My neighbors had better get ready for me to start raiding their fruit trees, because I think I know where all my grocery money is going this month. I’ve fallen for Beyond Skin and Bourgeois Boheme, two hot new shoe brands created by budding British designer and vegan Sara Owen. Her design philosophy is that women shouldn’t have to sacrifice style to have cruelty-free footwear. And that philosophy definitely shows in lust-worthy styles such as the JoJo Zebra Print Heels, the Sirene Peacock Glitter Heels, and—my personal obsession—the Sweetie Red Faux Suede Heels.
I’ve heard it said that “you only look as good as you feel.” Well, I feel good only when I’m not walking around with a mortuary on my feet. No, there’s nothing sexy about animals who have had their throats slashed and being skinned alive for leather or reptiles who have been decapitated and stripped of their skin, particularly when there are so many other readily available materials to use for fashion.
Not only does Owen eschew leather and exotic-animal skins, which require massive amounts of toxic chemicals for processing, she also handcrafts every shoe herself from environmentally sustainable materials such as hemp and even recycled bottle tops. This is high fashion with a conscience—and even the most elite style watchers will find the result hard to argue with.
Beyond Skin and Bourgeois Boheme are part of the sweeping trend in which designers, including Stella McCartney, are creating classy vegan shoes for men and women.
Because who wouldn’t want to reduce their carbon footprints and leave more stylish ones?
Written by PETA
[Image by Vegan Shoes]