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Trendy shoes that respect your feet, animals and the environment: that's what vegan sneakers are ! Unlike traditional shoes, women's vegan sneakers are distinguished by their non-use of materials of animal origin such as wool or leather. They are either made of imitation leather, a synthetic material derived from petrochemicals, or “vegan” leather: an innovative textile made from plant materials such as corn, apple, pineapple, grape, mango or mushrooms. Yes, there is only good!
Find out why traditional sneakers can be harmful to you, animals and the planet and choose an alternative fashion by opting for vegan women's sneakers !
Why choose women's vegan sneakers?
According to INRAE (National Institute for Agricultural Research), cattle farming accounts for 14.5% of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide and 10% in Europe. These emissions are largely linked to waste management, the production of feed for livestock and their transport. Furthermore, to be used in the textile industry, leather must be made rot-proof. In Europe, regulations have been put in place to limit the impact of this process, but they are very costly to apply. For the sake of economy, many companies are therefore turning to leather treated outside Europe, even though these regulations are not respected. The hides are then treated with chemicals that pollute water and soil, thus endangering local populations. It is therefore no surprise that the leather industry is among the most polluting.
Because they do not contain any material of animal origin, vegan sneakers for women have a much lower impact on the planet. Indeed, they are made from innovative materials that do not contain harmful chemicals and whose production requires few resources. Today, there are many solutions replacing animal leather: vegan leather from fruits or mushrooms for example. At Mood Walk, we chose corn leather for the manufacture of our vegan sneakers for women . Why corn leather? Because it has very similar properties to traditional leather: it is resistant, flexible and absorbent. Our corn comes from agriculture: we recycle corn waste into bio-PU, or polymer, which allows us to obtain a material that is just as comfortable as classic leather. Enough to feel good in your sneakers! The particularity of this “corn leather” is also to have a very high proportion of organic materials: 78%, which makes it one of the most environmentally friendly materials.
As we mentioned above, to treat leather, it is necessary to use chemicals during the tanning stage. Because these chemicals end up in water and soil, many people living around tanning sites are poisoned on a daily basis. There are approximately 16 million people exposed to the dangers of mineral tanning and seeing their life expectancy decrease. This is one of the reasons why we quickly excluded the use of animal leather and opted for the production of vegan , ethical and ecological sneakers.
The livestock needed to produce leather is very often associated with animal abuse. According to PETA and L214, most animals are crammed into small spaces, do not see the light of day and regularly have diseases due to overcrowding. There are more than a billion animals killed in the world, mostly in China where there is no legislation punishing animal abuse. In addition, animal leather is difficult to trace: it is sometimes impossible to determine whether the leather used is calf, cow, horse, dog, pig or cat leather.
We recommend reading Hugo Clément's book: How I stopped eating animals which reinforced our desire to make vegan sneakers .
Why contribute to animal abuse when there are many less violent, but equally effective alternatives, such as corn leather? Opting for vegan sneakers for women means limiting animal abuse and fighting for a fairer world.
Before buying women's vegan sneakers , we advise you to find out about their origin, materials and manufacturing method: this will allow you to check that they do not represent a danger to the environment or animals. We also recommend that you choose sneakers that are both vegan and ethical: eco-responsible sneakers , respectful of all living beings and ensuring fairer working conditions for employees. Certain labels will allow you to recognize them, such as “PETA France”, “The Vegan Society” or “Eve Vegan”.
Want to know more? Find out what certifications vegan sneakers for women have .
