The Vegan Advantage: Why Footwear Companies Should Prioritize Plant-based Materials

As footwear companies make a greater commitment to environmentally responsible business practices and creating sustainable product, there has been an increased focus recently on vegan fashion options. Experts say this should become a serious commitment among shoe manufacturers for a range of reasons — first being a response to consumer demand. “What we’ve seen from research and data is that more and more consumers are looking for products that meet a stringent criteria in terms of sustainability and the ethical treatment of animals,” said Joshua Katcher, designer of the Brave GentleMan vegan footwear brand and author of the book “Fashion Animals.” For designer Alfredo Piferi, founder of the luxury vegan shoe label Piferi, it’s a matter of catering to all people. “If you think about it, leather shoes are not for vegans, while vegan shoes are for everybody,” he said. “So the result is an element of inclusiveness, because you a produce a product with no limits in terms of wearing it and enjoying it.” But even more important are the environmental impacts of footwear, especially leather-based products, noted Katcher and Piferi, while speaking on the “Tough Truths: Vegan Footwear” panel during Fairchild Media Group’s virtual Sustainability Summit. “The first [myth about vegan fashion]

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