Vegan Shoes

orpheus

I'm trying to find some comfortable non-leather shoes. Right now I have some Vans that are leather and that I should have replaced years ago. They're worn out where my heel rest and are probably responsible for my bad posture.

The Vans website is worthless. They have a section for vegan shoes but the ones I like they only have in size 5 or 7 or some bullshit. I wear size 11. I did order some all black shoes from their site but sent them back because I didn't like the style. The website only had 1 picture of them and I took a chance.

There are some Rise Against Vans that I really like but I can't find them anywhere. I guess they were a limited run.

I have some Converse that are canvas but they have zero arch support so I don't like wearing them.

tl;dr
I want some non-leather shoes that are size 11 and comfortable. I seem to like Vans style. Any other brand suggestions?

Forbe!

Simple makes a brand of shoes called 'ecoSNEAKS'. They're made with hemp canvas, the laces are recycled PET, and recycled snow tire for the sole.

I've been wearing them for roughly a year, and couldn't be happier with them.

The only problem I originally had was breaking them in. The back of the heel is very rigid, to the point where it would start chaffing the skin.

Some of them are made with suede, though.

Seaborn111

Macbeths. I have three pair, all hilariously comfortable and all vegan.

They were, i kid you not, originally designed as "stage shoes". shoes you could stomp around in and stand for long periods of time comfortably.


Check Loserkids.com, they're pretty inexpensive.

Vorus

I had the same problem with the stiff back. Be prepared for some painful walking while the skin on the back of your foot toughens up.

Mine were Element

Daenris

Alternatively, if you like Converse (or any other brand for that matter) except for the arch support, you can always go to a drug/convenience store or some place like Target/Wal-mart and pick up some arch support insoles that'll slip into any shoe.

RUNN1NGMAN

Converse All-Stars are made in China by Nike workers, so if you're looking for a "socially conscious" shoe, Chuck Taylor's aren't it.

TrippyDK

I remember zappos.com having a section for vegan shoes

Manda

Birkenstock actually makes non-leather shoes. They're a little stiff at first but once you break them in they feel just like the real thing. As a bonus, they also cost less than their leather counterparts. (I couldn't find anything about it on their website but if there's a Birk store near you they should be able to help.)

CooterTKE

find a vans store near you they can order any style that you want ususally in the size you need. I used to have to order the vegan shoes for people all the time.

Casual Eddy

Forbe! wrote: »

Simple makes a brand of shoes called 'ecoSNEAKS'. They're made with hemp canvas, the laces are recycled PET, and recycled snow tire for the sole.

I've been wearing them for roughly a year, and couldn't be happier with them.

The only problem I originally had was breaking them in. The back of the heel is very rigid, to the point where it would start chaffing the skin.

Some of them are made with suede, though.

I have a pair of these ones specifically

http://www.simpleshoes.com/ProductDetails.aspx?productID=2121&categoryID=106&g=m&model=Sno%20Tire-%20Certified%20Leather

and they're quite nice. I didn't get them for the environmentally friendly thing I just liked how they looked, but the whole sustainable thing was a nice bonus.

EDIT: Whoops, those have leather in them. Regardless, they're nice shoes and the 'vegan' ones they make are probably pretty good too.

Pheezer

The thing about the stiff backs is sort of not the real problem there. Allow me to explain:

Your heel is chaffing against the back of the shoe. It is doing this because when you lift your foot forward to take a step, the heel moves but the shoe does not. The reason this is happening is because during the break in period the soles are too stiff to bend the way they ought to.

If the soles were softer, they would bend with your foot and your heel wouldn't move against the back of the shoe.

It doesn't matter how soft or pliable the back of the shoe is, your hot, potentially sweaty foot moving against it is going to cause chaffing. So how do we resolve this?

Well, when I would buy a new pair of combat boots, whose soles are a very stiff, very thick rubber not unlike recycled car tires, I would fold them over and tie the laces around the toe and heel. So that it'd stretch and soften the middle part of the sole. That way when I was wearing them for the first time a few days later they'd bend more easily in the middle and reduce the amount my heel moved, reducing chaffing.

The other important trick was tying the laces VERY tight, so that the heel didn't really have room to move. Uncomfortably tight, even. Obviously this is less of a solution when you don't have lacing going up your shin, so probably not so useful to your guys' shoe related issues.

So try that the next time you get a pair of those. Be sure the shoes are room temperature warm and so forth before you do it, and go slowly. You don't want to damage the soles too much, but rubber is pretty good for this.