A survey of over 60 athletic shoe manufacturers to determine which (if any) of their products are Vegan. Companies were contacted via email, their sites contact forms or by facebook from June through August 2014, with the following script:
‘Hello,
I am updating a list of footwear that is suitable for Vegans.
Could you please provide me with the details of your brands footwear that will help me to include you in this list?
To be Vegan, footwear must be made without using animals in any part of the process including bonding materials and dyes.
However, the list also includes footwear that contains animal glues and footwear containing ingredients of unknown or changing origin.
I would like your company to be represented accurately in this list, so please provide a sufficient level of detail to allow this.
Please consider all shoes that are marketed under your brand name in all countries.
Thank you for your time’
After receiving the requested information, I followed with another enquiry:
‘Thank you for your reply,
Could you also please tell me your company policy regarding working conditions for all who are employed directly and indirectly by you?
Where are your products made?
Thank you again’
The basic results are presented in the table below.
More information, including the correspondence with the companies, is viewable by clicking the company name or by heading directly to the details section.
Please feel free to recommend any other companies that may also be suitable.
I believe it is also a very good idea to contact these companies prior to purchase. This will hopefully give you peace of mind and also lets the companies know that ethical consumers are interested in their products.
and… if you see a search bar on any website, anywhere at all on the web; please type ‘Vegan’ into it 🙂
| Description of definitions used | |
|---|---|
| Result | Description |
| Vegan company | The company is Vegan, there should never be any need to doubt any of their products. These companies should be an ethical consumers first choice for our own peace of mind. |
| All Vegan | The company has stated by correspondence that all of their footwear products are Vegan. However, they do not appear to identify themselves as a Vegan company, so there is a possibility that future products will not be ethical. |
| Vegan options | The company provides styles that are completely Vegan, but not all of their styles are Vegan. |
| Synthetic options, bonding agents and dyes may be of animal origin | The company provides styles that are free from animal derived ingredients, excepting (perhaps) the bonding agents and/or dyes etc. This is the one that I find most annoying, basically the company does not know (or is unwilling to back itself regarding) the type of bonding agents and/or dyes etc that are used at all times. They may vary due to season/availability/price etc. To me this is both an ethical and quality control issue. Shoe manufacturers generally market themselves as high tech and very deliberate in their materials and design. The suggestion that they are unaware of their own ingredients and/or processes, brings the companies and the industry itself into question. Footwear purchased from these manufacturers, may or may not be Vegan. |
| Synthetic options, bonding agents and/or dyes are of animal origin | The company provides styles that are free from animal derived ingredients, excepting the bonding agents and/or dyes etc, which they state are derived from animals. I have no idea why a company would choose to still do this in 2014. |
| No Vegan options | The company deliberately chooses to provide no ethical footwear. |
| awaiting reply | Not enough time has passed since I made initial contact with the company, or they have responded that they are collecting the required details so that they can respond appropriately. |
| no reply | The company has been contacted at least 3 times over an extended period, using a variety of methods (email, contact form, facebook etc) but no reply has been received from them. |
| uncooperative | The company has been contacted at least 3 times over an extended period, using a variety of methods (email, contact form, facebook etc) but is only willing to provide vague details or none at all. Companies in this category tend to ask why they are being questioned, by who and for what purpose. But even after responding to their questions, they continue to be uncooperative. Thankfully these companies are rare, the majority of companies in this survey have provided very good customer service. Only a handful of the companies surveyed make me want to look at Barnivore |
| Results Summary Table | |
|---|---|
| Company | Result |
| Adidas | no reply |
| Ahnu | Vegan options |
| Altra | Vegan options |
| Asics | Vegan options |
| Avia | Synthetic options, bonding agents and/or dyes are of animal origin |
| Berghaus | Vegan options |
| Brooks | Vegan options |
| Columbia | Synthetic options, bonding agents and dyes may be of animal origin |
| Converse | Synthetic options, bonding agents and dyes may be of animal origin |
| Diadora | uncooperative |
| Eco Vegan Shoes | Vegan company |
| Emerica | no reply |
| Ethletic | Vegan company |
| Etiko | uncooperative |
| Fila | Synthetic options, bonding agents and dyes may be of animal origin |
| Five Ten | no reply |
| Garmont | no reply |
| Gravis | Vegan options |
| Hi-tec | Vegan options |
| Hoka One One | uncooperative |
| Inov-8 | Vegan options |
| Ipath | uncooperative |
| J-41 | uncooperative |
| Jambu | uncooperative |
| Kalenji | uncooperative |
| Kalso | Vegan options |
| Karhu | uncooperative |
| Keds | No Vegan options |
| Keens | Vegan options |
| Keep | Vegan company |
| La Sportiva | Vegan options |
| Lems | Vegan options |
| Lotto | no reply |
| Macbeth | Vegan options |
| Merrell | uncooperative |
| Mizuno | Vegan options |
| Montrail | Synthetic options, bonding agents and/or dyes are of animal origin |
| Movmt | uncooperative |
| New Balance | Synthetic options, bonding agents and dyes may be of animal origin |
| Newton Running | All Vegan |
| Nike | No Vegan options |
| North Face | No Vegan options |
| On Running | All Vegan |
| Patagonia | Vegan options |
| Pearl Izumi | All Vegan |
| Puma | No Vegan options |
| Quechua | Vegan options |
| Reebok | Synthetic options, bonding agents and dyes may be of animal origin |
| Ryka | uncooperative |
| Salomon | Synthetic options, bonding agents and dyes may be of animal origin |
| Sanuk | uncooperative |
| Saucony | Vegan options |
| Scott | Synthetic options, glue may be of animal origin |
| Seavees | Vegan options |
| Skechers | Vegan options |
| Superga | Vegan options |
| Teva | No Vegan options |
| Unstitched Utilities | All Vegan |
| Vans | Vegan options |
| Vasque | Vegan options |
| Vegetarian Shoes | Vegan company |
| Veja | Vegan options |
| Vibramfivefingers | uncooperative |
| Victoria | Vegan options |
| Vivobarefoot | Vegan options |
| Walsh | Vegan options |
| Wicked Hemp | uncooperative |
| Zoot | no reply |
The section below contains the details and correspondence from the survey. To view a simpler, less detailed format, please refer back to the summary section.
