Vegan Athletic Shoes 2013

2018 Survey results are now available!!! – click me to go there

A survey of over 50 athletic shoe manufacturers to determine which (if any) of their products are Vegan. Companies were emailed or contacted via their sites contact forms during September 2013, with the following script:

‘Hello,
I am hoping that you can provide me with a list of which of your shoes are made without using animals in any part of the process? (including adhesives/glues).
I am also interested in a list of your shoes that do not use animals except for the adhesive/glue as well as any other combinations.
Please consider all shoes that are marketed under your brand name in all countries. Thank you for your time’

After receiving the requested information, I followed with this reply:

‘Thank you for your reply,
Could you also please tell me your company policy regarding working conditions for all who are employed directly and indirectly by you?
Where are your products made?
Do you have fair trade accreditation?
thank you again’

The basic results are presented in the table below.
More information, including the correspondence with the companies, is viewable by clicking the company name or by heading directly to the details section.

Please feel free to recommend any other companies that may also be suitable.

I believe it is also a very good idea to contact these companies prior to purchase. This will hopefully give you peace of mind and also lets the companies know that ethical consumers are interested in their products.
If you see a search bar on any website… type ‘Vegan’ into it 🙂

Description of definitions used
Result	Description
Vegan company	The company is Vegan, there should never be any need to doubt any of their products. These companies should be an ethical consumers first choice for our own peace of mind.
All Vegan	The company has stated by correspondence that all of their footwear products are Vegan. However, they do not appear to identify themselves as a Vegan company, so there is a possibility that future products will not be ethical.
Vegan options	The company provides styles that are completely Vegan, but not all of their styles are Vegan.
Synthetic options, glue may be of animal origin	The company provides styles that are free from animal derived ingredients, excepting (perhaps) the bonding agents. This is the one that I find most annoying, basically the company does not know (or is unwilling to back itself regarding) the type of bonding agents that are used at all times. They may vary due to season/availability/price etc. To me this is both an ethical and quality control issue. Shoe manufacturers generally market themselves as high tech and very deliberate in their materials and design. The suggestion that they are unaware of their own bonding agents, brings the companies and the industry itself into question. Footwear purchased from these manufacturers, may or may not be Vegan.
Synthetic options, glue is of animal origin	The company provides styles that are free from animal derived ingredients, excepting the bonding agents, which they state are derived from animals. I have no idea why a company would choose to do this in 2013.
No Vegan options	The company deliberately chooses to provide no ethical footwear.
awaiting reply	Not enough time has passed since I made initial contact with the company, or they have responded that they are collecting the required details so that they can respond appropriately.
no reply	The company has been contacted at least 3 times over 3 weeks, using a variety of methods (email, contact form, facebook etc) but no reply has been received from them.
uncooperative	The company has been contacted at least 3 times over 3 weeks, using a variety of methods (email, contact form, facebook etc) but is only willing to provide vague details or none at all. Companies in this category tend to ask why they are being questioned, by who and for what purpose. But even after responding to their questions, they continue to be uncooperative. Thankfully these companies are rare, the majority of companies in this survey have provided very good customer service. Only a handful of the companies surveyed make me want to look at Barnivore

Results Summary Table
Company	Result
Adidas	no reply
Ahnu	Vegan options
Asics	Vegan options
Asolo	uncooperative
Avia	Vegan options
Berghaus	Vegan options
Brooks	Vegan options
Columbia	No Vegan options
Converse	Synthetic options, glue may be of animal origin
Diadora	Synthetic options, glue may be of animal origin
Eco Vegan Shoes	Vegan company
Emerica	no reply
Ethletic	All Vegan
Etonic Shoes	uncooperative
Fila	Vegan options
Five Ten	Synthetic options, glue may be of animal origin
Garmont	no reply
Gravis	Synthetic options, glue may be of animal origin
Hi-tec	Synthetic options, glue may be of animal origin
Hoka One One	Synthetic options, glue is of animal origin
Inov-8	All Vegan
Ipath	Synthetic options, glue may be of animal origin
J-41	Vegan options
Jambu	Vegan options
Kalso	Vegan options
Keds	Vegan options
Keens	Vegan options
Keep	All Vegan
K-Swiss	uncooperative
La Sportiva	Vegan options
Lotto	Synthetic options, glue may be of animal origin
Macbeth	Vegan options
Merrell	Vegan options
Mizuno	Synthetic options, glue may be of animal origin
Montrail	No Vegan options
Movmt	Vegan options
New Balance	Synthetic options, glue may be of animal origin
Newton Running	All Vegan
Nike	Synthetic options, glue is of animal origin
Patagonia	Vegan options
Pearl Izumi	All Vegan
Puma	Synthetic options, glue may be of animal origin
Reebok	Vegan options
Salomon	Synthetic options, glue may be of animal origin
Sanuk	Vegan options
Saucony	Vegan options
Seavees	Vegan options
Skechers	Synthetic options, glue may be of animal origin
Superga	Vegan options
Teva	Vegan options
Unstitched Utilities	All Vegan
Vans	Vegan options
Vasque	No Vegan options
Vegetarian Shoes	Vegan company
Vibramfivefingers	Vegan options
Victoria	Vegan options
Vivobarefoot	Vegan options
Walsh	Vegan options
Wicked Hemp	Vegan options
Zoot	All Vegan

The section below contains the details and correspondence from the survey. To view a simpler, less detailed format, please refer back to the summary section.

