Beyond leather: from beaded high-heeled thongs to elegantly simple flats, a new wave in footwear brings fun and glamour to the leather-free movement - Fashion Signature

Natural Health, April, 2004 by Elizabeth Barker

Here's some incentive to slip into animal-friendly shoes: An expanding selection of dazzling colors and sophisticated styles offers a fresher look than faux-leather footwear. "A lot more stylish options have become available," says Jeannie McStay, spokeswoman for the non-profit Vegetarian Resource Group. "Designers are creating trendy styles in response to the growing number of people who are becoming vegetarian and vegan."

For those not living the veggie lifestyle, a concern for the environment could inspire adding several leather-free choices to the mix of shoes in the closet. Tanning, the process that converts raw hides or skins into leather, utilizes hazardous substances such as chromium and phenol. If not properly disposed of, these substances can contaminate ground water. The Environmental Protection Agency recently spent $2.3 million in an effort to clean up the former site of a New Hampshire tannery that polluted the nearby Nashua River with toxic chemicals and asbestos-containing materials.

So infuse your next shoe-shopping excursion with a little activist spirit, and seek out a perfect pair made with canvas, vinyl, rubber or stain.