Footwear materials: leather vs synthetics - Ethical Consumer

The skins of other animals have been used by humans for millennia. However, the way that mainstream leather is processed, and the industrialisation of animal farming may be some of the reasons that people are looking for leather alternatives. 

Please visit our website for more information on this topic.

Animal welfare issues with leather

Most companies use the narrative that leather is a by-product of the meat industry. However, leather is economically valuable with high demand for leather-based goods, including shoes. This makes it a profitable industry in its own right, worth over £200bn in . It sustains and feeds the meat industry as a co-product of animal slaughter, and at the slaughterhouse level it’s very difficult to say what ‘comes first’ when different animal bodily parts are shipped off for different industries.

We couldn't find any animal welfare policies for companies’ leather supply chains in the shoes or trainers guides.

Companies were only treating it as a ‘leftover’, thereby ignoring the type of farming or animal welfare issues that their purchases were sustaining. The Leather Working Group certification, which a number of companies use, does not formally include animal welfare and focuses on the environmental impacts of production.
 

Pollution from leather production

To turn it into a wearable product and to prevent decomposition, animal skin undergoes tanning. The majority of leather is tanned using chromium, which is highly toxic to both people and the environment.

Other hazardous substances used in leather processing have been classified by the European Chemical Agency (ECHA) as Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC). Tannery waste is highly toxic and polluting to the environment, plant and animal life, as well as being hazardous for tannery workers.

There are some processes which reduce some of these impacts. 

Chrome-free leather is processed without the use of chromium, heavy metals, and particular acids. It also means that water use is reduced and water is recyclable after use, which is not possible with chrome leather. 

Vegetable-tanned leather uses tannins from trees or other organic fibres during processing.

Buying secondhand footwear gets around some of these issues.

Research has also found that the physical and chemical structure of some vegan bio-based materials including grape leather and apple leather are very similar to purely synthetic leather. Beyond grapes and apples, vegan bio-based leathers for shoes can be made from mangoes, cacti, pineapples, and even fungi. Other novel combinations include corn-based and sugarcane derived materials.

Of course, canvas shoes have been around for hundreds of years and still feature in the ranges of many of the larger companies in our guides. Although canvas can sometimes be synthetic, it can also be made from cotton, flax, or hemp which are all vegan, bio-based, and degradable materials. It's important to note however, that almost all of the bio-based materials currently used in footwear contain some proportion of synthetic material too.

We only found one company, Will's Vegan Shoes, that had a fully biodegradable sneaker, which had textile uppers and was not leather-like. Only Allbirds and Camper had leather-like sneakers and boots with no synthetics in the main material of the uppers. They used a material called Mirum which is 100% bio-based, even though it is too hard-wearing to be officially classed as biodegradable, but both companies also used recycled polyester in their linings.

We recommend looking for vegan bio-based shoes if buying new. They are an alternative to the issues of leather outlined above, and are also moving away from fossil-fuel based synthetics.

What about waterproof footwear?

Generally speaking, well maintained leather, as well as PU and PVC, are used in footwear because of their ability to keep feet dry. So far as we can tell, many vegan bio-based shoe materials also aim to be water resistant at the very least, for example SAYE uses water-repellent organic cotton. 

One problem with waterproofing is that, in 'high-performance' footwear particularly, it can lead to the use of the 'forever chemicals', PFAS. It's worth trying to avoid these in footwear. More information on some of the companies trying to do this appear in our PFAS feature.  

Our footwear materials rating

New in for our guides to shoes and trainers, our footwear materials rating column awarded points to companies that were taking action to reduce the impacts of materials including leather, PVC and PU; designing footwear for recycling or repair; using biodegradable uppers; bio-based uppers; all organic or recycled cotton, or recycled materials; and if the company’s whole focus was on providing lower impact environmental alternatives. 

This way, we capture a holistic view of the impacts that a company’s footwear materials have, rather than only looking at one issue such as vegan or not, or synthetic or not. 

Here’s a little secret. I’ve saved thousands of dollars on footwear from some of the world’s top shoemakers and I spend less than most people over the shoes’ lifetime.

In this post, I am going to reveal two rules and four hacks that will save you a fortune in shoes and have you wearing some of the best ready-to-wear leather footwear available. 

RULE #1. BUY QUALITY OVER QUANTITY

"Buy the best and you only cry once." - Chinese proverb

Investing in quality shoes is just that, an investment. Well-made shoes will last for years, decades even. Unfortunately, most of what you will find in Australia, including in our major department stores, is essentially commodity footwear (see 'Deal-Breaker' below).  

When I look for shoes I make sure the following 'deal-maker' criteria is present before I hand over my hard-earnt cash:

You will get efficient and thoughtful service from CHENGLIDA.