Adidas	Contact form
	email
Result: no reply
Details: Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has a search facility, but does not return results for ‘Vegan’.
Correspondence:
Working conditions:

Ahnu	Contact form
	email
Result: Vegan options
Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has a search facility, but does not return results for ‘Vegan’.
Correspondence: “Thank you for your interest in products by Ahnu. None of our shoes have animal products used in the glue and adhesives. We do have a new line which is entirely vegan. Specifically, it is the Women’s Karma Vegan, model #AF2464. Our shoes will specifically list in the product detail the materials that are used in manufacturing. It will specify if the shoe is completely vegan. This applies toward the Ahnu brands sold in countries outside of the United States. I hope this answers your question! Have a wonderful day, and thank you for contacting Ahnu!”
Working conditions: Deckers corporate responsibility

Asics	Contact form
	email
Result: Vegan options
Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has a search facility, but does not return results for ‘Vegan’.
Correspondence: “Thank you for contacting ASICS America Corporation. Here is a list of fully vegan shoes: – Ultimate 81 – Rio Runner – Sakurada – Mexico 66 Slip-On – Mexico 66 Paraty. All of our running shoes and cross trainers only have animal product in the adhesives but use synthetic overlays. As for the other countries product line we don’t have that information. You can contact the individual regions with this link ” “Sorry, we should have clarified. These shoes are not running or cross training shoes. They are part of our Onitsuka Tiger lifestyle brand and they are fully Vegan”
Working conditions: no reply!

Asolo	Contact form
	email
Result: uncooperative
Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has no search facility.
Correspondence:
Working conditions:

Avia	Contact form
	email
Result: Vegan options
Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has a search facility, but does not return results for ‘Vegan’.
Correspondence: “Hello, It is my understanding you are inquiring for a list of AVIA products that do not use animals products except for the adhesive/glue. To the best of our knowledge the following styles would fit into this category. Avi-Maximus, Avi-Mantis, Avi-Stoltz, Avi-Bolt, Avi-Lite Guidance series, Cc Release Tech. Hopefully this helps. Regards, Christine Leffeler, ES Originals Inc, AVIA Brand Director” “No, they do not have animal products in the adhesives/glues.”
Working conditions: no reply!

Berghaus	Contact form
	email
Result: Vegan options
Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has a search facility, but does not return results for ‘Vegan’
Correspondence: “Please see below for a list of footwear we manufacture that is suitable to Vegans: Benefaction, Augury, Prognosis, Bueno Sandal. Unfortunately we do not have many of these available on our web store but they are still available in some of our stores and retailers.” “We can confirm that the shoes listed in the earlier email do not contain any animal products either in the shoe or any adhesives used on the shoes.”
Working conditions: “Berghaus believes in doing business responsibly and we are committed to ethical trade. Our Code of Employment Standards for Suppliers is based on the Ethical Trading Initiative’s ‘Base Code’ and we visit factories regularly to monitor compliance with our standards. If an assessment identifies room for improvement, we work with our partners to make positive changes. We also work with others in our industry to find new ways to address ethical trade issues and find lasting solutions. More information about the approach to ethical trading of Pentland, Berghaus’ parent company, can be found at Corporate responsibility We can clarify that the shoes listed earlier do not contain any Para-tertiary butylphenol (PTBP) formaldehyde resin. The majority of our products are manufactured in Asia and China.”

Brooks	Contact form
	email
Result: Vegan options
Details: ‘Vegan’ mentioned on site (see link below). Site has a search facility, but does not return results for ‘Vegan’. Vegan FAQ (this only applies to the US, there are other non synthetic shoes marketed under the brand in other locations)
Correspondence: “All of our shoes are suitable for vegans, except for the Addiction Walker shoe, which is made with leather.” “Thank you for contacting Brooks Sports. As an Australian shoe, we did not consider that into our answer as we are based here in the US. With it’s leather pieces it is also not vegan.” “Thank you for contacting Brooks Sports. We will not be changing the FAQ due to our service of American clientele and that statement remaining true for our offerings in the US market.” “Thank you for your email. All of our shoes (EXCEPT those with leather uppers) meet vegan standards. I hope this helps. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Run happy”
Working conditions: “Please take a look here for all our information on running responsibly

Columbia	Contact form
	email
Result: No Vegan options
Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has a search facility, but does not return results for ‘Vegan’.
Correspondence: “Thanks for your email and for your interest in Columbia shoes. Currently none of our current line is completely vegan. I am so sorry for the inconvenience this may cause! Please let me know if there’s anything further I can assist you with.”
Working conditions: Social corporate responsibility

