Why not leather? About animal hides and their tanning

Why no leather? Why Shoes For Society X avesu?

Why did we found Shoes For Society X avesu? What motivates us? And why are we convinced that vegan shoes are the best shoes?

Essentially, these questions are easy to answer: sustainable, fair, and vegan – that's what we're all about. But of course, there's also a more detailed answer.

You'll find exactly those answers on these pages. We hope that all your questions about vegan shoes, Shoes For Society X avesu itself, and our ethical principles will be answered here.

About leather and leather production

Isn't leather just a waste product of the meat industry?

Quite the opposite. Leather—like any other animal product used in shoemaking—is not a waste product, but a commodity in its own right with its own market value. The profit made from this commodity is just as economically significant as that made from meat.

This means that a huge number of animals are bred and slaughtered specifically for leather production.

All the well-known arguments against the consumption of meat or dairy products also apply to leather:

• High CO₂ and methane emissions
• Massive water consumption
• Factory farming and animal factories
• Deforestation of rainforests for fodder plants
  
  

The production of leather, i.e. the tanning of animal hides, is also an extremely toxic and environmentally harmful process.

According to the animal rights organization PETA, for example, the market value of cow skin accounts for around half of what can be earned from a slaughtered cow.

In short: Anyone who buys leather might as well buy meat. The animal suffering, the ecological consequences, and the poor working conditions for the workers are the same.

The goal of Shoes For Society X avesu is to offer an attractive and less bloody alternative.

What about other types of leather? Aren't they more environmentally friendly?

There are many types of leather that are offered as more luxurious or alternative versions to cowhide. However, the main arguments against cowhide also apply to these:

• Every animal hide must be tanned, which always involves toxic chemicals.
• Every type of leather is made from the skin of a dead animal.
• Leather is never a waste product – for some animal species, the skin accounts for the majority of the profit.
• Many “luxury leather” animals such as alligators or kangaroos are kept in cramped cages and systematically slaughtered.
  
  

How does the tanning of animal hides work?

Many people still think that leather is a "natural product" and therefore environmentally friendly. Unfortunately, the exact opposite is true.

In order for leather to have the desired properties and not rot, it needs the complex process of tanning.

• Processing one ton of animal hides requires 20,000 to 80,000 liters of water.
• Highly toxic chemicals such as formaldehyde, chromium, lead, arsenic, cyanide, ammonia and mercury are used in tanning.
• 90% of global leather production takes place in countries with weak environmental protection laws.

The production of leather is so harmful that it would not be legal in this form in the EU – yet a lot is imported.

So is leather harmful to health?

Yes, leather is extremely harmful to health – both for the people who work in production and for consumers.

• Hexavalent chromium, used in tanning, is a strong allergen.
• Studies show that many leather products on the market contain chromium salts, which can lead to contact dermatitis.
• The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment is calling for stricter labeling requirements.
  
  

What about vegetable tanning?

Vegetable tanning is often marketed as an environmentally friendly alternative to chrome tanning. However, it also presents significant problems:

• Some “vegetable tanned” leather products are actually only dyed with vegetable dyes.
• Genuine vegetable tanning is extremely resource-intensive:
  • 15 to 30 months of processing time
  • 30 kg bark or 90 kg oak wood per animal hide
  • Enormous water consumption
• Due to the high cost involved, vegetable-tanned leather accounts for only 5% of total leather production and remains a luxury product.
  
  

If you are really looking for a sustainable alternative, you should avoid leather altogether.