| Adidas | Contact form |
| Result: no reply | |
| Details: Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has a search facility, but does not return results for ‘Vegan’. |
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| Correspondence: |
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| Working conditions: | |
| Ahnu | Contact form |
| Result: Vegan options | |
| Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has a search facility, but does not return results for ‘Vegan’. |
|
| Correspondence: “Thank you for your inquiry. Questions of this nature should be directed to our corporate office. Deckers Outdoor makes UGG Australia, Sanuk, Teva, Tsubo, and Ahnu products.” “Thank you for contacting Ahnu. The information that you request must be provided by our corporate company. There is no email for our corporate contact.You will need to call or fax your request per the information in our previous email. We apologize for any inconvenience. We appreciate your interest in our products. Have a great day.” “Currently the Karma Vegan is the only entirely vegan shoe we offer. None of our shoes have animal products used in the glue and adhesives.” |
|
| Working conditions: “Thank you for your inquiry on the country of manufacture for Ahnu. In regards to your inquiry, the majority of Decker’s Outdoor Corporation footwear is assembled in China. Our quality standards have not changed – the products we make in Asia are of equal quality, (if not greater), than anything we have ever made. Please visit: Deckers corporate responsibility” | |
| Altra | Contact form |
| Result: Vegan options | |
| Details: ‘Vegan’ mentioned on site. Site has a search facility, but does not return results for ‘Vegan’ |
|
| Correspondence: “All of our shoes are Vegan with the exception of 1 style, the Instinct Everyday (a casual shoe) that uses leather.” |
|
| Working conditions: “Altra strives to have a positive and comfortable working environment for all who are associated with the company. It is our policy that all offices, meeting rooms, development rooms, and manufacturing assembly areas are comfortable and clean. Our overseas factories are held to standards of quality and comfort on par with those in the U.S. Altra shoes are produced near Hong Kong in Southern China. I personally went and lived in our factory in China for a month before we first launched production because I was so uncomfortable with producing in China due to all the stories I had heard. I lived in our factory comfortably for a month. Worked with the workers, ate with the workers, etc. Things are much the same as here…there are great factories and there are poor factories. I wanted to absolutely make sure we were in a great factory.” | |
| Asics | Contact form |
| Result: Vegan options | |
| Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has a search facility, but does not return results for ‘Vegan’. |
|
| Correspondence: “Thank you for contacting ASICS America Corporation. We have many vegan friendly models in our Onitsuka Tiger line, below is a list of some our models that fall into this category: D3G0Y.9090 MONTE RUBBER BLACK/BLACK D3G0Y.0404 MONTE RUBBER YELLOW/YELLOW D3G0Y.8484 MONTE RUBBER GREEN/GREEN D327Y.1601 RIO RUNNER DARK GREY/WHITE D327Y.9001 RIO RUNNER BLACK/WHITE D328N.0142 RIO RUNNER WHITE/BLUE D328N.2301 RIO RUNNER RED/WHITE D302L.9004 CORCOVADO RUNNER BLACK/YELLOW D302L.4343 CORCOVADO RUNNER ROYAL BLUE/ROYAL BLUE D302L.2323 CORCOVADO RUNNER RED/RED D302L.1616 CORCOVADO RUNNER DARK GREY/DARK GREY HN201.1316 ULTIMATE 81 LIGHT GREY/DARK GREY HN201.5801 ULTIMATE 81 DARK NAVY/WHITE HN201.9022 ULTIMATE 81 BLACK/FIERY RED HN201.1690 ULTIMATE 81 GREY/BLACK/LIME D2D1N.9001 SAKURADA BLACK/WHITE D2D1N.4101 SAKURADA AZURE BLUE/WHITE D2D1N.0142 SAKURADA WHITE/NAVY D3K0N.4201 MEXICO 66 SLIP-ON BLUE/WHITE D3K0N.2311 MEXICO 66 SLIP-ON RED/GREY D3K0N.1190 MEXICO 66 SLIP-ON GREY/BLACK D3K0N.1650 MEXICO 66 SLIP-ON BIRCH/NAVY D300L.0190 MEXICO 66 ZIP GREY/BLACK D342N.4202 MEXICO 66 PARATAY BLUE CHAMBRAY/NATURAL D342N.9002 MEXICO 66 PARATAY BLACK/CHAMBRAY/NATURAL D342N.0250 MEXICO 66 PARATAY NATURAL/NAVY WOMENS D377Y.4201 RIO RUNNER BLUE/WHITE D377Y.5025 RIO RUNNER NAVY/MAGENTA D378N.0178 RIO RUNNER WHITE/BISCAY GREEN D378N.9035 RIO RUNNER BLACK/LAVENDER HN567.3001 ULTIMATE 81 NEON ORANGE/WHITE HN567.8901 ULTIMATE 81 LIGHT PINK/HOT BERRY HN567.8901 ULTIMATE 81 NEON YELLOW/WHITE HN567.9035 ULTIMATE 81 BLACK/LAVENDER D2P7N.1120 SAKURADA GREY/NEON PINK D2P7N.9001 SAKURADA BLACK/WHITE D3K5N.1301 MEXICO 66 SLIP-ON LIGHT GREY/WHITE D3K5N.6501 MEXICO 66 SLIP-ON LIGHT PINK/WHITE D391N.0178 MEXICO 66 ZIP WHITE/BISCAY GREEN D393N.3502 MEXICO 66 PARATAY LAVENDURA/NATURAL D393N.0402 MEXICO 66 PARATAY YELLOW/NATURAL D393N.0101 MEXICO 66 PARATAY WHITE/WHITE” |
|
| Working conditions: no reply! | |
| Avia | Contact form |
| Result: Synthetic options, bonding agents and/or dyes are of animal origin | |
| Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has a search facility, but does not return results for ‘Vegan’. |
|
| Correspondence: “Hello, It is my understanding you are inquiring for a list of AVIA products that do not use animals products except for the adhesive/glue. To the best of our knowledge the following styles would fit into this category. Avi-Maximus, Avi-Mantis, Avi-Stoltz, Avi-Bolt, Avi-Lite Guidance series, Cc Release Tech. Hopefully this helps. Regards, Christine Leffeler, ES Originals Inc, AVIA Brand Director” “The process of shoe making is complex requiring many steps and components. While we would like to be included on your list of Vegan footwear am afraid we cannot attest with absolute certainty that there are no animal byproducts or derivative in the components or shoemaking process whether intentionally or unintentionally.” |
|
| Working conditions: no reply! | |
| Berghaus | Contact form |
| Result: Vegan options | |
| Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has a search facility, but does not return results for ‘Vegan’ |
|
| Correspondence: “Please see below for a list of footwear we manufacture that is suitable to Vegans: Benefaction, Augury, Prognosis, Bueno Sandal.” “We can confirm that the shoes listed in the earlier email do not contain any animal products either in the shoe or any adhesives used on the shoes.” |
|
| Working conditions: no reply! | |
| Brooks | Contact form |
| Result: Vegan options | |
| Details: ‘Vegan’ mentioned on site (see link below). Site has a search facility, but does not return results for ‘Vegan’. Vegan FAQ (this only applies to the US, there are other non synthetic shoes marketed under the brand in other locations) |
|
| Correspondence: “Yes! Brooks does make vegan shoes. Except for the Addiction Walker and our Heritage line, all of our shoes are vegan. That means there are no animal products or by-products used in any part of the shoe, including the glues.” |
|
| Working conditions: “Please take a look here for all our information on running responsibly” | |
| Columbia | Contact form |
| Result: Synthetic options, bonding agents and dyes may be of animal origin | |
| Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has a search facility, but does not return results for ‘Vegan’. |
|
| Correspondence: “Thank you for taking the time to contact us here at Columbia Sportswear. In regards to whether or not our products have any type of animal glues. All of our products could have a small percent of animal adhesive that goes into the production of our shoes. I understand this may cause you to avoid using any of our products in the future however, we want to be completely honest about our products. I hope this helps answer your question and if you have any other questions I might be able to help you with, please feel free to ask.” “Some of our footwear will contain full-grain and suede leather inside of them, but all of our shoes will say that in the product description. It really depends on what you are looking for when finding shoes with or without animal leather in them. Hiking boots you will find more of our products contain animal leather, while our more casual outdoor footwear or waterproof shoes will contain synthetic material.” |
|
| Working conditions: “All of our factories based out of southeast Asia Social corporate responsibility ” | |
| Converse | Contact form |
| Result: Synthetic options, glue may be of animal origin | |
| Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has a search facility, but does not return results for ‘Vegan’. |
|
| Correspondence: “Thank you for contacting us. Unfortunately, we do not have any products that are certain to be Vegan-friendly. While the majority of our materials are animal-by-product free, the glue in our products can sometimes contain some animal by-products. In result, it is not possible for us to advertise our products as being truly Vegan. We apologize if this prevents you from being able to wear our product. We certainly hope it does not, because there is nothing in the world like a pair of Converse sneakers!” |
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| Working conditions: “We appreciate your comment and concerns. We can not comment directly about your question, but can let you know that Converse follows Nike corporate policies related to the way manufacturers of our products manage their employees. This is the Nike corporate page related to this topic. This page also has links to other information related to product and manufacturing. Thanks for contacting us and let us know if we can assist you further!” | |
| Diadora | Contact form |
| Result: uncooperative | |
| Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has a search facility, but does not return results for ‘Vegan’. |
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| Correspondence: |
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| Working conditions: | |
| Eco Vegan Shoes | Contact form |
| Result: Vegan company | |
| Correspondence: “Eco-Vegan Shoes as the name indicates are vegan shoes – no animal products nor by-products have been used in production and post-production. We are confident that our shoes feature environmentally friendlier materials, from the Swiss made Schoeller fabric used on the majority of the uppers to the non animal glue used in their assembly. Wherever possible we work closely with the Vegan Society who check all our claims before giving them their approval. We only work to the highest ethical standards and only use the highest quality environmentally friendly materials such as Eco-Ortholite which replaces 20% of the petroleum traditionally used in the ployol of urethane foams with bio-oil. Even our shoeboxes are made of 99% bio-degradable material. Moreover, our motto is Comfort Technology and Beyond Leather. Our shoes are technologically advanced – we offer special, non-slip outsoles, energy gel pads in the heel area for shock absorption, moisture-wicking Eco-Ortholite insoles for extra comfort and to prevent odour. Also, Schoeller fabric used for many of our models is an advanced fabric which acts as a membrane (pinecone effect), it opens when it’s hot and closes when it’s cold –depending on the feet temperature. What is more, our shoes are either water-resistant or waterproof and that is why we have a large, devoted audience within world vegan community.” |