Converse	Contact form
	email
Result: Synthetic options, glue may be of animal origin
Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has a search facility, but does not return results for ‘Vegan’.
Correspondence: “At this time none of our sneakers would be considered vegan, although most of our canvas sneakers are made with cotton and rubber. Please feel free to let us know if we can assist you further.” “Thank you for your reply! Unfortunately, we do not have any products that are certain to be Vegan-friendly. While the majority of our materials are animal-by-product free, the glue in our products can sometimes contain some animal by-products. So, it is not possible for us to advertise our products as being truly Vegan. We apologize if this prevents you from being able to wear our product. We certainly hope it does not because there is nothing in the world like a pair of Converse sneakers! Thank you for shopping with us and we do hope that you find something that you like and can enjoy!Please feel free to contact us with any further questions or concerns you may have. We are more than happy to assist you! Have a great day!”
Working conditions: “As of March 2001 Converse products are manufactured in China, Indonesia and Vietnam. We manufacture in Southeast Asian factories that are required to comply with Converse’s vigorous labor and workers’ rights standards. We do stand behind our quality of shoes that we are producing regardless of where the factory is that is making them. We believe we have a responsibility to workers around the world that make products bearing the Converse name. We pledge to uphold internationally recognized labor practices and human rights standards including fair wages, reasonable working hours, no forced or child labor, safe and healthy living and working conditions and non-discrimination. We also strongly believe workers should be treated with respect and dignity and not subjected to any form of harassment or abuse. Converse makes every effort to ensure that proper labor practices and human rights standards, as well as pertinent national and local laws are being followed by constantly monitoring the factories. As part of this ongoing effort, Converse also works to continually improve living and working standards at its contracted factories. Please feel free to let us know if we can assist you further.”

Diadora	Contact form
	email
Result: Synthetic options, glue may be of animal origin
Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has a search facility, but does not return results for ‘Vegan’.
Correspondence: “Regarding the fall-winter 2013 leisure shoes collection, these models are made without using animals: 158866 aviles street mi II, 158881 aviles street II, Regarding next spring-summer 14 collection, there are: 159174 tennis light, 158625 cross nyl II, 159229 cross training, 158624 afs basket (now in the eshop) Regarding the shoes made without using animals, we also have other models: for running: N2100 cod. 157861, N6100 cod. 157862; N5100 cod.157116, N7100 cod. 156605 for soccer: DD_NA cod. 158455; 750 II cod. 158489 for cycling: all models”
Working conditions: no reply!

Eco Vegan Shoes	Contact form
	email
Result: Vegan company
Correspondence: “None of the shoes on eco-vegan-shoes use any animal products in their manufacture – no, not even adhesives – they are all therefore approved by the Vegan Society.”
Working conditions: “Our owner has personally visited all the factories we use in Indonesia, Malaysia and Portugal where the majority of our shoes are made and he is more than happy that in the case of Indonesia and Malaysia, not only do the factories pay a fair wage, they also provide additional benefits to their employees.”

Emerica	Contact form
	email
Result: no reply
Details: ‘Vegan’ mentioned on site. Site has a search facility and returns results for ‘Vegan’.
Correspondence:
Working conditions:

Ethletic	Contact form
	email
Result: All Vegan
Details: ‘Vegan’ mentioned on site. Site has no search facility.
Correspondence: “All our shoes are 100% vegan. Glue 100% natural latex (fsc).”
Working conditions: Fair trade

Etonic Shoes	Contact form
	email
Result: uncooperative
Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has no search facility.
Correspondence:
Working conditions:

Fila	Contact form
	email
Result: Vegan options
Details: Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has a search facility, but does not return results for ‘Vegan’.
Correspondence: “All items listed as leather under details and care are made with animal materials. If the material content shows synthetic does not contain animal parts.” “Yes, the information provided includes the entire make up of our goods.  We do not use animal products in any of our materials.”
Working conditions: no reply!

Five Ten	Contact form
	email
Result: Synthetic options, glue may be of animal origin
Details: Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has a search facility, but does not return results for ‘Vegan’.
Correspondence: “Each product has a description of the materials used. Anything with only synthetic or canvas will not have any animal product in the shoe. We use Barge cement for the adhesive in our shoes. I have not seen any indication that this glue contains animal product (gelatin). You could likely do some more research to be sure. Sorry that your question had not been answered sooner. This is not a very common question for us and do not have a list readily available. Hopefully this provided a little assistance.”
Working conditions: no reply!

Garmont	Contact form
	email
Result: no reply
Details:
Correspondence:
Working conditions:

Gravis	Contact form
	email
Result: Synthetic options, glue may be of animal origin
Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has a search facility, but does not return results for ‘Vegan’.
Correspondence: “I am so sorry to have kept you waiting for a long time. I am afraid that I found it is very difficult to check all strict details such as adhesion bond and subordinate materials, because we have to track back to suppliers. However, I can give you the information of main part of materials. Following is the shoe which is made without using animals in upper, lining, shoe lace and insole (FW13) – Quarters (not include Quarters CC) – Slymz – Lowdown HC (not include Lowdown HC LX) – Tarmac HC & Tarmac (not include VULC LX) – Baseline HC & Baseline. Tarmac and Baseline are used by synthetic leather. Please notice that above shoes are Fall Winter 2013 current season models.”
Working conditions: Actually, gravis is one of our brands and company name is Burton, so for about the company policy, you will be able to check Burton company sustainability. We have several Factories in Asia. Most of them are in China.

