No animal substances at all: Vegan sneakers
Vegan sneakers do without materials that are of animal origin. So you'll look in vain for genuine leather uppers. The same goes for wool or silk. And did you know that often glue is also produced on an animal basis? If sneakers carry the "vegan" label, only glues that are free of animal products are used.
A look at sneaker trends shows that vegan styles are becoming increasingly established. That's because sustainability has also reached the sneaker industry. Many labels are focusing on leather alternatives and recycled materials - and the streetwear cosmos is running hot, because animal welfare, environmental protection and CO2 reduction have never been more present.
What vegan leather can do
Similar look and feel, but completely different source material: vegan leather looks confusingly similar to real leather, but is produced without the use of animal materials. Many brands use plastic, mostly polyurethane (PU for short), recycled rubber or discarded PET bottles to produce vegan leather.
Away from recycled materials, plastics don't exactly have the best reputation when it comes to sustainability. They are produced on the basis of petroleum and often with high energy expenditure. For this reason, more and more brands are discovering natural materials of plant origin for themselves, for example:
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- Cork
- Natural rubber
- Hemp
- Cotton
Eco friendly sneakers made from these materials are more than presentable - especially with the right finish. A waxed surface leaves an impression even on die-hard sneaker heads. Few identify the difference from the leather classic.
Faux leather, by the way, is not the same as vegan leather. The crucial difference lies in the manufacturing process. Faux leather is based on oil, while vegan alternatives are often based on plant fibers, such as pineapple palm leaves, cork or natural rubber. These materials are biodegradable - and are thus doubly convincing in terms of sustainability.
Which sneakers are vegan?
The good news is: vegan shoes are no longer a niche. Discover eco friendly sneakers in various colorways, uppers and sizes in our range. We present our favorites and favorite brands.
Veja - vegan sneakers made from high-quality organic materials
Pioneer in the matter of vegan sneakers is the French label Veja. The crew around the two founders Sébastien Kopp and François-Ghislain Morillion spent a total of five years working on developing sustainable sneakers. With success: more than 60 percent of the materials are biodegradable. Thus, the minimalist Vejas are rightly considered eco-shoes.
No animal materials are used in the label's vegan line. Instead of leather, Veja uses waxed cotton canvas, among other materials. The finish that creates the leather-like finish is based on C.W.L. This is corn starch that comes from food industry waste.
Branco was Veja's first fully vegan sneaker. However, there are now numerous other silhouettes. For example, the V-10, the French label's bestrunner, is available as a vegan sneaker.