|
| Working conditions: “All our European products are made in factories in Portugal and Italy . They all work to European laws. All eco vegan materials are separated from other supplier raw materials according to the Vegan Society rules which EVS insists are obeyed in all production sites. We use one factory in Indonesia for the products which have to be made to EN ISO standards as they are the best factory and work to very high quality standards and are a EN ISO certified factory. It is an old family firm making for several top brands and takes extremely good care of its workers many of which have been working for over 20 years and are very skilled. No child labour is allowed and neither would it be contemplated. There is a mosque in the factory and everyone is allowed to follow their religion.” | |
| Emerica | Contact form |
| Result: no reply | |
| Details: ‘Vegan’ mentioned on site. Site has a search facility and returns results for ‘Vegan’. |
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| Correspondence: |
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| Working conditions: | |
| Ethletic | Contact form |
| Result: Vegan company | |
| Correspondence: “Ethletic products are FairTrade produced, from FairTrade sustainable resources and 100% vegan.” |
|
| Etiko | Contact form |
| Result: uncooperative | |
| Details: ‘Vegan’ mentioned on site. Site has a search facility and returns results for ‘Vegan’. |
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| Correspondence: |
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| Working conditions: | |
| Fila | Contact form |
| Result: Synthetic options, bonding agents and dyes may be of animal origin | |
| Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has a search facility, but does not return results for ‘Vegan’. |
|
| Correspondence: “Thank you for reaching out to us. All of our shoes have the materials listed in the item description of the shoe when it is pulled up on the site. However I can attempt to find out more information on the glue materials that are used in the shoes as I don’t believe that information is listed with the shoes. I hope this was helpful, Please contact us again if you have any additional questions. Thank you.” note: Fila were contacted again (repeatedly) but decided not to respond |
|
| Working conditions: no reply! | |
| Five Ten | Contact form |
| Result: no reply | |
| Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has a search facility, but does not return results for ‘Vegan’. |
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| Correspondence: |
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| Working conditions: | |
| Garmont | Contact form |
| Result: no reply | |
| Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has a search facility, but does not return results for ‘Vegan’. |
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| Correspondence: |
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| Working conditions: | |
| Gravis | Contact form |
| Result: Vegan options | |
| Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has no search facility. |
|
| Correspondence: “The following is the shoes which is made without using animals in Spring Summer 2014 current models. – QUARTERS (exclude QUARTERS CC), – QUARTERS EXP – TARMAC HC – TARMAC (exclude blue depth-LX & Tarmac vulc) – SLYMZ – LOWDOWN HC – LOWDOWN – SKIPPER (exclude SKIPPER LX) – BASELINE – J BAY – CRESCENT. TARMAC & LOWDOWN are made of Synthetic leather. We don’t use glues and dyes of animals.” | |
| Working conditions: “Gravis is one of our brands and company name is Burton, so for about the company policy, you will be able to check Burton company sustainability. We have several Factories in Asia. Most of them are in China.” | |
| Hi-tec | Contact form |
| Result: Vegan options | |
| Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has a search facility, but does not return results for ‘Vegan’. |
|
| Correspondence: “Basically any of our mesh & synthetic styles will be ok for vegans. All of our adhesives and dyes are chemical based and no animal bi-products are used, so if you avoid any leather or suede uppers you will be fine.” |
|
| Working conditions: “Our factories sign our Code of Conduct which are based on the principles of BSCI. Also, we comply to the standards of REACH” | |
| Hoka One One | Contact form |
| Result: uncooperative | |
| Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has a search facility, but does not return results for ‘Vegan’. |
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| Correspondence: |
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| Working conditions: | |
| Inov-8 | Contact form |
| Result: Vegan options | |
| Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has no search facility. |
|
| Correspondence: “All of our footwear other than the Roclite 335 GTX boot and Roclite 400 GTX boot are vegan friendly and they can all be found on our website” |
|
| Working conditions: Manufacturing Ethics | |
| Ipath | Contact form |
| Result: uncooperative | |
| Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has no search facility. |
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| Correspondence: |
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| Working conditions: | |
| J-41 | Contact form |
| Result: uncooperative | |
| Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has a search facility and returns results for ‘Vegan’. |
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| Correspondence: |
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| Working conditions: | |
| Jambu | Contact form |
| Result: uncooperative | |
| Details: ‘Vegan’ mentioned on site. Site has a search facility and returns results for ‘Vegan’. |
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| Correspondence: |
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| Working conditions: | |
| Kalenji | Contact form |
| Result: uncooperative | |
| Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has a search facility, but does not return results for ‘Vegan’. |
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| Correspondence: |
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| Working conditions: | |
| Kalso | Contact form |
| Result: Vegan options | |
| Details: ‘Vegan’ mentioned on site. Site has a search facility and returns results for ‘Vegan’. |
|
| Correspondence: “The following link will bring you to all of our vegan-friendly styles currently available. There are NO animal by-products used in these shoes. Vegan styles ” |
|
| Working conditions: “Our products are made in China. As a company we are very concerned over social responsibility. We constantly have a QC team in the factories checking not only production, but many other aspects such as; safety, wages, overtime, living and health conditions. All our factories must meet a rigorous set of rules before even the negotiation process is initiated. As a safety measure we have hired third party companies to maintain independent inspection as well. The same procedure is applied not only with the direct manufactures as well as with any component suppliers.” | |
| Karhu | Contact form |
| Result: uncooperative | |
| Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has a search facility, but does not return results for ‘Vegan’. |
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| Correspondence: |
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| Working conditions: | |
| Keds | Contact form |
| Result: No Vegan options | |
| Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has a search facility, but does not return results for ‘Vegan’. |
|
| Correspondence: “Thank you for contacting Keds Customer Service. I’m sorry but currently Keds does not have any Vegan styles.” |
|
| Working conditions: “Please visit our corporate website under about us. Should have everything you need regarding our brands and our overseas factory’s.” | |
| Keens | Contact form |
| Result: Vegan options | |
| Details: ‘Vegan’ mentioned on site. Site has a search facility and returns results for ‘Vegan’. |
|
| Correspondence: “Thanks for your email. While we do offer many leather-free options, the only certified Vegan styles we offered on included in the links below. Please let us know if you need further assistance” Mens Womens Childrens |
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| Working conditions: “Thank you for contacting KEEN. We build the majority of our footwear products in China. We do have some limited shoe and boot production in Thailand and the United States. Our socks and bags are built in the USA. Most of the materials used in our products are sourced from local sub-contractors in the region where final assembly is done. At this time, we are conducting a full audit of our global supply chain and hope to have a complete report on our manufacturing and sourcing in the near future. Rest assured that KEEN is committed to fair treatment of its factory workers and to both ethical and environmentally sound sourcing practices.” | |
| Keep | Contact form |
| Result: Vegan company | |
| Details: “Every day people are bombarded with decisions. One of our goals is to make your choice in footwear easier, and one of the ways we do this is by making all Keep products vegan and cruelty-free. This means no animals were harmed when making our shoes. This also means that we produce all of our footwear in factories audited by international, third-party non-profits who monitor ethical working conditions. A Keep representative is on the line of every production.” | |
| Correspondence: “All of our shoes are completely vegan. We do not use animal products or animal glues. We primarily use woven fabrics, cotton, and faux suede for our shoes. Our soles are made from rubber. Please let us know how we can assist you further. Thanks for the support.” |
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| Working conditions: “All of our shoes are made in a factory in China that is regularly audited by an international, third-party, non-profit group called Sedex. Since we’re a small company, we don’t have the resources to conduct audits ourselves, and therefore only work with companies which are accredited and audited consistently. Furthermore, someone from Keep is on the line for every production and is intimately involved with the production process. We don’t simply outsource the production — we’re there, in person, being a part of the process.” | |
| La Sportiva | Contact form |
| Result: Vegan options | |
| Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has a search facility, but does not return results for ‘Vegan’. |
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| Correspondence: “Thank you very much for your request. We really appreciate your interest in La Sportiva brand and products. Our vegan footwear list comprends: Climbing Footwear (models Hydrogym, Oxygym, Nitrogym) Mountain Running Footwear ( every model) , Mountain Footwear (Olimpus , Batura 2.0, Trango cube, Trango guide Evo) and finally Approach (Scratch ,Xplorer).” |