Hi-tec	Contact form
	email
Result: Synthetic options, glue may be of animal origin
Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has a search facility, but does not return results for ‘Vegan’.
Correspondence: “Attached is a list of vegan compatible Hi Tec styles that have been produced since AW12 and including those for SS14. Bahama Sport, Bazile, Bazile Mid, Bonito, Bryce, Bryce Ii, Bryce Ii Wp, Bryce Wo‘S, Bryce Wp, Bryce Wp, Womens, Condor, Condor Wp, Fuerza, Gt Slide, Gt Strap, Gt Strap Jr, Gt Thong, Harmony Life Strap, Harrier, Harrier Wp, Hawkley, Inca Sport Wp, Makau, Makau Wp, Moraine, Moraine Wp, Nevada, Nevada Breathe, Nevada Mid, Owaka, Owaka Jr, Phoenix Sport, Phoenix Sport Low, Phoenix Sport Low Wp, Phoenix Sport Wp, Phoenix Womans Wp, Premilla Life, Premilla Slide, Premilla Strap, Ridge Wp Jr, Shore, Shore Jr, Shore Women’S, Solis, Tawa Jr, Tian, Tian Mid, Waimea Falls, Waimea Falls Jr, Waimea Slide Wo‘S, Zuuk, Zuuk Jr, Zuuk Womans, Shadow Trail, Shadow Trail Womens, V-Lite Infinity Trail I, V-Lite Nazka 5.0, V-Lite, Nazka 5.0 Womens, V-Lite Nazka 5.0 Womens, Zuuk Lite, Zuuk Lite Womens, Zuuk Sport Jr, Vortex, Lima Wp, Lima, Lima Wp Women’S, Lima Women’S, Fuerza, Aurora, Indra Strap, Eros, Rio Adventure”
Working conditions: No reply!

Hoka One One	Contact form
	email
Result: Synthetic options, glue is of animal origin
Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has a search facility, but does not return results for ‘Vegan’.
Correspondence: “Thank you for emailing us your Hoka One One inquiry! At the moment we do not offer a vegan shoe as we are a small and young brand. This is something we are likely to produce in the future. As of now our shoes are leather free but not vegan. We are sorry if this inconveniences you in any way!” “You are correct that the animal product lies in the bonding agents and dyes.”
Working conditions: “Deckers Outdoor Corporation has been named Best Places to Work at in Outside magazine multiple times. We are a company of service and we work hard so we feel good about playing hard. Our shoes are made in China in factories with ethical conditions, honest wages, and through fair trade compliances. The price of a product is one variable that shows you if the product came from an ethical or unethical factory. Please let me know if you have any questions.” Deckers corporate responsibility.

Inov-8	Contact form
	email
Result: All Vegan
Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has no search facility.
Correspondence: “After checking with our head shoe designer, he confirmed that no part of our products use any animal derivatives, even in the glues and dyes”
Working conditions: no reply!

Ipath	Contact form
	email
Result: Synthetic options, glue may be of animal origin
Details: Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has no search facility.
Correspondence: “All of our shoes that are vegan are denoted on the website with a green Ipath logo symbol. Please note that we do not make the glue or adhesives ourselves, so we are not able to 100% guarantee that the adhesive is vegan. The materials used in our vegan-friendly shoes is either synthetic or an organic canvas blend. The list of shoes is below to make it easier for you to search on the website: Cat Rod S – organic canvas style. Cat Rod S – hemp style. Artisan S – organic canvas. Nomad – organic canvas. Funktion S – organic canvas. Ashbury. Westwing low – organic canvas. Iconic XL – organic canvas. Grasshopper – organic canvas. Natty – organic canvas. Slippuh. Drifter. Washington. Grasshopper XT – synthetic. Pleae note: I did reply to Ipath and informed them that they are incorrect to suggest that their footwear is Vegan if they are unaware of the bonding agents. Hopefully they will follow my advice and determine whether their bonding agents are animal free or not.
Working conditions: “Our products are made in China at three different factories that are accredited. We as a brand are not as we are very small but we also do licensing for New Balance footwear, which is fully compliant and accredited. Ipath shoes are made in the same factories.”

J-41	Contact form
	email
Result: Vegan options
Details: ‘Vegan’ mentioned on site. Site has a search facility and returns results for ‘Vegan’.
Correspondence: “You can check our website for vegan products. All of our shoes marked ‘vegan’ will be vegan through and through, adhesives, glues, etc. If they are NOT marked as vegan, they will contain leather and by products. Thank you for your interest!”
Working conditions: (applies to J-41 and Jambu) “All of our shoes are manufactured in China. Our Factories are monitored for Fair Trade and for working conditions. We are audited by an independent agency to ensure that all working conditions are above standards. At the same time, the owners of Vida Shoes visit our warehouse 6-8 times a year at random times to ensure working conditions from our side as well.”

Jambu	Contact form
	email
Result: Vegan options
Details: ‘Vegan’ mentioned on site. Site has a search facility and returns results for ‘Vegan’.
Correspondence: “Thank you for your interest in our products. You can check our website. Anything marked as ‘vegan’ will be vegan all the way through.”
Working conditions: (applies to J-41 and Jambu) “All of our shoes are manufactured in China. Our Factories are monitored for Fair Trade and for working conditions. We are audited by an independent agency to ensure that all working conditions are above standards. At the same time, the owners of Vida Shoes visit our warehouse 6-8 times a year at random times to ensure working conditions from our side as well.”

