Choose real leather for shoes, says Performance Days
German fabrics trade fair Performance Days has defended real leather over ‘vegan’ alternatives for outdoor and sports shoes, saying the natural material has been “proven to offer numerous benefits”.
Written by consultant Nina Conrad, it went on to say most synthetic alternatives contain a significant amount of petroleum-based components, the production of which has far-reaching negative environmental impacts. This includes the potential creation of microplastics, which are harmful to humans, the environment and animals.
She said: “Leather is made from the hides of farm animals raised for meat and milk production. Whether you agree or disagree with raising animals for human consumption, it makes sense to use these hides rather than discard them.
“Another consideration is the performance of the materials. Studies have shown that synthetic materials perform much worse than leather in terms of tear resistance, breathability or durability. This underlines the need to consider not only ethical and environmental concerns, but also the functionality and quality of products.”
Nina Conrad works with farmers and regional slaughterhouses in Germany and Switzerland as part of her work as a sustainability consultant in the textile and leather industry. Her aim is to make the leather industry more sustainable and transparent, while raising consumer awareness of the responsible manufacture of leather products.
Performance Days, which is a show aimed at the sports and outdoorwear sector, takes place in Munich on October 4 and 5.
Image: adidas.