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| Working conditions: “Thank you for sending us your question and sorry for the late answer. La Sportiva produces in Italy, in between the Dolomites, the half part of the entire production. Here we developed the environment and the working conditions standards for all our other factories around the world, third part’s factories included. That means that one of our first commitment is to respect the environment, recycling products and respect the worker conditions, following the ISP standard and the Blue Sign rules. Environmental Statement and Working Conditions ” | |
| Lems | Contact form |
| Result: Vegan options | |
| Details: ‘Vegan’ is mentioned on website. Site has no search facility. |
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| Correspondence: “First, thanks for the interest in our footwear, we greatly appreciate it. All of our Primal2 shoes and Boulder Boot BLACK are in fact comprised of vegan materials, while our other styles do contain animal byproducts. Hopefully that helps and if you should have any other questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to let me know.” |
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| Working conditions: “All of our products are currently produced overseas in China. We have personally visited and overseen the working conditions of our specific manufacturer and I can tell you that we are wholeheartedly pleased with the working environment and rights of each individual worker. They are provided substantial pay, ample vacation opportunities, and the option to work more or less hours. Hopefully that helps and if should have any other questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to let me know.” | |
| Lotto | Contact form |
| Result: no reply | |
| Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has no search facility. |
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| Correspondence: |
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| Working conditions: | |
| Macbeth | Contact form |
| Result: Vegan options | |
| Details: ‘Vegan’ mentioned on site. Site has no search facility. Site has a Vegan section |
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| Correspondence: “Thanks for the note and the opportunity to be involved. Macbeth Vegan shoes are 100% vegan including the glue, dyes and all elements that go into the shoe. Macbeth also produces non-vegan shoes as dictated by the requests of the musicians and artists. The vegan shoes are clearly marked on our web site with our vegan logo, http://macbeth.com/us/shop/vegan.html If you need more information or more specifics, please give us more information about the list you are creating, as well as how and where ti will be presented to vegan consumers? We hope that helps.” |
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| Working conditions: “What a great survey! It’s cool to have someone compile all this info so that it is easy for consumers to make decisions. Macbeth’s footwear is produced in Indonesia. We have passed on your note to those above us to respond to our company policy regarding working conditions, but from looking at the info on the 2013 survey, we don’t think anything has changed. If you want to know about the working conditions at our So. Cal office, they are amazing. Seriously, this is the best job ever with the coolest bosses. There is always a lot to get done, but our boss give us the tools to get the job done, plenty of breaks and time off, and a great environment. That’s probably not what your are after, but you got our 2 cents” | |
| Merrell | Contact form |
| Result: uncooperative | |
| Details: Vegan friendly section | |
| Correspondence: |
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| Working conditions: |
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| Mizuno | Contact form |
| Result: Vegan options | |
| Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has a search facility, but does not return results for ‘Vegan’. |
|
| Correspondence: “We do not use any materials that come from animals for Running, Volleyball, or Baseball shoes that are sold in the U.S. However some of the Baseball shoes which Mizuno Japan is selling in Japan are using natural leather, and some of our Soccer shoes, we’re selling in US, is using natural leather. Again, please excuse my email from earlier. Please reply with any further questions you may have.” |
|
| Working conditions: “You can find most of this information at our corporate website Mizuno ” | |
| Montrail | Contact form |
| Result: Synthetic options, bonding agents and/or dyes are of animal origin | |
| Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has a search facility, but does not return results for ‘Vegan’. |
|
| Correspondence: “Montrail does have footwear that has a small percentage of animal adhesives used in there production. None of our shoes will be 100% vegan if that is what you are looking for, but they are safe to be used in a vegan lifestyle.” “When I said our products are not 100% vegan, I mean to say that they will have a percentage of animal adhesives inside them. However, most of our products are made through synthetic materials as well instead of animal. It comes down to a personal preference.” |
|
| Working conditions: ” Montrail ” | |
| Movmt | Contact form |
| Result: uncooperative | |
| Details: Vegan’ mentioned on site. Site has a search facility and returns results for ‘Vegan’. |
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| Correspondence: |
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| Working conditions: | |
| New Balance | Contact form |
| Result: Synthetic options, glue may be of animal origin | |
| Details: Site has a search facility and returns results for ‘Vegan’ Site has a Vegan FAQ |
|
| Correspondence: “Thank you for your interest in New Balance! Many of our models are made with synthetic materials. However, please note that we do use different types of glues depending on what is available. Some of our glues will contain animal products as many glues do. Although the shoe may be made of synthetic leather it does not mean it will be completely vegan. Please let me know if you have any more questions. Thank you for shopping New Balance and have a great day!” |
|
| Working conditions: “What a great question! We value good working conditions for our employees both here and abroad, and in the late 1990s we formed a ongoing relationship with Verite to audit the manufacturing facilities with which we work. You can find out more about Verite by visiting their homepage here: http://www.verite.org/. We cannot guarantee where a particular style will be made, our major countries China, Vietnam, Indonesia, USA, and the UK. I hope this clarifies things for you. Please let me know if you have any more questions. Thank you for shopping New Balance and have a great day!” | |
| Newton Running | Contact form |
| Result: All Vegan | |
| Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has no search facility. |
|
| Correspondence: “Thanks for the email and your interest in Newton. So at this point in time all Newton models are Vegan. The materials we use in our shoe uppers are not animal based and whenever possible, we use recycled materials (there are several parts of our shoes which are recycled). As far as the rest of the shoe goes, our synthetic leather, adhesives, glue, and primer is all vegan friendly as well, so our shoes are not animal based at all. We try to do our own little bit to help minimize waste & exercise awareness to the environment. I hope this answers your question, and if you have any additional concerns, please just let me know. Happy running” |
|
| Working conditions: “Newton Running is a Boulder, CO based company – all the design, research, and wear testing is done here locally, but our shoes are produced overseas in our factory in China. As far as manufacturing goes- it would be our ideal situation to be a 100% American product but financially it just isn’t realistic right now. We will continue to explore the possibilities of our manufacturing here on American soil, should that become a financially viable option in the future. The people that work in our factory are all of working legal age. Actually the employees are considered partial owners in the factory. It is a highly sought after position to be a part of the factory where are shoes are made. I have attached a copy of our Human Rights Production Standards which applies to all Newton employees employed directly or indirectly. If you would like me to expand further or clarify anything, please let me know as I am happy to help.” “NEWTON RUNNING HUMAN RIGHTS PRODUCTION STANDARDS The Newton Running Human Rights Production Standards reflect the relevant covenants of the International Labor Organization, input from human rights organizations and academia, and our own experience. In developing this policy, we sought to use standards that are fair, appropriate to diverse cultures and that encourage workers to take pride in their work. Non-Discrimination Newton Running will seek business partners who do not discriminate in hiring and employment practices, and who make decisions about hiring, salary, benefits, training opportunities, work assignments, advancement, discipline, termination and retirement solely on the basis of a person disability to do the job. Working Hours/Overtime Workers shall not be required to work more than 60 hours per week, including overtime, except in extraordinary circumstances. In countries where the maximum work week is less, such local standard shall apply. Workers shall be entitled to at least one day off in every seven-day period. Adherence to this Newton Running Standard is a sign that factory management efficiently organizes its production planning and workflow. No Forced Or Compulsory Labor No factory making Newton Running products shall use forced or other compulsory labor, including labor that is required as a means of political coercion or as punishment for holding or for peacefully expressing political views. Employers will maintain sufficient hiring and employment records to demonstrate and verify compliance with this provision. Newton Running will not purchase materials produced by any form of compulsory labor and will terminate business relationships with any sources found to utilize such labor. Fair Wages And Benefits Newton Running will seek business partners committed to the betterment of wage and benefit levels to the extent appropriate in light of national practices and conditions. Newton Running will not select business partners who pay less than the minimum wage required by applicable law or who pay less than the prevailing local industry wage. No Child Labor Newton Running seeks business partners who do not use child labor. The term “child” refers to a person who is younger than 15, or younger than the age for completing compulsory education in the country of manufacture, whichever is higher. Freedom Of Association Newton Running will seek business partners that share its commitment to the right of employees to establish and join organizations of their own choosing. Newton Running recognizes and respects the right of all employees to organize and bargain collectively. Non-Harassment Newton Running will seek business partners that treat their employees with respect and dignity. No worker will be subject to any physical, sexual, psychological, or verbal harassment or abuse. Safe And Healthy Work Environment Newton Running will seek business partners that strive to assure employees a safe and healthy workplace and that do not expose workers to hazardous conditions. Non-Retaliation Policy Factories must publicize and enforce a non-retaliation policy that permits factory workers to express their concerns about workplace conditions without fear of retribution or losing their jobs. Workers should be able to speak without fear directly to factory management or Newton Running representatives. Environmental Footprint Newton Running will work with our partner suppliers to promote positive environmental awareness and responsible practices.” |