Kalso	Contact form
	email
Result: Vegan options
Details: ‘Vegan’ mentioned on site. Site has a search facility and returns results for ‘Vegan’.
Correspondence: “You can find some certified Vegan styles in our “Kalso Earth Shoe” line. Here’s a link to the Vegan styles “
Working conditions: “Many of your questions can be answered here on our FAQ page. We have a long standing relationship with our factories (our shoes are made in China) and follow the strictest guidelines for working conditions. Our U.S. product dev team spend about 3-4 months each year working closely with our factories to ensure this. We do not have a fair trade accreditation because we have not applied for one – as most shoe companies do not.”

Keds	Contact form
	email
Result: Vegan options
Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has no search facility.
Correspondence: “In answer to your question we can inform you that: No animal products are used in NON-leather shoes. The glue at our factories is both water-based and solvent-based. Also, some latex-based glues are used for some shoes. All shoes should be suitable for vegans if they are not made with leather materials”
Working conditions: “Factory workers are paid by the country standards that enable them to have normal living, no child labour. Concerning the production: Keds are produced in China and VN. It depends on sku. Every shoe tells you where it is from by looking at the tongue label. Concerning the fair trade accreditation, we will come back to it.” “We are not part of any “Fair Trade” Group. We have our own Social Compliance team working in our behalf. We use both internal and external independent third party groups to monitor our finish good factories along with our raw material supply chain to ensure compliance to our own internal standards.”

Keens	Contact form
	email
Result: Vegan options
Details: ‘Vegan’ mentioned on site. Site has a search facility and returns results for ‘Vegan’.
Correspondence: “Thanks for contacting us! Below are links to our vegan products Mens Womens Childrens Please let me know if you have any additional questions!”
Working conditions: Corporate social responsibility

Keep	Contact form
	email
Result: All Vegan
Details: “One of our goals is to make your choice in footwear easier, and one of the ways we do this is by making all Keep products vegan and cruelty-free.”
Correspondence: “We do not use animals in any process while making our shoes. We do not use animals for the materials and we do not use animals in the glues/adhesives. Let us know if we can be of further assistance.”
Working conditions: “Our shoes are made in a factory in China that is regularly audited by an international, third-party, non-profit group called Sedex. For our employees indirectly working for us,  the working conditions are governed by factory policy, however we only use factories that are audited by Sedex.  Since we’re a small company, we don’t have the resources to conduct audits ourselves, and therefore only work with companies which are accredited and audited consistently.  Furthermore, someone from Keep is on the line for every production and is intimately involved with the production process.  We don’t simply outsource the production — we’re there, in person, being a part of the process.  We are not fair trade accredited at this time.”

K-swiss	Contact form
	email
Result: uncooperative
Details: Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has no search facility.
Correspondence:
Working conditions: the factory conditions are mentioned on our site

La Sportiva	Contact form
	email
Result: Vegan options
Details: Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has a search facility, but does not return results for ‘Vegan’.
Correspondence: “Thank you for your enquiry, it took some times to answer you because I wanted to be sure about the glue we are using in our Chinese factories. I can confirm you that our running shoes don’t use any material or substances derived from animals. Glues and raw materials are made with no animal influences. Of course climbing and mountaineering shoes are different and are based on the animal’s leather but all the raw leather that we use in our production come as a derived product of the food and fashion industry.”
Working conditions: no reply!

Lotto	Contact form
	email
Result: Synthetic options, glue may be of animal origin
Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has no search facility.
Correspondence:
Working conditions: no reply!

Macbeth	Contact form
	email
Result: Vegan options
Details: ‘Vegan’ mentioned on site. Site has no search facility. Site has a Vegan section
Correspondence: “All our products that have the vegan logo are 100% animal and cruelty free, including glues and adhesives. You can look at the online store to see all the shoes and also our website to learn more about our products.”
Working conditions: “Macbeth is committed to running our business in an ethical manner. Macbeth may be a small company, but we are well aware that our actions have an impact on human rights and the environment. Macbeth produces most of its goods overseas, so we are careful to work with agents who share our commitment to ethical business practices and who will assist us in identifying factories that will produce quality goods while adhering to applicable laws protecting workers and the environment. Quality. Macbeth only works with agents and factories that are highly competent and have appropriate quality controls in place, so that we produce only first-quality items for our consumers. Labor. Through its agents, Macbeth works with factories that operate in compliance with all applicable laws, including those relating to minimum age, wage and overtime regulations, employee housing and workplace health and safety. Macbeth instructs its agents that it will not, under any circumstances, work with a factory that hires, keeps, or sanctions child, prison or indentured labor of any kind. Safety. Macbeth additionally instructs its agents only to engage factories that provide a safe workplace for diverse employees, where the employees have freedom of association and a work environment without institutional harassment and abuse. Environment. Macbeth is committed to protecting the environment in the communities where its goods are manufactured and instructs its agents to work only with factories that abide by such environmental regulations as are enacted by local law. Macbeth relies on its agents as well as factory visits by Macbeth staff to insure adherence to these ethical standards. As we grow, Macbeth will continue to develop monitoring systems to assess and insure compliance.”

