LAS ALTERNATIVAS

THE ALTERNATIVES

There are a lot of resources and materials that offer great advantages over leather. By using them, we can produce goods in a much more sustainable, less toxic and more compassionate way than with animal hides. No factory farming means less cruelty, less water consumption, and less pollution.

Let us tell you more about some of the materials used in our products and why we think they are great alternatives.

HOW DO YOU EVEN MAKE SHOES WITHOUT THE LEATHER?

Easily! What’s more: these are usually not just better for the animals and planet, but also more durable, comfortable, and attractive. We also take care to avoid all other animal products in the shoes we sell.

A number of great alternatives to leather exist:

- MICROFIBER

Microfiber can vary widely in appearance, strength, feel, and composition. The defining characteristic of the microfiber we use is that it is a material or fabric of some description, made from natural fibers. The most common fibers used in the production of our microfibers include polyamide, polyurethane (PU) as low as 5%.Thanks to its variable composition, a wide range of characteristics can be achieved. For example, it can be very soft, like soft nubuck leather or suede.The fine pores also make this material especially breathable and lightweight.For more information take a look at our main microfiber supplier at https://www.giardini.com/en/eco-friendly-line-eng/

- NATURAL RUBBER

Rubber can be a natural material, such as rubber or latex, created from the rubber tree. Natural rubber can also be grown under sustainable conditions and then used to make the soles or other parts of shoes.

Natural rubber is a great material for the soles of shoes as it is flexible, hard-wearing and environmentally friendly.

WHAT OTHER ADVANTAGES DO VEGAN SHOES OFFER?

Leather is high-maintenance. Leather must be properly cared for, with dubbin, shoe polish or grease to ensure the leather remains supple.

Alternatives offer great diversity. Because there is more than one alternative to leather, a range of different materials can be used, each more ideally suited to that individual person’s needs and uses for the shoes.

Vegan materials are great to work with. There are better design options for non-leather shoes, as these materials are generally lighter, more flexible, and easier to bond with one another.

Any alternative mentioned above is more eco-friendly than leather.

Vegan materials are animal-friendly, cruelty free and eco-friendly. No animals were held in captivity or killed for their production.

WHAT IS IT THAT MAKES NON-LEATHER SHOES NOT VEGAN? WHAT ELSE IS THERE?

People are often shocked to learn that there’s a bit more to ethical, vegan shoes than just leather. In addition to the various kinds of leather and hide, wool, felt, silk, animal-based glue, animal dyes and down feathers are all regularly used in the manufacturing of shoes.

We have carefully researched all of these details, ensuring that we don´t use materials of animal origin in our production of shoes.