Not All VEJAs Are Vegan: How to Distinguish the Ones That Are
A guide for VEJA and other vegan sneakers by Elena Picci (Renoon’s team)
You’re certainly hearing a lot about VEJA.
The sustainable shoes that Meghan Markle and Emma Watson are bringing along on their trips. All made from sustainable materials such as organic cotton and sustainable leather. These are the kind of shoes worth wearing.
But wait: what does ‘’sustainable leather’’ mean? So, are VEJAs vegan?
VEJA uses both animal and vegan leathers for its shoes and believe it or not, both sustainable options look so similar that it makes it difficult to differentiate them!
Which type of leather does VEJA use?
#1: Sustainable animal leather
Animal leather used by VEJA is considered sustainable. The leather of these French Sneakers is tanned only in certified tanneries in order to make sure there is no “chrome VI’’, which is toxic for the environment and for human health. 10% of VEJA’s leather uses only a vegetable tanning method, which is even more sustainable as it is a chemical-free alternative to chrome. However, this second method is way more expensive and slow (40 days instead of 1); therefore, it is sadly impossible for VEJA to have 100% of the leather production tanned this way.
#2: Sustainable vegan leather
‘’Replacing leather with plastic does not sound like a good solution to us.‘’ — Sébastien Kopp, VEJA co-founder.
No more Pleather, please! Who said we had to choose between the environment and ethics? Plant-based and biodegradable are the two keywords to keep in mind when you think of VEJA’s vegan leather.
The French brand proved vegan leather can be sustainable and ethical at the same time by up-cycling corn waste to make its V-10 VEJA’s vegan leather. Today 20 out of 81 styles of VEJA’s sneakers are completely vegan.
How to recognize Vegan VEJAs at first sight?
Check the material label! Inside of your shoes, you will find a label that explains which material is used for each part of your sneaker.
Sustainable sneaker alternatives
Too many VEJAs around you? If you want to stand out from the crowd while having a good impact on the environment, check Womsh, the innovative Zip-Shoe by ACBC and other sustainable sneaker alternatives that Renoon continuously finds.
