Where to find vegan footwear in USA?

[Pembroke]

Does anyone know any good places to buy/order non-leather shoes in the US? I'm looking for some male (or non-gender specific, lol) tennis/athletic shoes........ or just some normal looking shoes

Any suggestions?

[ConsciousCuisine]

http://www.veganessentials.com/
www.pangea.com

[Hasha]

http://www.zappos.com/vegetarian.zhtml

[Pembroke]

Thank you

[warheart77]

http://mooshoes.com

[propst89]

I cannot afford the expensive shoes that you can order off of vegan mailorder websites, but I have found that many shoes at Wal-mart and Payless are made of "all man-made materials". I'm not sure what kind of glue they use if that matters to you whether it is animal or plant based. Since I cannot afford expensive 100% animal friendly shoes, this is the next best thing.

[DianeVegan]

If you live near a TJ MAX or Marshall's store, they get fabulous boots many times of the year (okay maybe we are coming into mostly sandal weather). You need to check the labels but I have gotten really fashionable shoes there from little-known companies. Of course, the big-name brands are almost exclusively leather, and most with the Made in Italy will be leather. It's very hit-or-miss, so don't give up after one stop.

And they're inexpensive!

[snaffler]

Most of the stuff on Moo Shoes is from a UK store Called Veggie Shoes all good stuff

[DianeVegan]

Try http://shoes.com and type in vegetarian. Also, Stride Rite has many veg shoes, just not advertised that way.

[Korn]

Hi, we also have a thread about vegan footwear here:
http://www.veganforum.com/forums/sho...ighlight=shoes

[weird2twiggy]

ANYWHERE! just look at the label, if it says all man-made material, you're safe. i go to payless/target/wal mart. whatever!

[DianeVegan]

I just found the most fabulous deal on CHEAP vegan sandals at..........CVS!!! They are even made in the U.S.A so you're supporting local economy. And they are advertised to give you a little reflexology session when you wear them. Most importantly, one of the pairs I purchased is quite dressy - I would definitely wear them with a dress or skirt. They have a website if you don't find them at CVS.

[veghead]

I have fallen in love with the pair of Vegetarian Shoes Airseal shoes that I got from www.thevegetariansite.com. Made in England, they are definitely more expensive than those I used to buy at Payless, etc., but are truly breathable, nice-looking, and have decent support which I really need. After two years, they still look new so their longevity already is better than the hemp and fake leather shoes I used to wear. (Loved my Dejas, but they always wore out too fast.)

http://www.thevegetariansite.com/

[moochbabe]

i went shopping at payless today, i'm not sure that they're made in as vegan of conditions as i'd prefer but i don't have a huge choice right now...i needed a ton of new shoes and buying that many pairs of shoes from a more expensive source would just be out of the question...anyway, they had really cute shoes and i got 4 pairs of comfortable shoes for a great price (they were having buy 1 get 1/2 off). but i also like to go to veganessentials.com (i think that's the site), and looking at what brands they offer that way i can shop for those shoes in the mall and other places...very cool, i think i'm going to go in search of some vans slips ons that are orange and blue, i saw them in a magazine once and fell in love, but could never find them...very cute and they're not like most of the vand checked slip-ons that seem like they're trying too hard (no offense to anyone who wears them, it's just that most ppl that wear them around here pretend like they're so hard-core and they don't even know what that means, i would know cuz i know i'm not, lol)

[lauren rae]

I'm a regular shoe addict, so I hit up thrift stores and vintage shops a lot. You can get some really awesome deals and find a lot of shoes that are man-made.

But for my sneakers, it's got to be Onitsuka Tigers. They have a couple vegan styles. My favorites are the ones are the climbing sneakers. They have an awesome trend that works for, well, climbing, hiking, not slipping in the snow and rain, and are great for walking too (I probably walk almost a mile a day in mine).

[chrismith]

montrail makes nice hiking shoes and such

[Dawn]

www.alternativeoutfitters.com has great vegan shoes and other stuff.
Shoe Pavilion has a lot of shoes made with man made materials as well. If you're looking for sneakers, New Balance makes non leather shoes.

[Bodhi Warrior]

I've found Payless to be the best in the USA.
All the State Street shoes are vegan.
They're cheap, but usually knock offs of the latest styles.
You can order the online too.

