Leather Shoes

kraggy

Hi all,

Briefly, i'm vegetarian and would like to get even further from the flesh of animals as much as i can (to put it bluntly).

Thus, i really want to abandon wearing leather shoes as i feel like a complete hypocrite considering the reasons for my vegetarianism.

Is there any such thing as a vegetarian shoe shop here in ireland yet (as they have in england)?

i just can't find decent non-leather shoes or runners...

ALSO,

what are you fellow vegetarians' opinions on this?

thanks,

k.

i

nando

I don't really want to get into a debate about my own views on this because I think it all depends on your own personal reasons for being veggie etc. I don't personally at this time feel the need to opt for vegetarian/vegan shoes so I can't give you any personal experience of these stores but I know friends who have shopped there in the past.

The Natural Shoe Company on Drury Street in Dublin - definitely does veggie shoes.

Cinders on Wicklow Street in Dublin used to but I'm not certain they still do.

Nature Boy

I usually buy them online

I got runners on www.veganessentials.com and i got shoes on www.vegetarian-shoes.co.uk

They can be quite expensive, especially if they turn out to be the wrong size and having to send them back, like what happened to me

sweet-rasmus

the only problem is sizes - i ordered off vegetarian shoes... and it was a size larder than labelled, at least. i emailed them, but when they got back to me (way too late) the time to send back had passed. i simply gave up and put the 80 euro shoes in the cupboard. ordering shoes off the net may not always turn out well... though, my friend used the same site and bought a perfect pair. bah!

Nature Boy

Yeah It's a bit of a gamble alright, but if you want a decent pair then I don't see much of an alternative.

When I found out mine were too small i just filled out the form and sent them back, and then emailed them to let them know. Ended up costing me a fortune.

TheBigLebowski

nando wrote:

The Natural Shoe Company on Drury Street in Dublin - definitely does veggie shoes.

I traipsed up and down Drury St in the rain last week looking for this shop and couldn't find it. Is it still there? And if so, where?

nando

Like I said, I have never personally used the shops as I don't buy vegetarian shoes - so I can only tell you what my friends who do buy them say. Apparantly it is actually called "The Natural Shoe Store" not "Company". Unfortunately I have no idea if the shop is still there now, as it is about 2 years my friend has been there. I have googled and come up with an address as 25 Drury Street and a photo of the shop but I don't know if it is still there -I don't live in Dublin.

JC 2K3

http://www.blackspotsneaker.org

I support these shoes due to ethical issues regarding humans rather than animals, but they are 100% vegetarian and organic.

microgirl

One possible semi-solution that my veggie bf and some of my veggie friends do is buy second-hand or army surplus (not quite second-hand, but close-ish) shoes. I know this wouldn't sit at all well with vegans, or veggies with really strong ethical views, but it does seem to be a happy half-way house for some.

Myself, I'm an unapologetic omnivore, so don't have any more practical advice or suggestions to make

kraggy

Interesting concept microgirl. was thinking of this recently. by doing so, one is wearing leather but not adding to the demand for leather as the shoes are already made...and decreasing the demand for leather so that less animals are killed is the whole point.

however, i'm not sure i'd feel comfortable with it though. it still feels like sneaking in the moral back door...

mmm...

microgirl

kraggy wrote:

Interesting concept microgirl. was thinking of this recently. by doing so, one is wearing leather but not adding to the demand for leather as the shoes are already made...and decreasing the demand for leather so that less animals are killed is the whole point.

however, i'm not sure i'd feel comfortable with it though. it still feels like sneaking in the moral back door...

mmm...

Yeah, that's why I said it was a kind of halfway-house, or something. I think it's something that less-strict veggies could deal with, those that don't find the thought of personally wearing leather abhorrent, but would still have sufficient ethical interest in vegetarianism to appreciate the fact that they themselves did not cause the animal to be killed. I know many people who would never buy a fur coat new, but have no objection to wearing their grandmother's old fur stole for the same reasons (I'd be included in that).

To me, the second-hand/surplus leather goods option seems perfect, but I don't have any ethical or moral problem with the killing of animals for food (the treatment of those animals before they're killed is a different kettle of fish) so therefore can't place myself in the (organic, Fairtrade hemp ) shoes of those with strong beliefs on the matter.