fur details or other components that we are unable to tell if they’re vegan simply by looking at the product.
2. Oeko-Tex certificate
It can apply to a product or the main material that the product is made from (our microfibre is certified with Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certificate) and it means that it is safe – does not contain substances that are harmful for our health or the environment. That also means that it is hypoallergenic. Unfortunately not all of the fabrics are safe for our health – and that also concerns leather. Most of leather used for shoes and accessories production is prepared with use of toxic before manufacturing goods.
3. Excessive information about fabric
It is good to know what are parameters of the fabric that shoes are made from.
Is it Oeko-Tex certified (p.2), is it breathable, water resistant, easy to clean, durable…
It is good to look for such informations in product description or even ask the brand directly.
4. Brand’s values
It is hard to be sure of anything sometimes. Greenwashing is a popular strategy and occasionally we find out that a furry part in some brand’s jackets that was supposed to be synthetic is actually an animal’s skin… How can we trust a brand when it is so easy to make fake statements?
Obviously it is impossible for a regular person to make an audit and check every step of the production process.
What we can do is looking into brand’s practices. Are brand’s main values veganism and ethical production or these terms are only used occasionally for marketing. If a brand highlights that these are its fundamental values and you can tell it from its communication on its site and social media – that increases its credibility. If a brand builds on lies – it comes out sooner or later and rebuilding consumers’ trust in such case is impossible. If ethical values are honest – a brand has too much (everything!) to lose lying.
It is simply not worth it
5. Where are shoes made in?
This has a lot in common with point 4. The fact that something was made in EU does not necessarily mean it was made ethically, although it is a significantly more possible than when it is made in China or other countries known for cheap labour.
In this case it is also good to look into brand’s practices and communication.
6. Comfort!
Obviously! Who likes wearing uncomfortable shoes? Even if they are the most beautiful it is impossible to stand and they are going to occupy space in our wardrobe or to be thrown in the garbage bin as next unnecessarily generated trash. We should not do this to ourselves nor the environment!
7. Design!
Just like the above. We are going to feel miserable in shoes we don’t like which means we are not going to wear tchem at all – back to point 6.
Wearing shoes we love is quite the opposite – pure pleasure! Isn’t it worth choosing only the ones we love then?
#shoestolove for a better world!
To buy vegan shoes and accessories that are ethically made in Poland go HERE!
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