Vegan Chic: Articles | Environmental Veganism

When purchasing vegan shoes and boots, the main concern of shoppers and vegan footwear retailers is knowing the footwear materials used in constructing the footwear.

While non-vegans may find that anything that is not made of leather or any type of animal skin qualifies as vegan footwear, this statement is not always correct. True, leather and suede shoes and boots are certainly not vegan, but even fabric shoes, for example, which appear to be vegan in nature, can be constructed using other footwear materials that are nonvegan. One of the main footwear materials used in footwear construction that can sometimes be a nonvegan component is the adhesive used in making the shoe or boot. Other materials, such as leather hide threads, can also sway an otherwise vegan shoe or boot to being a nonvegan product.

Determining these “hidden” footwear materials isn’t always an easy process. For instance, consider seeing a canvas shoe on the shelf of a department store retailer. While the shoe may appear to use footwear materials that are vegan in nature, those unseen footwear materials discussed can still be nonvegan. There is no way of determining what footwear materials are used in the shoe or boot construction process unless the manufacturer states this information in detail, which is often not the case.

Based on this difficulty of finding true vegan footwear, Vegan Chic was born. The company was founded on the idea that footwear made of 100 percent vegan materials were not easy to find because of the difficulty in determining whether or not the shoes are truly vegan in nature, from uppers to soles. Vegan Chic carefully researches each of their manufacturers and the footwear materials each manufacturer uses to guarantee that every product found in their store is indeed truly vegan. There are absolutely no nonvegan products to be found at. Amazingly, too, there are a wide variety of footwear materials used in manufacturing great vegan shoes and boots.

What footwear materials can you expect to see in Vegan Chic’ selection of fantastic footwear? Vegan footwear manufacturing tends to be very resourceful, and the increased awareness of environmental veganism has brought about very creative uses of materials that previously were never used in footwear manufacturing. Shoppers will find that Vegan Chic is a vegan paradise, carrying products made with footwear materials that include:

Hemp, one of the most environmentally friendly crops that produces fabric with anti-microbial properties, and comes from a plant that improves soil quality as it grows, is naturally resistant to insects, fungus and pests, and eliminates the need for herbicides or pest control that can harm the environment;

Jute, a fast-growing plant that is 100 percent biodegradable and very environmentally friendly, as well as breathable and natural when used as a footwear material;

Bamboo, a fast-growing tree that helps protect the soil and ecosystems, and produces extremely soft fabric that is 100 percent biodegradable, natural and is known for its antibacterial properties;

Recycled tire tread, which is a common footwear material used in Simple shoes;

Microfiber, a breathable and naturally water repellent footwear material made from a very fine polyester or nylon thread

Pleather or Suedette, or faux leather and faux suede, both of which are popular vegan footwear materials; and

Satin, a fantastic, shiny fabric made from polyester or rayon.

Shoppers can find fabulous shoes and boots made from these footwear materials at Vegan Chic’ online store. For more information on the footwear materials used in their product line, please contact Vegan Chic’ customer support center.