|
| Nike | Contact form |
| Result: No Vegan options | |
| Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has a search facility, but does not return results for ‘Vegan’ |
|
| Correspondence: “Thank you for contacting Nike about our non-animal footwear. I too am a Vegan and have a hard time finding products that list all materials, used most places I shop. It is great that you are compiling a full list of places that do offer products for us. This will make many peoples shopping experiences a lot less time consuming. I am going to have this looked into and see what kind of details I will be able to find you. It can take up to 3-5 business days for the research to be complete and get a response back from Nike. Make sure you register as a Nike.com member to gain access to our exclusive discounts and seasonal promotions we offer our members. Have a great day and if you have any further questions or concerns, please let me know.” “We no longer maintain a current Non animal footwear list. I would suggest looking for shoes that feature synthetic leather, mesh, or other non-full grain leather materials. The running and cross training silos are a great place to start, as shoes that are designed to be lightweight will usually not include full grain leather. We can never guarantee that a specific shoe is 100% non-animal.” |
|
| Working conditions: “That is something you’d want to speak with Nike HQ about. The # is: Nike U.S. Corporate Information Phone 1-800-344-6453 (M – F 7:00am – 4:00pm Pacific Time)” | |
| North Face | Contact form |
| Result: No Vegan options | |
| Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has a search facility, but does not return results for ‘Vegan’ |
|
| Correspondence: “Thank you for contacting The North Face. None of the footwear in The North Face line is completely Vegan. If we can be of more assistance please contact us by email, chat or by phone at 1-888-863-1968” |
|
| Working conditions: “Thank you for your email and interest in The North Face, a division of VF Corporation. VF and The North Face are committed to providing a safe working environment and have a strong Fair Labor Compliance Code of Conduct that is designed to ensure we comply with all local wage and labor employment laws to protect employees. You can view these guidelines under Global Compliance Principals ” | |
| On Running | Contact form |
| Result: All Vegan | |
| Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has a search facility, but does not return results for ‘Vegan’. |
|
| Correspondence: “our shoes are 100% vegan” |
|
| Working conditions: “our product is engineered in Switzerland and made in Vietnam. Vietnam is famous for very high standard shoe manufacturing. Thus our supplier meet all our high demands when it comes to working conditions and fairness.” | |
| Patagonia | Contact form |
| Result: Vegan options | |
| Details: ‘Vegan’ mentioned on site. Site has a search facility and returns results for ‘Vegan’. |
|
| Correspondence: “Here is a list of our Vegan Options These shoes are made without any animal-by-products. Solvents are water based and uppers are synthetic or natural fibers. All the best!” |
|
| Working conditions: “Our products are made all over the world so I can’t really provide you with one answer that covers everything that we make. We do provide the Footprint Chronicles which provides our customers with information on everything from materials sourcing and production facilities to working conditions in our partner’s facilities. To see specific information on any product, when you are looking at the product page on our website you can click the link on the left border of the page that says “Product Footprint” and you will be taken to a page that shows all of the information you were asking about for that particular product!” | |
| Pearl Izumi | Contact form |
| Result: All Vegan | |
| Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has a search facility, but does not return results for ‘Vegan’ |
|
| Correspondence: “All of our footwear would fall under your category of suitable for vegans!” |
|
| Working conditions: no reply! | |
| Puma | Contact form |
| Result: No Vegan options | |
| Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has a search facility, but does not return results for ‘Vegan’. |
|
| Correspondence: “Thank you for contacting PUMA! Due to the wide variety of our products, most of all our items are manufactured or have come in contact with animal product during manufacturing. If you have any additional questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us at any time via phone or email. Thank you for shopping with PUMA.” |
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| Working conditions: “Thank you for contacting PUMA. Most of our products are manufactured in parts of Asia. We follow federal law guidelines regarding our working conditions. If you have any additional questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us at any time via phone or email. Thank you for shopping with PUMA.” | |
| Quechua | Contact form |
| Result: Vegan options | |
| Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has a search facility, but does not return results for ‘Vegan’. |
|
| Correspondence: “After checking with the product manager, the only animal component on our shoes is the leather. So all our shoes without leather are vegan. And when there is leather, it is written.” |
|
| Working conditions: “We are a part of the Oxylane group and so we follow the group’s commitments ” | |
| Reebok | Contact form |
| Result: Synthetic options, bonding agents and dyes may be of animal origin | |
| Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has no search facility. |
|
| Correspondence: “Thank you for contacting Shop.Reebok.com customer care. I have read and understand your inquiry, we cannot provide the information you are requesting. We are in the process of changing to synthetic materials, however we cannot guarantee that Reebok shoes are animal-product free. Also, we do still use leather in some of our high end shoes. I am sorry for the inconvenience. If you have any further questions, feel free to contact us at 1-866-870-1743 Monday to Friday 8AM-8PM EST and Saturday to Sunday 11AM-7PM EST and any one of our representatives will be happy to assist you.” |
|
| Working conditions: “Thank you for your interest in our company. As an International Company we do manufacture in numerous locations around the world and please access our workplace standards for further details that we have posted on our corporate site.” | |
| Ryka | Contact form |
| Result: uncooperative | |
| Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has a search facility, but does not return results for ‘Vegan’. |
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| Correspondence: |
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| Working conditions: | |
| Salomon | Contact form |
| Result: Synthetic options, glue may be of animal origin | |
| Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has a search facility, but does not return results for ‘Vegan’. |
|
| Correspondence: “Unfortunately, we do not have a list available with vegan/ leather free footwear. We can only say this when you are looking for a specific model, but we do not have a complete list available. Also, we do not know the exact material used to make our glues as this is done by a third party. We apologize for the inconvenience, please contact us again if you have any other questions.” |
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| Working conditions: “For the answers to your questions I would like to refer you to the website of Amer Sports. This is the parent company of Salomon. Their website contains more information about corporate and social responsibility. I hope this information is helpful, please contact us again if you have any other questions.” | |
| Sanuk | Contact form |
| Result: uncooperative | |
| Details: ‘Vegan’ mentioned on site. Site has a search facility and returns results for ‘Vegan’. |
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| Correspondence: |
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| Working conditions: | |
| Saucony | Contact form |
| Result: Vegan options | |
| Details: ‘Vegan’ mentioned on site. Site has a search facility and returns results for ‘Vegan’. |
|
| Correspondence: “Thank you for your inquiry. Please visit our website and type in Vegan. We appreciate your patronage.” “Thank you for your inquiry. Our shoes are made outside of the US and although we do oversee the factories making our shoes, the materials/dyes/adhesives are purchased from many different vendors. Therefore, we cannot guarantee that do not come in contact with any particular substance. The Vegan styles are the only line that is guaranteed not to be made with any type of animal products.” |
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| Working conditions: “Our shoes are made in China, Vietnam, Indonesia and Mexico and the country of origin in listed inside of every shoe. We are a division of Performance Life Group (PLG) and our company is owned by Wolverine. Our mission statement is to strengthen the emotional relationships between our customers and our brands while delivering meaningful, profitable growth to Wolverine Worldwide. As a team, we are committed to working side-by-side to create meaningful experiences for our countless consumers every day, every hour. Please visit Wolverine ” | |
| Scott | Contact form |
| Result: Synthetic options, glue may be of animal origin | |
| Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has a search facility, but does not return results for ‘Vegan’ |
|
| Correspondence: “Sorry I am just getting back to you- I had to do some research with our project managers on the footwear side in Switzerland to get the answers you need. Here is what I found out. Let me know if I can help you with anything else. Our running products are generally 100% synthetic with no animal-derived components. It remains possible an element uses an animal component somewhere in its chemical formulation, but no supplier will tell me that detailed information. This does not apply to any leather shoe, obviously.” |