I'm no bare-foot investor - I'm figuratively the complete opposite - but I know that investing in a pair of shoes that lasts longer, compared to one that needs replacing every 12-months or so, will save you a lot of money over time.  

RULE #2. FIGURE OUT COST PER WEAR (CPW)

This simple rule keeps my purchasing habits focussed and stops me from making impulse buys – remember, buying something you don’t really need is never saving you money.

The first thing I calculate when considering a new pair of shoes is Cost Per Wear. It’s a simple idea related to the value of the item divided by how much you use it.

Disclaimer: The lifespan of a leather sole will depend on many factors, such as the gait of the wearer, weather conditions, surface conditions, and frequency of use.

HACK #1. SET UP MARKET PLACE NOTIFICATIONS

I’ve had a ton of success with this simple trick. One of my favourite pairs of Oxfords, my Crockett and Jones Draycott II’s, was snatched up - brand new - on Gumtree for $235 – RRP over $700aud.

I received notification these (unworn) Crockett & Jones Oxfords were being offered on Gumtree for $235. They were sold 5min later. Saving = $465. 

How did I do it? 

•  The owner was looking for a quick sale and I was simply quicker than anyone else.
• I set up search notifications across marketplaces, so I was notified as soon as this pair - and similar pairs - become available.
• I kept my search result focussed, drilling down to brand and style - too broad and the alerts will become relentless. 

 Market Places I Use

 Links to set up notifications

HACK #2. BUY R.M. WILLIAMS FACTORY SECONDS

R.M. Williams has pretty stringent quality control, meaning it pumps out some really good factory seconds. My favourite pair of RMs was bought from a factory outlet for only $275; a saving of $320 from full RRP. 

I picked up a pair of Comfort Turnouts for $275. One boot was ever so darker than the other, which I quickly fixed with a blowdryer (roughed-out leather hack). 

I've written about this before, but how did I find my RMs?

• I was once told by an RM insider that their outlet stores receive stock at the end of each week - or every other week depending on availability. 
• A well-timed call and a few questions around size and style ensured I knew what I was looking for and saved me a wasted trip.* 

*Be sparing with your calls - they are a retailer ;-).

HACK #3. USE WELTED SHOES AUSTRALIA

What happens if you buy a pair of shoes and they don't fit? Return them, right! But what if you've bought your shoes from overseas? 

At the time of writing, these (new)handgrade Alfred Sargent Benson II's, valued at  $1,200, were being offered on WSA for $350. That's a massive $850 saving!

Due to a lack of availability, many Australian men still by quality welted shoes from overseas.

Before I established Facebook group Welted Shoes Australia, if your overseas purchase didn't fit, you either put them in the back corner of your wardrobe or you paid exorbitant return international shipping. 

WSA is a Facebook group set up largely as a result of this problem.

This is how WSA can help you:

• WSA is a platform where you can buy, sell and discuss quality welted footwear. 
• Members will often post shoes purchased from overseas that don't quite fit, often below RRP (factoring shipping etc. this is not insignificant).
• You can ask questions about sizing, fit and shoe quality - I set it up so newbies to the game would feel welcome and able to ask questions. 
• It's also free, member-driven, friendly and a great place to learn all about welted footwear.  

HACK 4. Stockists, not shoemakers, for juicy deals

As an 80/90s kid I was fed on movies like Indiana Jones. Surprising to no one, when a pair of JCrew 405 Indy boots by Alden went on sale at 40% off (yes, the same ones worn by Harrison Ford in the movies) it was like I'd just stumbled upon the Ark of the Covenant. 

These Indy boots were picked online at a JCrew stockist at 40% off. I simply subscribed and waited until end-of-season. Remember to always factor in Int. shipping and GST 

How I found and purchased my Indy's:

• While others were waiting to see what the shoemakers would offer during sales periods, I was solely focussed on what the stockists would do.
• I paid attention to the best time to buy boots in the U.S.A
• January (end-of-season on winter wear - boot sale time).
• The first quarter is when retailers 'balance the books,' which means annual stocktakes and stock liquidation.  
• I subscribed to several stockists' mailing list and discount aggregate websites overstock.com, smartbargains.com, and drop.com. 

When a particular stockist emailed me about their 40% offer, I ended up calling them to confirm international shipping arrangements, then made the purchase. 

In Australia:

Want more information on Artificial Leather For Shoes(ru,fr,fi)? Feel free to contact us.

• The end-of-Financial year (June) seems to yield the juiciest deals. 
• Look for stockists carrying RMs.
• For other international brands, check out what DJs or the Iconic. 
• To help keep tabs, I subscribe to OzBargain.com.au am also kept informed via WSA.
   

The Best Value Shoes In Australia + Offer