Merrell	Contact form
	email
Result: Vegan options
Details: Vegan friendly section
Correspondence: “Thanks for emailing into Merrell about our footwear. You will find that we do manufacture a few vegan and vegetarian friendly styles for those who have chosen that life style. I have added a link below to help take you to these styles. In the future, please feel free to hold your mouse over the “collections” tab on our web site and click on the Vegan Friendly in the bottom of the middle column of the drop down menu to see what styles are available in our Vegan Friendly line. I hope this helps. If you have any questions please feel free to ask.” “Thank you for your reply. I completely understand your precaution as many adhesives will use animal byproducts. I can tell you that the styles we have on our vegan friendly page are completely vegan friendly. None of them will use any animal products at all. I hope this helps. If you have any questions please feel free to ask.”
Working conditions: “Thank you for your reply. I am sorry for the delay in my reply. It did take a little time to find out about fair trade accreditation. I can tell you that we are not fair trade accredited. Attached is a document that covers some of the information you are looking for as far as company policies go. Merrell when it first started was originally made in Vermont. Previous to 1997 when we acquired Merrell into our portfolio they were in the process of being moved overseas to China for manufacturing. Currently Merrell footwear is still manufactured in China and the Wilderness Original is manufactured in Italy. I hope this helps. If you have any questions please feel free to ask” “Ver 3 Jan. 2006 Wolverine World Wide, Inc. E Engagement Criteria These Engagement Criteria define the guiding principles we value when forming relationships with our partners, sources, and vendors (our “Partners”). Wolverine World Wide Inc. is committed to ensuring that these guidelines are followed by its Partners, in all global locations where its portfolio of brands are produced or sold. We expect our Partners to comply with these standards while enforcing these same standards throughout their chosen supply chain. We will monitor activities through on-site inspections, signed manufacturing agreements, and third party assessments. We favor Partners who contribute to the betterment of the communities in which they operate. . 1. Ethical Standards We will conduct business only with Partners who display sound and legal practices by conforming to all applicable local and national laws, rules and regulations and applicable treaties. We require that our Partners minimize the potential for conflicts of interest, prohibit the giving or receiving of gifts or gratuities, conduct their business with us in a truthful and open manner, and comply with all specifications, quality criteria, and product requirements. . 2. Health & Safety Our Partners must be committed to providing a safe and healthy working & living (if housing is provided) environment that complies with all local laws and regulations, including: adequate medical facilities, fire exits, safety equipment, well-lighted and comfortable work stations, clean restrooms, personal protective equipment, safe storing of chemicals, and a well-known emergency evacuation plan with clear and accessible aisles and exits. . 3. Environmental Our Partners must be committed to environmentally safe practices and must be in compliance with all applicable laws and environmental regulations. All waste materials and manufacturing by-products must be disposed of properly in an environmentally responsible manner according to local laws and regulations. . 4. Employment Practices • Wages & Benefits: Partners must pay wages and provide benefits that meet or exceed the applicable legally mandated minimum requirements. Any wage deductions must comply with applicable law and be clearly communicated to employees. • Child Labor: Partners must not employ any person deemed younger than the age for completing compulsory education in the country of manufacture (in most countries this minimum age is 16 years). • Forced Labor: Partners and their subcontractors must not use forced, prison, bonded, indentured, or involuntary labor. • Disciplinary Practices: Partners must not subject their employees to mental or physical threats, harassment or abuse. Physical punishment of any kind is forbidden. • Non-Discrimination: We believe in cultural diversity and support employment practices based on individual skills and abilities. Partners must not discriminate in any way. . 5. Freedom of Association Partners must recognize and respect the legal right of employees to freely associate and join organizations. . 6. Security Our Partners must provide a safe and secure working & living environment (if housing is provided), and comply with applicable U. S. Customs importing laws and security processes or any other applicable importing laws or security processes of jurisdiction where products will be shipped. . 7. General We require Partners to maintain records and to permit Wolverine World Wide, Inc. or its designees to periodically audit such compliance. We will favor Partners who demonstrate a willingness and ability to meet these Engagement Criteria.”

Mizuno	Contact form
	email
Result: Synthetic options, glue may be of animal origin
Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has a search facility, but does not return results for ‘Vegan’.
Correspondence: “Thank you for contacting Mizuno USA. Unfortunately, the glue we use on our shoes may contain a small trace of animal products. Since most of our shoes are petroleum based, the glue is the only part of the shoe that would contain animal products. We apologize for any inconvenience. Best regards”
Working conditions: “Thank you for your communication regarding Mizuno’s manufacturing practices. Mizuno takes its social responsibility and commitment very seriously. Please be directed to the web site of our parent company, Mizuno Corporation, located at Mizuno As explained there, Mizuno Corporation, Mizuno USA, Inc. and all companies that manufacture Mizuno products observe the Code of Conduct established by the World Federation of the Sporting Goods Industry (WFSGI). Thank you again for your interest in Mizuno products.”

Montrail	Contact form
	email
Result: No Vegan options
Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has a search facility, but does not return results for ‘Vegan’.
Correspondence: “Thanks for the email and for your interest in Montrail shoes. The following shoes from our S13 and S14 line are vegan: Fluidflex, Fluidfeel, Fluidbalance, Fluidflex II, Fluidfeel II. Please let me know if I can assist you further!” “The shoes are completely vegan, including any glues or adhesives. This is something that we keep in mind when telling people whether a shoe is vegan or not.” “I was given incorrect information previously, I am so sorry. None of the footwear in any of our four brands is vegan.” “Thank you for the response. I do not have a specific list of ingredients and materials used in our footwear. If you would like, you can write into our corporate office to the footwear department and request a list of these materials used in the shoes, but I will tell you that lots of materials and ingredients are proprietary so I don’t know what they will come back and say. You are certainly welcome to write though. Here is the address: Columbia Sportswear, Footwear Department, 14375 NW Science Park Drive, Portland, OR 97229 Again, thanks for your feedback regarding our shoes. I will pass along your comments to the designers.”
Working conditions: “You are very welcome! You have some very valid questions and I have provided a link to the Social Corporate Responsibility section of our website. This details lots of the things you are asking about and it will be much better to explain that I could.”