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| Working conditions: “I know all our shoes are made in Portland. OR at iGenerator. Other than that our working conditions are great at global HQ in Switzerland and here in the USA.” | |
| Seavees | Contact form |
| Result: Vegan options | |
| Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has a search facility, but does not return results for ‘Vegan’. |
|
| Correspondence: “Great question! According to the factory the glue is vegan, so all vulcanized textile shoes are vegan. Please let me know if you have any questions at all!” |
|
| Working conditions: “Our headquarters, brand vision and product design is all based in Santa Barbara, California. Because of the construction of the shoes they are manufactured in China. Vulcanized Footwear: the unique manufacturing process that results in a classic sneaker – has not been produced in the US since a bankrupt Converse closed down their factories in the late 90s. The industry doesn’t exist today in the US and left well before we established SeaVees in 2008. With that said, we have carefully selected our trusted manufacturing partner in China. We have a relationship with the owner’s family that spans well over a decade. A SeaVees owner / founder is in the factory for 2 weeks every 90-120 days observing their working conditions and ensuring our quality standards. We are highly passionate about the integrity of our products and are proud to make our shoes in our chosen factory – truly the best of its class. Please let me know if you have any other questions!!!” | |
| Skechers | Contact form |
| Result: Vegan options | |
| Details: Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has a search facility and returns results for ‘Vegan’. |
|
| Correspondence: “Thank you for contacting SKECHERS! Here is a link to any of our shoes which is not made with any animal products on Skechers.com ” |
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| Working conditions: “SKECHERS USA is the name of the Company and a federally registered trademark owned by SKECHERS USA, Inc. Our Company is based in Manhattan Beach, California. Our shoes are made in several countries throughout the world. Because a given style may be made in two or more countries, each pair is clearly marked with the designation “Made in ______” to let you know where that particular pair was produced. SKECHERS belongs to the Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America and, as such, adheres to their guidelines concerning responsible factory operation. Compliance with these guidelines is documented and monitored by announced and unannounced visits by inspectors. A copy of the FDRA recommended factory practices can easily be obtained by way of writing to the organization or internet search. You may visit their website ” | |
| Superga | Contact form |
| Result: Vegan options | |
| Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has a search facility, but does not return results for ‘Vegan’. |
|
| Correspondence: “Classic Superga 2750 is made with natural material, without using animals in any part of the process. Outsole is made with vulcanized natural rubber. This sneaker is fully in pure cotton and doesn’t contain animal glues or additives. Have a nice day!” |
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| Working conditions: “We have moved production abroad to align to the market but we can guarantee that the creation of the collections and the design of our Superga are developed in Italy! Have a nice day” | |
| Teva | Contact form |
| Result: No Vegan options | |
| Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has a search facility, but does not return results for ‘Vegan’. |
|
| Correspondence: “I’m afraid none of the Teva brand footwear is technically vegan, sorry about that.” |
|
| Working conditions: “Most of our products are manufactured in Vietnam and China. Deckers corporate responsibility ” | |
| Unstitched Utilities | Contact form |
| Result: All Vegan | |
| Details: ‘Vegan’ mentioned on site. Site has no search facility. |
|
| Correspondence: “Thank you for contacting us! Our shoes are completely vegan, including the glues and dyes. Uppers are Tyvek backed with cotton canvas, canvas, or other synthetic material, Glue is water based, Dyes/color are soy based with vegetable and flower pigments, Laces are cotton, Outsole is rubber, None of the materials used come from animals.” |
|
| Working conditions: no reply! | |
| Vans | Contact form |
| Result: Vegan options | |
| Details: ‘Vegan’ mentioned on site. Site has a search facility and returns results for ‘Vegan’. |
|
| Correspondence: “Many styles within our Classic Collection are Vegan-Friendly. Here are some examples: Classic Authentic (Canvas Only) Classic Era (Canvas Only) Classic Slip-on (Canvas Only) Classic Zapato Del Barco (Canvas Only) Zapato Lo Pro (Canvas Only) Classic 106 Vulc (Canvas Only) KVD (Canvas Only). Custom Slip-on, Era & 106 Vulcanized (the Custom Old Skool is NOT vegan). Old Skool Vegan (only if it states Vegan) Sk8-Hi (True White colorway Only) Rowley 99’s – (Black/Synthetic Only) – Limited Edition. We may have additional styles available that would be Vegan-Friendly. If you’re interested in a specific style not listed here, feel free to contact one of our Service Specialists. Best Regards, Vans Team.” |
|
| Working conditions: “Our products are produced in factories located in a number of different countries in Asia. Vans, a VF Company, has a world-wide program to monitor every supplier. VF performed over 1,200 factory inspections during the last year with our own team of inspectors, as well as with independent audit companies. It has been and will continue to be the Company’s policy to obey all applicable laws and to honor our obligations to society by being an economic, intellectual, and social asset to each community and nation in which the Company operates.” | |
| Vasque | Contact form |
| Result: Vegan options | |
| Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has a search facility, but does not return results for ‘Vegan’. |
|
| Correspondence: “Thank you for contacting us here at Vasque. The Lotic and Pendulum are completely synthetic shoes.” |
|
| Working conditions: no reply! | |
| Vegetarian Shoes | Contact form |
| Result: Vegan company | |
| Correspondence: “We don’t use animal glue or by-products in making our shoes and the uppers are completely man made, but we cannot guarantee that they will not come into contact with machinery that has been used for non vegan shoes in the factories we use. Hope that helps and thanks for your interest.” |
|
| Working conditions: “All of our shoes are made within the EU (for example the UK, Spain and Portugal). The factories where our shoes are manufactured operate within EU employment laws, and all workers get paid a minimum wage, if not more. Working conditions are excellent and workers are entitled to join unions. It is our company practice that the shoes be as people-friendly, as well as animal-friendly as possible. Ethical Consumer has reviewed us in their shoe and walking boot guides, which you can find in the following links: Ethical consumer walking boots Ethical consumer shoes |
|
| Veja | Contact form |
| Result: Vegan options | |
| Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has no search facility. |
|
| Correspondence: “Taua canvas / Mediterranean and Derby shoes are vegan” |
|
| Working conditions: Fabrication | |
| Vibramfivefingers | Contact form |
| Result: uncooperative | |
| Details: Vegan’ mentioned on site. FAQ Site has no search facility. |
|
| Correspondence: |
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| Working conditions: | |
| Victoria | Contact form |
| Result: Vegan options | |
| Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has a search facility, but does not return results for ‘Vegan’. |
|
| Correspondence: “Thank you very much for your interest in Victoria and for writing us. Most of our models are made without using animals in any part of the process. For instance, our most representative model, Victoria plimsoll, is made with 100% cotton and a rubber sole. However, we have some Winter models which contain natural leather. If you have any doubt about the composition of a specific model of Victoria, please contact the brand.” |
|
| Working conditions: “We are based in Spain and and we produce according to the European laws.” | |
| Vivobarefoot | Contact form |
| Result: Vegan options | |
| Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has a search facility, but returns no results for ‘Vegan’. |
|
| Correspondence: “All the shoes on the website which are specified as vegan are vegan – we do not use animal glue on the vegan styles.” |
|
| Working conditions: “All our factories sign up to our sustainable and good working conditions policy before they begin working with us. We encourage them to look at energy use, and will not tolerate workers under 16. This is commonplace now in the major factories. China is becoming a leader in environmental manufacturing; we work with our factories to achieve efficient and sustainable constructions and ways of making. We use an internal marking system called the Eco Matrix, which we use to evaluate each product on their environmental impact and sustainability and make changes where necessary. I hope this helps and for any further information please do not hesitate to contact us.” | |
| Walsh | Contact form |
| Result: Vegan options | |
| Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has a search facility, but does not return results for ‘Vegan’. |
|
| Correspondence: “”Thank you for your awareness and interest in our brand. A large portion of our footwear are vegan friendly, this includes the whole Performance PB range. PB Elite PB Elite Xtreme, PB Elite Junior, PB Elite Boot, PB Ultra, PB Ultra Xtreme, PB Racer. Along with our performance range we are working on releasing a few ‘casual’ fashion shoes in a vegan friendly composition in our two best-selling models (Lostock and Ensign), schedule for a July release date. lostock Is all made and ready for release.” |
|
| Working conditions: “All our products are mare here in our factory in Bolton by our staff of less then 12” | |
| Wicked Hemp | Contact form |
| Result: uncooperative | |
| Details: ‘Vegan’ mentioned on site. Site has no search facility. |
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| Correspondence: |
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| Working conditions: | |
| Zoot | Contact form |
| Result: no reply | |
| Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has no search facility. |
|
| Correspondence: |
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| Working conditions: | |
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Hi,
I got this reply from Adidas
ANSWER FROM SERVICE TEAM
16/09/2014 03.40 PM
Hi Amy ,
Thank you for your inquiry.
