Vegans. They believe in a cause that they think is greater than themselves. Vegans are against animal cruelty and will do anything in their power to minimize the damage that they do to animals.
This movement has gained more and more momentum in the United States over the last few years. In 2023, there are nearly 20 million people in the country that claim to be vegans.
That is about 6% of the country. In 2016, there were only .5% of Americans that claimed to be vegans.
Women's vegan sneakers are one way that vegans are trying to fight against animal cruelty. The reason is that for typical women's sneakers, certain animals need to be slaughtered to come up with some decent footwear.
Vegan sneakers try to prove that this action is not necessary and that women's shoes can be stylish and comfortable going the vegan route.
If you are reading this, you may be curious about how to go about this and if there is a good vegan sneaker out there for you. Well, here are five tips that can help you when it comes to vegan sneakers.
1. Dry the Shoes Naturally
One thing that you have to keep in mind with vegan sneakers is that some of the material may be more sensitive than a regular sneaker. What this means is that you have to be careful with the way you treat your vegan sneakers.
Something that is eventually going to come up for anybody that owns a pair of sneakers is how to go about cleaning them. This is especially the case if they end up getting dirty and wet in the middle of a storm.
Some people may be tempted to throw a regular pair of sneakers in their washer and dryer to get most of the dirt and water off.
For vegan sneakers, this is a mistake. Washing them in a machine can end up ruining the sneaker. Instead, put the sneakers outside for them to dry after you clean them by hand. However, try not to have them in direct sunlight if you can help it.
2. Know the Vegan Sneaker Brands
When it comes to going vegan for clothing and footwear, newcomers are not likely to know where to begin. Luckily, with a little bit of research, this task is not too difficult if you are willing to put in the effort.
There are plenty of vegan sneaker brands that make exclusively vegan sneakers. Most of these brands are proud to do so and will make sure that you know about it. So, you should have no problem determining which brands cater to this audience.
Once you figure that out, you can start narrowing your choices down as to what brand you wish to buy a vegan sneaker from.
3. Read the Materials
A big thing that you need to be careful of if you are going to go 100% vegan is ordering a "vegan sneaker" with the wrong materials. There are some sneakers that have their brand promote them as vegan sneakers.
Technically, they may qualify as vegan sneakers because they are not using any remains from slaughtered animals to make the sneaker. However, if you look closer, this is not always that simple.
An example can be the glue that they use to make certain sneakers. Sometimes, this can come from horses that get sent to the glue factory for slaughter.
While a dead animal is not technically in the materials for this, it can be indirect for some people to not want to support the sneaker if they find this information out. This is why if you are serious about 100% vegan footwear, you need to make sure you are reading about all of the materials it claims to be made from.
4. Consider Your Sneaker Type
Before you go buying a random vegan sneaker, take a second and think about what type of sneakers you typically like to wear. You could be a woman that wants to buy a high-top sneaker that has strong support.
You could be a woman that likes to have no laces on her sneakers and just slip your foot into a sneaker. Or, you could be someone that likes a traditional sneaker with laces.
No matter what you prefer, explore all of your options for vegan sneakers before making a final decision.
5. Compare the Cost
Finally, as a smart shopper, you should make sure that the cost of vegan sneakers is something that you can justify. To do this, the best idea would be to compare it to the cost of a regular sneaker that you would buy.
You may find that these sneakers are cheaper than the ones you normally buy. In that case, you simply need to make sure these are durable.
If vegan sneakers end up being more expensive than sneakers you normally buy, you then have to ask yourself if you can justify the extra cost for the cause that you are supporting.
Buy Women's Vegan Sneakers
These are just five tips that you can use before you pick out your own pair of women's vegan sneakers.
Make sure you do your research on vegan sneaker brands as well as the materials that these vegan sneakers use. On top of this, you should decide what sneaker type you prefer and make sure that you can justify the cost of a vegan sneaker.
Once you do all of that, you are one step closer to making a positive impact on the world.
Do you want to see vegan sneakers for women? Shop for a pair here.