Vegetarian Shoes Come Of Age

Most people, when presented with the concept of the vegetarian shoe conjure up a

certain type of person in their head: dreadlocked, knitwear, fond of acoustic guitars, bongos and poi, undoubtedly wearing sandals almost all of the time and religiously vegan. Another word may well spring to mind if one were to be of a cynical bent: trustafarian.

This may well have once been the case, where vegetarian shoes pretty much meant hippy types loping about in hemp sandals all year round on the way to a summer solstice party from the comfort of their squat. However, vegetarian shoes have really come of age with a raft of new materials from which they can be made with such exotic names as ultra-suede meaning the vegan shoe-lover is no longer left with a choice of PVC, plastic or crocs but instead are offered an array of stunning shoes that would turn the head of any dedicated shopper, as long as they look in the right places.

In fact, the shoes are now so well presented and put together that they can also double up as ethical footwear. Vegans may be something of a niche market, but the ethical and fair trade market has in recent years become a rather substantial concern, and the same principles are fairly categorically shared by vegans, and so vegetarian shoes may well be of interest to those concerned with shopping ethically, whether that is driven by animal rights or trade inequalities.

The best example of this is the ubiquitous range of Jinga shoes made in Brazil. They are certified by the Vegan Society but are also made for Jingando, a social enterprise that provides opportunities to disadvantaged young people in Brazil. The Jinga range of shoes have been praised by the founder of The Big Issue, John Bird, clearly demonstrating the support of the ethically minded for vegetarian shoes, whether that is their main concern or not.

The coming of age of vegetarian shoes is disseminating into wider society and will do so at pace as more and more celebrities are spotting wearing them. Cheryl Cole has been seen wearing a pair of heels made by the luxury vegan shoe label Sui Generis (part of Beyond Skin)and Natalie Portman was seen wearing a pair of Airseal Engineer boots in the January 2010 UK edition of Marie Claire. The more celebrities are seen wearing vegetarian shoes, the more they will become desirable as fashion items in themselves, which is surely good news for anyone holding strong views on animal rights and/or ethical fashion.

At the moment, vegetarian shoes remain a niche concern and consumers looking to step out in a stunning pair of ethical friendly pumps will have to put a bit more effort into finding them. In the UK, Brighton is famous for its support of ethical fashion and shoppers are sure to find vegetarian shoes there, as they are in some parts of London. However, the internet is also part of the growing interest in vegetarian shoes, as they are now easily available beyond a little-known shop in the North Laines.

by: Will Sharp

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