Unfortunately we don’t carry vegan friendly shoes.
Thank you .
Kind regards
———————————–
adidas online team
Adidas Australia Pty Ltd
Adidas New Zealand Limited
phone: 1800 801 891 AUS
phone: 0800 234 327 NZ
Thank you 🙂
Their reply does not surprise me. Hopefully they choose to change their wicked ways sooner rather than later!
Hi,
this list was very helpful for me. I also did my own inquiry to La Sportiva before actually buying a pair of their shoes, and they confirmed what is written here, that their running shoes are 100% synthetic.
All the best,
Sebastian
Always good to check for yourself, for peace of mind and to let the companies know that customers do actually care 🙂
But without this page it would have been aweful — you have to sort the bad apples first!
Sort them out, I mean, not sort them …
Hello! Firs of all – thanks for making this great list. I would like to add my piece into it. I was contacting Hoka One One Europe about their products and this is their answer:
Hi Viliam,
It’s an original request that you have asked !
Please, excuse me for the delay of my answer, but I needed to ask to our research and development manager.
I can confirm you : there is not any ingredients which are in conflict with Vegan criteria (no leather for example).
Our running shoes are suitable for Vegans.
I hope I answered your request,
Thanks for your interest in our brand,
Best regards,
Antoine BERTHOUD – Customer Service
HOKA INTERNATIONAL TEAM
Good to know and I am glad that they replied to you 🙂
Unfortunately they were unwilling to provide decent customer service to me and the best reply that I managed to squeeze out of them was “I do apologize, but unfortunately there is not a way to directly transfer you to the corporate office via email. I’m sorry for this inconvenience!”
Quite a pathetic response in my opinion.
If you provide me with their email address that you successfully used, perhaps I will have more success with them next year
Hi! Thanks for this compilation – I used last year’s to start purchasing Brooks running shoes because they’re cruelty free.
I wanted to let you know that I have contacted Mizuno in October of 2014 and discovered that they have recently changed their manufacturing processes and no longer use animal products in their glue. This was confirmed by the Mizuno Running twitter account and by a customer service live chat representative from their website. So it looks like Mizuno running shoes are now suitable for vegans also!
“Hi Kelly,
Thank you for contacting us via Live Chat today. After looking into your inquiry further, it appears that Mizuno running shoe factories are vegan friendly. I was given old information regarding the materials and adhesives used in our shoes. I apologize for giving you inaccurate information. Best of luck finding a pair of shoes that works for you.
Best regards,
Jill”
Reference number 141010-000114
Hope that helps anyone looking into Mizuno!
Thank you, good to hear 🙂
I have just emailed Mizuno again and can only hope that they provide me with the same details as you received from them 🙂
I received a reply from Mizuno again today. The customer service representative who replied to my enquiry made no effort at all in clarifying their response or even in replying to my enquiry. All that he did was direct me to their website. So they will continue to be listed as ‘Synthetic options, bonding agents and/or dyes are of animal origin’
Hopefully next year I will be lucky enough to interact with one of their staff members who is willing to make an actual effort.
another reply from Mizuno: (yay 🙂 )
“I apologize for the miscommunication. We do not use any materials that come from animals for Running, Volleyball, or Baseball shoes that are sold in the U.S. However some of the Baseball shoes which Mizuno Japan is selling in Japan are using natural leather, and some of our Soccer shoes, we’re selling in US, is using natural leather. Again, please excuse my email from earlier. Please reply with any further questions you may have.”
Pingback: Mizuno Running Shoes Now Vegan! |
I emailed Keds and I received this reply:
“Thank you for contacting Keds,
I’m sorry Keds doesn’t advertise any of our styles as Vegan due to we have animal byproducts in the glue.
Kind Regards”
——————
It looks like that they mean that there canvas ones are probably vegan friendly, except the glue.
that does not surprise me, it appears that some customer service representatives simply cannot be bothered making the effort to supply any details, which is why I have them listed as having no Vegan styles this year. I believe the companies need to monitor and/or train their staff a lot better. But if they cannot be bothered doing that or providing a reasonable depth of detail, then they should understand that may lead to a decrease in sales. I would much rather that they made the effort though of course and I believe that if more people contact them, that becomes much more likely 🙂
😀 Yeah, they need to work on having a more consistent message.
To make sure that it was only the glue that is in question, I emailed them to follow up on 10/30:
———-
Thank you for the quick reply. You have delightful customer service.
You replied that you have no vegan styles due to animal byproucts in the glue. Apart from the glue, would there be any other animal byproducts in the canvas style shoes?
Thank you for your wonderful assistance
———–
Here’s their reply on 10/30:
For the canvas styles the only animal byproducts would be in the glue only.
Kind Regards,
Jessica W.
Keds E-commerce Customer Service
http://www.keds.com
1400 Industries Road
Richmond, IN 47374
P: 800.680.0966 ext. 2173
it is good to follow up 🙂 it is something that I should do more of, but after dealing with some of the companies so many times just to get a simple answer (one that they should already be aware of) I tend to run out of patience, so it becomes their choice: do they want more or less business.
Read this on the Brooks site as I was looking for some walking shoes:
“… the Adrenaline Walker is the ideal shoe for every walking fan. Not only runners benefit from our expertise and the legendary fit of the GTS. The aggressive outsole ensures a perfect grip. The leather upper is ideal for outdoor excursions and provides more support, stability and lots of enjoyment.”
This type of footwear is not mentioned by Brooks in the summary you have posted, which is a great pity as it was exactly what I was looking for (bar the leather of course!).
The addiction walker is mentioned in their response “Yes! Brooks does make vegan shoes. Except for the Addiction Walker and our Heritage line, all of our shoes are vegan. That means there are no animal products or by-products used in any part of the shoe, including the glues.”
Hopefully they delete the Addiction walker and the heritage line altogether!
Etnies also has vegan options, they are somewhat athletic as skateboarders use them frequently.
http://etnies.com/shop/vegan/
Etnies also has vegan shoes => http://etnies.com/shop/vegan/
thank you 🙂 the more the merrier. I will look into them and include them in next years survey
Great! If I can help for following year seekings please tell me. (By the way the link to Vegetarian Shoes Facebook is wrong)
Thank you 🙂 self editing is difficult and I did slack off on it last year admittedly. The fb link has been corrected 🙂
It took a little while, but I did get some specifics from Hoka One One:
“Hi Ryan,
Right now there are not any current lines that incorporate a leather material in their construction. The glue that we used in our production of the shoes is not vegan. Please let me know if you have any further questions! Thanks!”