[chickendude]

Does the "All Man-Made Materials" title also refer to the glue? And yes, as Payless is too cheap to buy leather shoes, just about all of their shoes are vegan (I was going to say all, but I'm not 100% sure).

[maya]

From a shoe shopping addict

Mooshoes.com
Zappos.com
Hot Topic
Vans-they have awesome vegan sneakers
Ebay-Just bought some funky vegan combat boots

[InTheory]

It can be tough to find good quality, stylish vegan shoes. I have been buying dress shoes from Pangea and sneaks from Payless. GQ magazine recently recommended Mooshoes and Vegetarian Shoes as vegan options (really! August issue, page 66).

I wondered if the problem finding vegan sneakers was the manufacturer or the store selection, so wrote to Nike, Adidas, and Puma. Adidas has none, Puma has a handful, but get this: Nike has over five hundred models of footwear made without animal parts. +500! It's just that our local stores don't carry the whole selection!! Check out this link to the Nike site or you can check out the whole story on my site's front page.

[Tigerlily]

I wouldn't support Nike anyway.

[Roxy]

I wear sneakers to work and for 2 years in a row I have bought Fila shoes. They are black canvass and seem to last about a year, before they start falling apart. That's pretty good considering how often they get worn. I buy them at Sportcheck (and have been lucky enough to get them on sale both times ).

[InTheory]

I wouldn't support Nike anyway.

Hi Tigerlily. As a vegan I have always felt like a lot of major corporations, Nike included, have taken unfair advantage of people and other animals. That was a primary motivation of mine to get a degree; I wanted to find out more about what motivated the business machine and be a part of positive change. Nike was one of the companies I studied, because their human rights record was so horrible. As an opinionated vegan I was ready to nail them to the wall, but tried to stay objective while I collected facts. It became clear that Nike was getting snowed by the third world factories to which they had outsourced their manufacturing. Nike were not directly responsible for the abuse and the horrible conditions, but by employing the slum factories from thousands of miles away they indirectly supported it. When the bad conditions got the press Nike started to inspect the factories and got a shock. They wrote a code of conduct for these outsource factories and now perform regular surprise factory inspections to make sure that the code is upheld. The factory owners don't want to lose the steady Nike cash, so they actually comply.

Your average jock probably doesn't care where his or her sneakers were made, how old the maker was, or how much the maker made per hour. The bad press Nike got all those years ago did not stop shoe sales or profits. Nike could have done nothing and continued to successfully make millions. Instead, they took it upon themselves as corporate citizens to ensure that conditions improved. As a vegan, I appreciate that.

A big difference that I didn't recognize at the time was cultural. I've lived in the US, UK, and Canada; in none of these countries do children work in factories. Additionally, in all three countries the average wage is substantially higher than in most of the rest of the world. My own rake-them-over-the-coals opinon of Nike was largely due to my applying of my own cultural norms to the cultures of other countries. I forgot the "when in Rome" thing. In other countries child labor isn't just accepted, it's actually expected as part of supporting the family. The wages paid are often extremely low, but the average wage for anyone in that country was often extremely low compared to what I was used to. I don't like the fact that kids have to work in other countries, but one company cannot create the economic and cultural shift necessary to end that.

Sorry to go on so much; just wanted to give them a break. They've improved, and they're improving workers' lives. I don't even own a pair of Nikes; I just wish that the good news made the news more often.

[Wishes]

I'm finding that a lot of shoes (especially walking and running shoes) are not stating if they are made of leather of man made materials. I'm not a big shoe buyer, but this is bothering me. Has anyone else noticed this? Asking the sales help doesn't help. They never seem to know.

[Vegmom]

New Balance
Converse
Crocs
Adidas
Vans
Sketchers
LEI
These all carry some non-leather shoes. Just keep a look out. Sometimes I'm suprised by which companies make non-leather shoes.

[m@dgirl]

I'm finding that a lot of shoes (especially walking and running shoes) are not stating if they are made of leather of man made materials. I'm not a big shoe buyer, but this is bothering me. Has anyone else noticed this? Asking the sales help doesn't help. They never seem to know.

I noticed this too, so I smell them. It makes the clerks nervous.

[Shrapnel]

I noticed this too, so I smell them. It makes the clerks nervous.