Movmt	Contact form
	email
Result: Vegan options
Details: Vegan’ mentioned on site. Site has a search facility and returns results for ‘Vegan’.
Correspondence: “I checked with our manufacturing consultant just to be extra sure and he affirmed that all of our styles are Vegan with exception to this season leather Le Fronck’s in black and brown and the Jade II in beige leather.” “Yes, I have been affirmed by our manufacturing consultant that our adhesives do not have animal products.”
Working conditions: “As far as working conditions, we only work with factories that we have toured and approved in China. They all have 8 hour shifts and good, safe working conditions. We manufacture in China, Bali and in the US.” “Working conditions are fantastic in Bali. It is a friend of mine, Niluh who makes our BPX material and oversees our production there with all the women from their village. You can see our “factory” conditions in bali on our brand story mini doc Genesis“

New Balance	Contact form
	email
Result: Synthetic options, glue may be of animal origin
Details: Site has a search facility and returns results for ‘Vegan’ Site has a synthetic list
Correspondence: “Thank you for contacting New Balance Consumer Support and for your interest in our products! All of the following models are made with synthetic materials. However, please note that we do use different types of glues depending on what is available. Some of our glues will contain animal products as many glues do. Although the shoe may be made of synthetic leather it does not mean it will be completely vegan. Men’s Running & Outdoor: MO10, MT10, MT20, MR1123MC, M1540, M587NV, M1260, MR1012MC, M880, MR1080, MR940, MR860, MR840, MR817MC, MR890, MT461, MR580, MT626, MT814, MR1770, MT573, MT876, M1140, MR1400, MT101, MR770, MT910, M498WND, M690, M790, MR1190, MR870, MT915, M780, MR1906. Women’s Running & Outdoor: WO10, WT10, WT20, WR1012MC, W1540, W1260, WR860, WR890, W587WB, WR1080, WR817MC, WR840, WR940, WR1400, WT814, W1260, WR1140, WR880, WR580, WT573, WR1770, W498WND, WT876, WR870, WT626, WR650, WT915, W690, W790, WT101, WR1190, WR770, WT461, W780, WR1906. Men’s Cross Training: MX20, MX813, MX737, MX1011, MX1211, MX871, MX758. Women’s Cross Training: WX20, WX813, WX737, WX1011, WX1211, WX871, WX7535. Men’s Walking: MW01, MW10, MW846, MW812, MW660, MW615, MW850. Women’s Walking: WW01, WW10, WW846, WW812, WW660, WW860, WW615, WW855, WW875, WW800, WW850, WW1100, WW1442, WW1870, WW1615. Men’s Tennis: MC851, CT1004, MC900. Women’s Tennis: WCT1004, WC900”
Working conditions: “Please find the information concerning our manufacturing below: New Balance has long been committed to USA manufacturing, currently producing 7 million pairs or 25% of our product here in the States. We have been able to increase our domestic manufacturing jobs by 45% since 1995, and we have never had to lay off a domestic factory worker. We are extremely proud of our well-educated associates who embody some of the greatest working spirit and dedication of today’s industrial world. Through their hard work and commitment, we are able to continue to produce superior, width-sized athletic footwear in the United States. For your reference, I have provided below the link where you can find all of our current USA made product: Mens Womens Concerning the working conditions: We appreciate your concern about working conditions in the sportswear industry. We welcome this chance to share with you the full scope of our work to assure adequate working conditions in the factories that manufacture New Balance product. Our policies and practices are as follows: • The New Balance policy regarding freedom of association and collective bargaining. Upholding freedom of association in accordance with ILO Conventions 87 and 98 has been part of New Balance’s Supplier Code of Conduct since 2004. Maintaining this commitment presents challenges. New Balance has responded to this challenge by: 1. ensuring that supplier factory management respects freedom of association, and 2. intervening where factory management does not. In the absence of an effective union movement to represent workers in many of the countries where sportswear is manufactured, New Balance has compensated for this absence by developing communication structures between factory employees and management to assure that worker’ voices can be heard and their concerns addressed. • Use of Contract and/or Temporary Labor – New Balance strongly discourages the use of temporary and contract labor in our supply chain. Our policy is that if a job is permanent, then the worker who does the job should have a permanent contract. We allow temporary employment contracts in specific circumstances where seasonal fluctuations merit seeking temporary help with production. Before allowing supplier factories to hire temporary workers, however, we require that they clearly quantify how many temporary positions they need to create, elaborate the reasons behind the need and why it is unavoidable, and fix the length of the contract to no longer than necessary. We allow temporary contracts for no more than 6 months. Over the last five years we have withdrawn from a number of factories where we were unable to change such employment arrangements. • Living Wage – The issues of wages is another example of on-going work in supply chains. Our first task is to ensure that workers are paid all the legal wages and benefits required by law in each country. The second on-going task is to ensure that the wage additions for overtime are consistently and accurately paid. In the three years that we have been engaged with Play Fair at the Olympics, we have sought dialogue on this topic. Most recently, this past November New Balance, along with other brands, met with Play Fair in Indonesia for two days where we expected to discuss all topics from the Clearing the Hurdles website. Unfortunately, Play Fair’s agenda was too full for living wage to be addressed in even the most cursory of terms at the meeting. We would welcome engagement with Play Fair at the Olympics on this topic in the future. Please be assured that New Balance is concerned with all of the issues mentioned and continues to address them as part of our compliance program. It is easy to find the problems. Finding sustainable solutions continues to be more difficult. Our program is having a positive impact, and we are striving to always do better. Buyers from factories must keep pressure on factory management to adhere to local law and international standards. New Balance has, and will continue, to cooperate with other brands, non-governmental organizations, and governments to make better working conditions possible. In the meantime, if you’re interested, I would be more than happy to put you on our exclusive New Balance mailing list. This way, you’ll be the first to receive special deals and promotions (like free shipping and discounts) on our current products. If you’d like to start receiving these preferred deals, please just reply to this email and I will set you up right away. If you have any questions, please contact us via email or by phone at 800-622-1218.”

