Boy, am I really falling behind the times! I tuned in to a few minutes of NBC's Today Show on Monday and caught a segment on vegan shoes or leather-free shoes. Remember the days when you wanted leather, and shoes made out of non-leather materials were considered cheap and inferior? Again, we have a repackaging or renaming that spins a product into vogue or eco-chic if you will.
From the New York City “fashion house,” Moo Shoes, comes the GI Jane shoe which actually sounds pretty natural but I don't know what all goes into car tires:
“The GI Jane is a great choice for the environmentally conscience fashionista. It has all the follwing great qualities: Woven Jute rand Nubby Cotton upper Bamboo linings Wooden button Removable natural laytex pedbed with a cotton canvas cover Natural crepe rubber midsole outsole is made of car tires Uses water based cements 100% post consumer paper pulp foot forms”(Hey Moo Shoes folks, I'm available for copyediting)
At $85 retail, I’m not going to be buying these shoes.
Shoes constructed of car tires, jute and paper pulp just don’t appeal to me for that matter, although I am a big flip-flops fan and consider those the ultimate vegan shoe; plus the price is right. Remember the stink raised when some of Northwestern's women's lacrosse team wore flip-flops to the White House? They were ahead of their time.
However, one shoe featured on the Today Show did look pretty nice--a red patent faux leather shoe.
And while I’m not a vegan, I can appreciate those who choose to use products and foods for which no animal has given it’s life. But, me, I’m still going to buy leather (and rubber flip-flops)--the real stuff not the faux kind and please don’t picket my house, PETA.
8 comments:
Ha! The more things change, the more they stay the same. When I was stationed in Iran back in the 60’s I bought a pair of sandals that most of the poorest of the poor wore because that was all they could afford. We called them “Retreads” because they were simply canvas tops attached to a sole-shaped piece of an old tire.
You are certainly right about the more things change, the more they stay the same, Don. On second thought, those hippie shoes look a lot like a pair I had in the early 70s. I'm probably one of the few women not enamored by shoes. My husband has more shoes than I have. But I had noticed the faux leather business in some catalogs, and since I don't get out much shopping I thought the vegan shoe thing was interesting. The red shoes are actually cheaper than the natural ones and I'll bet you could get an even better deal at Payless.
I had a pair of those same shoes, too...they turned the soles of my feet black, way back then. I wonder if these would do the same?
but, to be perfectly honest, as long as the shoe is comfortable and looks ok, it's the shoe for me. I'm with you, Sheila, I don't really care what fashion dictates...as a matter of fact, some of my shoes date way back to the eighties!
And I think I'm going to go clean my closet now, lol!
My footses likes to go nekkid.
BFF,
Miss T
It's interesting how fashions come and go Sheila. It's almost like we're going all the way back to the hippy chick style of the 60's/70's with the vegetarian shoes. I agree the red shoes do look a lot nicer and they're cheaper too! I've always loved flip flops, especially for holidays. You can get some really nice ones now. I like the beaded ones.
Marion, you and I are on the same page. I guess I used to care more, but I'm old enough to be comfortable with what I like, not what someone tells me I ought to like. If you are wanting to clean closets, you could come help me pack and clean. Ha.
Oh Miss T I do go barefoot most of the time at home.
Naomi, I don't have the beaded flip-flops but you are right, they are cute.
I think I'm going to pick up a pair of vegan shoes that I can weak when I go out for steak this weekend! 8-)
Good to see the posts on The Tide getting ready to roll. Hoping they do The Bear proud.
I have something for you, Sheila...
I've been tagged! And now, so have you!! I hope you'll play along.
As a Vegan living in Africa it is hard to find anything without leather except sneakers so if anything hits our shelves that looks halfway decent in the non leather shoe line I buy one pair and if really nice two pairs in each color they have.
I am told many of the overseas vegan leather look alike shoes no longer make your feet sweat plus they last for many years which is great. Hopefully one day they get them here as most of mine being cloth based, and with me being heavy on footwear, only last one and at the most two seasons.
My latest find are beaded cloth shoes from India in many bright colors, very Hippy....takes me back to my youth :)
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