Keep Shoes is cool company that produces items with innovative, fashionable styles – and in even better news, according to their website: “All Keep products are cruelty free”. These sweet moccasin, hi-top, buffalo check and fold-down kicks, as well as many other Keep styles are available on sale for a limited time at Jack Threads at around 50% off. Jack Threads is a Member-only site, so get your invitation by clicking here.
• Loomstate has partnered with Keds to make these cool, vegan, organic canvas boots with recycled tire soles and faux-shearling lining. These are great for cold weather and for looking snappy. Might I suggest waterproofing the canvas with a vegan waterproofer? Sustainably leather-free and $110.
I don’t often get to use the word “snazzy”. It seems so intentional and awkward, but Love Thy Neighbor, an independent shoe line with some bold shapes and patters, offers a few non-leather items that are upgrading ‘snazzy’ for me. With shoes like “The Kevin Bacon Triangle” and “Prom King” – it’s obvious that humor is a part of this label’s identity.
• Ah, the work-boot; iconic, manly, utilitarian and usually made from dead cows. Shudy, however, is an Italian conceptual shoe company injecting cool colored plastics into a work-boot mold while injecting some cool compassion into a traditionally cruel item:
• A perfect place to wear these boots would be on a tour of Alaska, unless big oil destroys the Arctic Wildlife Refuge first…. With the 50th anniversary of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge only weeks away, President Obama has the opportunity to make a real statement: America will not submit to the follies of the past or the whims of the present when it comes to protecting one of our country’s great wild places.
A National Monument designation is a fitting celebration of the past, present and future of this iconic American wilderness — and will help protect it from Big Oil’s attacks. Sign the petition!
• NOHARM’s elusive wingtips and brogues are finally available in several styles and colors. These are some of the finest quality men’s shoes out there, fairly handmade in Italian factories using eco-friendly and sustainably leather-free materials.
• In Defense of Animal’s continual work on behalf of elephants is crucial. Forced to perform tricks and give rides to children while sick with Tuberculosis, a Massachusets elephant who was named Dondi, died recently. Her autopsy revealed the illness, and the scary truth that TB is transmissible from elephant to human. Please click this link to send an e-mail to Southwick’s Zoo President Justine Brewer, urging the zoo to end the use of elephants for rides, performances and display. Find out more ways to help elephants here.
You have been patiently waiting for NOVACAS’ Fall 2010 lineup, and here it is, 100% vegan, and sustainably leather-free . NOVACAS emerged from the phrase “No Vacas” meaning, “No Cows” in Portuguese, where the shoes are constructed under fair conditions, and consist of 100% PVC-free, high quality faux-leathers (What wrong with leather?).
Featuring last season’s smash-hit the Leo, now in black, as well as my new personal favorite, a fold-down, refined work-boot, the Milo, in both black and gray. What I love about a refined work boot is it’s versatility – great with some jeans for a autumn hike, and equally appropriate with some slacks, a blazer and tie. The shoes will be available starting Sept 15th online and in-store at MooShoes (to pre-order, email MooShoes). Click here for a list of additional stockists.
Their shiny new website was designed by DB contributor Troy Farmer of Raven + Crow.
Terra Plana’s new vegan range includes some sharp, organic canvas and eco-PU footwear. Thanks to reader Tyson for the tip!
Stella McCartney defends bears! Bearskin hats have been worn since the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 where they were taken as a badge of honour by the Grenadier Guards when they defeated Napoleon’s bearskin-wearing Imperial Guard – but not for long is PETA and Stella McCartney have their say. A Hint Magazine Article today covered Stella’s “relentless crusade for critter-friendly fashion.”
The dashing, discerning, Dan Matthews showcases the Faux-Bearskin that PETA and Stella are pitching to the Palace to save bears’ lives. Why the synthetic version, you ask? Because it often takes a whole bear to make one hat! Royally gross. There’s no good excuse.
“McCartney is partnering with PETA to give those vigilant palace guards a fur-conscious makeover, swapping their bear fur hats with synthetic versions. (Going naked instead of wearing fur is not an option, apparently).”
Check our UnBearbleCruelty.com for more.
They’re in! Remember when I reported on the M:ZERO back in March? They were just samples then, but now they are a reality. Melissa, the sustainable, zero-waste, fair-trade, recycled plastic shoe company known for their cutting edge design and collaborations with fashion superstars like Vivienne Westwood, Jean Paul Gaultier, and others’ mens’ range, M:ZERO, is available at Alter. Lightweight and comfortable, these sustainably leather-free brogues have a sleek silhouette and some clever detailing on the toe. $130
I just purchased these sweet, faux-nubuck “Mariner Shoes” with a gum-rubber sole. Boat shoes are really comfy, non-slip, and a great, light summer shoe. Plus, they’re a classic that is having a moment in the spotlight again. Fairly made in Portugal. Sustainably leather-free. mooshoes.com $119.95
Speaking of classics having a moment, Desert Boots are big right now, too. They were originated for utilitarian military purposes in Cairo during World War II as an alternative to stiff, hot, and heavy army boots. Nathan Clark, upon his return to the US after serving in the 1940s, apprehensively introduced the boot through his family’s shoe company, and they caught on with Jazz musicians and mods in the 50s and 60s, and rappers and alterna-rockers in the 90s. Finally, a sustainable and rugged desert boot in faux-suede, lined in corduroy with double stitching. Made fairly in Poland. Sustainably leather-free. vegetarian-shoes.co.uk $80.
I’m pretty excited about the Autumn-2010 collection of men’s shoes from Novacas. From the tan, sleek soles and the gray, brown, and black uppers in classic, handsome styles to edgy details like an asymmetrical opening on the Emmett, to the fold-down throat on the Milo, these shoes and boots showcase a welcomed shrewdness from Novacas. The profiles are trim and elegant, and I also really enjoy the contrast of the high-polish toe on the gray Milo against the rest of the matte upper. The best part about a well-made men’s shoe is that it looks good with anything: shorts, jeans, slacks, a suit.
Novacas’ shoes are 80% biodegradable (on their way to being 100%), totally vegan, and made under fair conditions in European factories. To top it off, sister designers Erica and Sara Kuberski own MooShoes, NYC’s only 100% ethical shoe store.
