Shoes are something that is an essential item and there is a separate pair for all occasions, but making shoes can be harmful for the environment as they sometimes require chemical dyes and additions to give them the unique designs that people crave for.
They are sometime also made out of fur or leather or rare animal skins that often conflict with the earthโs interests; people who are environmentally conscious will be happy to know that there are shoe manufacturers out there that make shoes that are green.
The shoes come in various colors and styles and range from the local to the top designer brands; they are made from a range of materials that are mostly of the recycled kinds such as recycled packaging, sustainable materials, and compostable materials.
You can also get footwear that is vegan, which is that they are not made with any animal by products or ingredients- so even if these foot wear are officially cruelty free, are they really doing the planet any good?
Shoes that are made out of animal materials usually consist of fur, silk, wool or leather and most of the arguments regarding ethical foot wear revolve around those that are made out of leather.
Animals are usually raised for their hides and many environmentalists see this as being similar to clearing trees for pastures, these animals are also fed foods that are high in the energy content and other additives like proteins and steroids that are also cruel.
The animal skins are treated with chemicals to prevent them from spoiling and deteriorating the chemicals that are commonly used are ammonia, chromium and hydrogen sulfide. These chemicals can leak into soil and water bodies at levels that increase the carcinogenic levels rendering these natural resources unfit for human use.
Three are also many synthetic materials that are dangerous as well- synthetic leather requires chemical use in during production as they are petroleum based products. Faux leather contains PVC that has a high concentration of phthalates that causes a host of health problems. So vegan foot wear made out of kelp or cork seem to be a safer and greener alternative, leather alternatives like polyurethane, cotton or a blend of both are also safer , polyurethane may not be a green option but it is a whole lot safer than PVC.