In addition, I asked whether they would considering switching to a non-animal based glue and they said:
“As we develop and have more flexibility production-wise, I am sure that that would be a consideration. I can pass along your interest in that to our product team and as we are able we look forward to implementing that input.”
I am glad that you contacted them and got a response!
I managed to get a similar response from them in 2013
https://vegan8.wordpress.com/vegan-athletic-shoes-2013/vegan-athletic-shoes-2013#hokaoneone
They are part of the Deckers Corporation (along with a few other brands I have surveyed). Deckers are unfortunately ridiculously difficult to deal with.
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I talked with customer service at Saucony and they told me they “do not have any vegan shoes” because of the glue origin. I’m glad a company is standing by that so we have an informed choice.
Thank you so much! May I share a link to this list on a website I’m creating for veg CrossFitters, vegrx.com?
of course; I hope it is helpful 🙂
this list is so helpful and eye-opening. thank you so much for making it! i hope you keep going with it!
thank you Kelly; I am close(ish) to starting the 2015 survey 🙂
Hey! Thank you so much for doing this! Just a little suggestion: I’ve been wearing two pairs of shoes from Forever 21 and I just love them. Apparently almost all of their shoes are not made from animals. However, I’m unsure of their policy regarding bonding agents and dyes. I know they don’t sell shoes (athletic or otherwise) exclusively, but I thought you might be interested anyway. Oh, and Steve Madden too. I hope that’s not too much to ask of you. Thanks!
Thank you 🙂 always happy to hear of more potential brands, I will survey them this year
A great list with plenty of info. Thank you for sharing! I look forward to this year’s survey. 😉
How about Baffin? I am finding that they have some great deals on hiking shoes with synthetic materials, but I haven’t been able to determine whether they are vegan friendly or cruelty free. I find that it is harder to find vegan hiking shoes than any other kind of athletic shoe.
I have never heard of them. Thank you for letting me know, I will include them in this years survey 🙂
Salomon make good hiking/trek shoes in my opinion, but they have are unwilling to back themselves regarding whether they use animal glue or not. They state that they do not know what they use o.O Hopefully they survey a lot better this year!
This is so great! Saved me a bunch of time. Newfound vegan, and slowing exchanging my wardrobe and sneakers. Glad to see all my vans sneakers seems to be vegan, and they’re a cool company about it. 🙂
Thanks a bunch for this!
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Regarding ASICS, the term VEGAN is searchable on http://www.onitsukatiger.com/
Thank you, that is good to know 🙂
unfortunately asics chooses to force me to use their australian sites (including http://www.onitsukatiger.com/au/en-au/) and that does not return results for Vegan
I had a recent exchange with asics about their shoes. The response to my first query was this:
“Thank you for contacting ASICS America Corporation. When it comes to non-leather vegan shoe options, a great place to start looking would be in our Onitsuka Tiger line. There are many styles and versions made annually, but below are a few of our most popular models that I know are considered vegan.
– Ultimate 81
– Rio Runner
– Sakurada
– Mexico 66 Slip-On
– Ult Racer”
I then asked if any of their shoes that are NOT part of the Onitsuka Tiger line were vegan, and I got this response (dated 9/3/15):
“Unfortunately we are only going to offer Vegan shoes in our casual lines. Our running,walking, and sports shoes are not going to be vegan. We hope this information helps.”
I received a similar responses from them (although they listed a lot of shoes in the tiger range)
It is always great to hear of people contacting the companies, that is how they will come to understand that the demand is real 🙂
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I got an answer from Karhu: “Thanks for reaching out to the Karhu team. None of the Performance running shoes use products that are animal based. However, to be perfectly honest, we don’t control for the glues/cements used in production, but most often in footwear those are synthetic materials.
In terms of Originals you would be best going with the Albatross (just not the black/white leather version) or Fulcrum Star as we use synthetic suedes. The Trampas version uses leather.
We hope this helps and feel free to ask any follow up questions!
Best,
Karhu team”
quite an odd response, they have stated pretty much the same thing this year and will be listed as ‘Synthetic options, bonding agents and dyes may be of animal origin’
thank you for contacting them and for letting me know! companies are much more likely to make positive changes if we request them 🙂
ey of over 60 athletic shoe manufacturers to determine which (if any) of … sshoesc.wordpress.com
I live-chatted with a rep from Under Armour who claims that all of their shoes are vegan. For what it’s worth:
Brandon: Thank you for choosing Under Armour, my name is Brandon. How may I help you?
Cary: Hello Brandon, I am curious if any Under Armor shoes are vegan — to be vegan, footwear must be made without using animals in any part of the process including bonding materials and dyes.
Is that information available?
Brandon: Hello Cary, yes all of our shoes are vegan.
Cary: Awesome! To be sure — that includes the glues?
Brandon: Yep!
Cary: That’s great! Thanks!
Brandon: My pleasure!
Great that you contacted them 🙂 that is what really makes a difference and more people should do it!
They did give me a different response this year though (results to be uploaded soon(ish) )
This is the response that they gave to me 28th May 2015: “Our Footwear unit have advised that we use leather on our shoes $70 and below but other than that we do not use any animals on our products!”
It seems Merrell is definitely improving! For example their new heavily-promoted line of Capra has vegan options in both the low cut and the mid (Capra Sport men’s and women’s). If you go to their site, and select a shoe, check out the “technology” tab, if it’s vegan they’re promoting it. So at least one manufacturer is ascending.
Huh. First comment didn’t work (?)- sorry if you get a double post. Anyway, it seems Merrell is definitely improving and have a few vegan options including their heavily-touted Capra line. The Capra Sport men’s and women’s in both low cut and mid are vegan. Check out the model on their website, and select the “technology” drop-down tab. Vegan! Good for them.
This is such a great service you are giving to the vegan community! Will you be doing it again for 2015? I’m having a terrible time trying to find a vegan shoe to help with my plantar fasciitis. REI lists Saloman as having certain vegan styles, but I see in your 2014 list that Saloman wasn’t really able to claim they are vegan. Do you know if anything has changed since last year? I was going to contact them directly and ask, but can’t find an email for them. May try to phone them tomorrow. Thanks for all your work on this!
The 2015 results should be uploaded this week 🙂
Here are the responses form Salomon:
“With regards to your request, some of our boots do contain leather materials. The models that have the letters LTR contain leather. Some of the models that do not contain the letters LTR may contain some leather. The glue used contains no animal products and is vegan friendly. It’s important to note that none of our running shoes contains leather materials. Our brand expert confirmed the list of shoes which he is definite do not contain leather in any form: Wings Sky GTX 2, Cosmic 4d 2 GTX, All Synapse models, All trail running models”
“All categories under trail running footwear are vegan.”
Thank you! That helps a lot. I can find some Saloman styles locally, so I can actually try them on before purchasing. I hope these styles are available!
Hi there,
thank you so much for making this list! Great help and I like that you have included the companies’ actual responses too. I’m looking for new lightweight vegan hiking/trail running shoes (undecided as yet about the type) so have been researching shoes lately :p.
I have found the ‘TOPO’ brand appears to be vegan, according to their site FAQs (http://topoathletic.com/faq):
“Do Topos contain latex or animal products?
Topo Athletic does not use any latex or animal products in the materials or adhesives of its footwear.”
If so, this is good news! 🙂
I will try to contact them to confirm and let you know. Looking forward to seeing your 2015 list!!
Thanks again Vegan8 and everyone who’s added info. Good luck in the hunt!
Thank you 🙂 I always appreciate when people let me know of other brands to check out, even better when they make contact with them as well!
Hey! Just wondering when your 2015 list is due out? I’ve just stumbled upon your blog as I’m looking for running shoes and I think the update will be exactly what I need 😀
Thanks so much for putting your time into all this! x
This years survey should be live early next week.
Looking forward to it!
very informative! many many thanks!
Updated version:
https://vegan8.me/vegan-athletic-shoes/vegan-athletic-shoes-2015/
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