Vegan alternatives to leather

Vegan alternatives to leather

There are a whole range of materials and fabrics that are far superior to leather. These materials can be produced more sustainably, more environmentally friendly, without violence, and without environmental toxins. No factory farming means no cruelty, less water consumption, and less CO2 emissions.

Here you will find a list of materials that offer great alternatives to animal leather.

But what are shoes made of without leather?

Finding a substitute for leather isn't difficult. The materials used instead of leather and other animal products are often not only better for the animals and our planet, but also more durable and better suited for shoemaking.

There are a number of materials that can be used instead of leather.

Plant-based Leather (Apple Leather, Corn Leather)

Plant-based leather is an innovative, sustainable alternative to animal-based leather, made from renewable raw materials such as apple scraps, corn, or grape pomace, often combined with other natural materials such as cotton and (partially) recycled synthetic fibers to create a durable, environmentally friendly material. The material is durable, waterproof, and, thanks to innovative material technology, also breathable.

Microfiber

Microfiber refers to a fabric made of particularly fine fibers. These fibers can be synthetic or natural. Common synthetic microfibers include polyamide, nylon, acrylic, and polyurethane (PU), while natural microfibers are made of materials such as cotton.

The fabrics are usually particularly lightweight and can be very flexible and breathable. Shoes made from high-quality microfiber fabrics are particularly soft and supple.

Polyurethane (PU)

PU is a foam-like material that can take many forms. One of these forms is PU fiber, a particularly durable microfiber that is flexible and breathable—perfect for shoe uppers. In its solid form, PU is used for shoe soles.

hemp

Hemp has been used for textile production for over 10,000 years. Thanks to new technologies, soft and robust fabrics can be produced from hemp fiber. Hemp is easy to grow, requires no pesticides, and is environmentally friendly.

Cotton

Cotton is a renewable raw material and can be grown organically. Although cotton requires water, its consumption is significantly lower than that of leather production.

GORE-TEX

GORE-TEX is a lightweight, waterproof, and windproof, yet breathable membrane. It's perfect for outdoor and hiking shoes because it allows moisture to escape without penetrating.

cork

Cork is a natural, renewable resource. The trees are not felled; instead, the bark is harvested every nine years. Cork is lightweight, breathable, and antibacterial.

rubber

Rubber is a natural raw material from which rubber and latex are made. It is primarily used for shoe soles because it is flexible, durable, and environmentally friendly.

Recycled rubber

Recycled rubber is often used for shoe soles and rubber boots. It can be completely recycled without leaving any residue.

Upcycled materials

Upcycling means that no new raw materials are required. One example is the reuse of old car tires for shoe soles.

Recycled PET bottles

PET plastic bottles are also well-suited for recycling. Some brands use recycled PET bottles for soles or fashion accessories.

What other advantages do vegan shoes offer?

  • Animal leather is high-maintenance and requires regular care.

  • Vegan materials offer different properties – from water-repellent to particularly lightweight.

  • Vegan fabrics are often easier to work with.

  • Any alternative is more environmentally friendly than animal leather.

  • Vegan alternatives are animal-friendly.

What makes Shoes For Society X avesu shoes so special?

High-quality vegan shoes are breathable, flexible, and durable. They offer a sustainable and fair alternative to leather shoes. If you'd like to see for yourself, you can try them on in one of our stores.

Why aren't all leather-free shoes vegan?

In addition to leather, animal materials such as wool, felt, silk, animal glue, dyes, or down are often used. At avesu, we ensure that no animal components are contained in our shoes.


Why are vegan shoes so expensive?

We get asked this question often, and we understand it.
Let's try to explain this.

THE MATERIAL

Many people think that shoes must be cheap if they're not made of leather. Anyone who has read our chapter on leather and tanning will know by now that leather isn't necessarily the high-quality and cost-intensive material it's marketed as. In fact, the opposite is true.

Since leather production takes place almost exclusively in countries with hardly any animal welfare laws and little or no environmental or worker protection laws, the costs for the raw material and the chemical treatment, i.e. for tanning, are relatively low.

Due to high demand, leather is produced in huge quantities. This mass production is optimized to achieve the greatest possible profit with the least possible input.

Alternative materials, on the other hand, are often much harder to obtain and are not (yet) produced in such large quantities.

Sustainable materials, in particular, play a special role. Natural materials such as cotton or cork need time to grow and regenerate. Conscious, organic farming and human- and animal-friendly production are justifiably more costly than a conventional approach with monocultures, factory farming, and underpaid labor.

THE BRANDS

Vegan shoes are still a niche product. This means that brands specializing in vegan shoes can only produce and sell models in small quantities. This increases the unit price considerably, because materials, transport, insurance, customs duties, and taxes are all cheaper in large quantities.

Large factories that specialize in mass-producing shoes don't even produce small runs. For this reason, as well as for ethical and quality reasons, vegan shoes are almost exclusively manufactured in small businesses, where they are either entirely handmade or at least require a lot of meticulous craftsmanship.

Many of our brands produce exclusively vegan shoes out of conviction, such as Ahimsa, nae, Flamingos' Life, Vegetarian Shoes and many more.
So when you buy a shoe from Shos For Society, you can be sure that everyone involved has put their all into making a good vegan shoe – a shoe that impresses and is worth the money.

THE WORKING CONDITIONS

China, Indonesia, and Vietnam are the countries with the largest shoe industries in the world. While factories with adequate working conditions exist and are developing, the vast majority employ underpaid workers in inadequate conditions.

We don't just want to offer a vegan alternative, but a comprehensive one. Therefore, 80 percent of our product range is manufactured within the EU, where labor law guidelines—such as working hours, insurance, and union rights—apply. We only include shoes produced outside the EU in our product range if the working conditions are adequate and regularly monitored.

And it goes without saying that a product will ultimately be more expensive if the workers receive a decent wage and have vacation days and insurance.

OUR CLAIM

We want to offer shoes that are not only vegan, but also good for our planet and for the people involved in their production.
But we also want a vegan lifestyle to be affordable and accessible to everyone. We strive to offer moderately priced shoes and encourage our brands and manufacturers to reduce costs and work on alternatives that are affordable for everyone.

Vegan shoes from avesu aren't just any shoes. We strive to offer you the best of all the above-mentioned aspects and hope that you'll see your shoe purchase as a small investment – ​​in your style, but also in a better future for everyone.

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