Them meaning the shoes, or the sales help (the latter would make them more nervous I'd wager)?

[Sarah_]

Charlotte Russe!

[ellaminnowpea]

I'm getting so pissed that all the cute sneakers have leather. I have no problem finding vegan dressy shoes. But the only vegan skate shoes Ive found are Macbeths (pretty cute, in the guys section usually). I wear a lot of vans and converses. It's frustrating! I want these and these veganized.

... and maybe ethically made, cheaper, and vegan?!

[phloxy]

I don't like the fact that kids have to work in other countries, but one company cannot create the economic and cultural shift necessary to end that.

One vegan cannot create the social and cultural shift necessary to end animal suffering, but that doesn't mean we should all cease to be vegan or be kinda vegan or only make half an effort and blame others when nothing changes.

Collective effort by individuals is what makes a difference, and that is how it has always been. If these capitalistic abusers had any ethics at all, they'd take a leadership stance because that is the contribution to betterment that is in their power to make.

Children should not be working for a big corporation to make goods for greedy and materialistic Westerners. I don't care what cultural lens you look through, it's just not right. And if this kind of labor is expected of children, then they (or perhaps their guardians) should have a voice in what it is they're being asked to do and for whom. But with capitalism, that isn't going to happen.

I would love to believe that corporations are doing good and looking out for others, but it's just not (and really can't be) the case. They answer to their shareholders and to profit, and the rest is a whitewash (or greenwash, in some cases).

[Gwydion]

But the only vegan skate shoes Ive found are Macbeths

Etnies have quite a good selection. Have no idea how 'ethically made' they are though.

[MissAnnMai]

They have vegan Tom's available at Whole Food stores. The vegan Tom's will be available online in spring of 2009.

[co_jad]

ellaminnowpea If your looking for Vegan skate shoes, any vans shoe will jeff rowleys name on it will be vegan..
Ipath also makes some great vegan options as well.

[Vegmom]

It can be tough to find good quality, stylish vegan shoes. I have been buying dress shoes from Pangea and sneaks from Payless. GQ magazine recently recommended Mooshoes and Vegetarian Shoes as vegan options (really! August issue, page 66).

I wondered if the problem finding vegan sneakers was the manufacturer or the store selection, so wrote to Nike, Adidas, and Puma. Adidas has none, Puma has a handful, but get this: Nike has over five hundred models of footwear made without animal parts. +500! It's just that our local stores don't carry the whole selection!! Check out this link to the Nike site or you can check out the whole story on my site's front page.

I have some Adidas from maybe 4 years ago that say "made from all man made materials" . No leather at all. Hmmm...weird.

[co_jad]

So Ive got a pretty well trained eye in differentiating leather from synthetics and ADIDAS Definitely has some synthetic shoes. In fact I sell some at work.
Id imagine that they probably can not guarantee that the glues used to assemble the shoes aren't animal based.
Generally the higher end road and trail running shoes are made of synthetic materials.
Alot of light hikers and a few backpacking boots are as well (though not most)are synthetic. There are also gore-tex/waterproof options for synthetic shoes now.
For casual shoes I choose Simple. They are one of my Fav. companies.

[Pilaf]

Most New Balance shoes are actually vegan. I checked out their policy. There's a list of shoes that are vegan made by them. I usually have to wear sneakers made in this style because of my foot health issues.

[Mahk]

+1^ on that New Balance suggestion. I'm lucky in that I live close to a NB factory outlet store and if you go in the sales staff knows which are vegan off the top of their heads! Of course don't ask for "vegan" but instead ask for "100% synthetic or man made". Works like a charm.

[snivelingchild]

I'm going to have to recommend the vegan earthshoe sneakers. They cost more than most shoes I wear, but have replaced all my sneakers and are well worth the money. They wear in to fit your foot like a glove, and have drastically reduced my foot pain (chronic tendinitis from years of dancing), back pain, and even knee pain. They go with everything, and I wear them every day, but they still look like new. They are definitely worth the investment especially if you work on your feet all day.

[Sarabi]

Good lord, it is hard to find affordable vegan shoes. Everything I've found is $42+ and shipping... well, I found a bunch of less expensive shoes at finishline.com, but what a LOAD of research I will have to do to figure out if any of that is vegan!! Is it even worth the time? I just want some shoes.