Newton Running	Contact form
	email
Result: All Vegan
Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has no search facility.
Correspondence: “Thanks for your message, and for your interest in Newton Running. So all of our shoe models are actually vegan. The materials we use in our shoe uppers are not animal based and whenever possible, we use recycled materials (there are several parts of our shoes which are recycled). As far as the rest of the shoe goes, our synthetic leather, adhesives, glue, and primer is all vegan friendly as well, so our shoes are not animal based at all. We try to do our own little bit to help minimize waste & exercise awareness to the environment. I hope this answers your question, and if you have any additional questions, please just let me know as I am always happy to help. Happy running”
Working conditions: “So Newton Running is a Boulder, CO based company – all the design, research, and wear testing is done here locally, but our shoes are produced overseas in our factory in Indonesia or our factory in China. As far as manufacturing goes- it would be our ideal situation to be a 100% American product but financially it just isn’t realistic right now. We will continue to explore the possibilities of our manufacturing here on American soil, should that become a financially viable option in the future. The people that work in our factory are all of working legal age. Actually the employees are considered partial owners in the factory. It is a highly sought after position to be a part of the factory where are shoes are made. I have attached a copy of our Human Rights Production Standards which applies to all Newton employees employed directly or indirectly. If you would like to get some more specific information regarding the specifics of our company policy or the working conditions, I would direct you to reach out to my colleague Anne Klein who is our Director of HR and is much more knowledgeable on the issues of labor, production, and sustainability. Her email address is anne@newtonrunning.com and she would be more than happy to help answer any additional questions you might have. In the meantime, please just let me know if you have any other questions that I can help with.” “NEWTON RUNNING HUMAN RIGHTS PRODUCTION STANDARDS The Newton Running Human Rights Production Standards reflect the relevant covenants of the International Labor Organization, input from human rights organizations and academia, and our own experience. In developing this policy, we sought to use standards that are fair, appropriate to diverse cultures and that encourage workers to take pride in their work. Non-Discrimination Newton Running will seek business partners who do not discriminate in hiring and employment practices, and who make decisions about hiring, salary, benefits, training opportunities, work assignments, advancement, discipline, termination and retirement solely on the basis of a person disability to do the job. Working Hours/Overtime Workers shall not be required to work more than 60 hours per week, including overtime, except in extraordinary circumstances. In countries where the maximum work week is less, such local standard shall apply. Workers shall be entitled to at least one day off in every seven-day period. Adherence to this Newton Running Standard is a sign that factory management efficiently organizes its production planning and workflow. No Forced Or Compulsory Labor No factory making Newton Running products shall use forced or other compulsory labor, including labor that is required as a means of political coercion or as punishment for holding or for peacefully expressing political views. Employers will maintain sufficient hiring and employment records to demonstrate and verify compliance with this provision. Newton Running will not purchase materials produced by any form of compulsory labor and will terminate business relationships with any sources found to utilize such labor. Fair Wages And Benefits Newton Running will seek business partners committed to the betterment of wage and benefit levels to the extent appropriate in light of national practices and conditions. Newton Running will not select business partners who pay less than the minimum wage required by applicable law or who pay less than the prevailing local industry wage. No Child Labor Newton Running seeks business partners who do not use child labor. The term “child” refers to a person who is younger than 15, or younger than the age for completing compulsory education in the country of manufacture, whichever is higher. Freedom Of Association Newton Running will seek business partners that share its commitment to the right of employees to establish and join organizations of their own choosing. Newton Running recognizes and respects the right of all employees to organize and bargain collectively. Non-Harassment Newton Running will seek business partners that treat their employees with respect and dignity. No worker will be subject to any physical, sexual, psychological, or verbal harassment or abuse. Safe And Healthy Work Environment Newton Running will seek business partners that strive to assure employees a safe and healthy workplace and that do not expose workers to hazardous conditions. Non-Retaliation Policy Factories must publicize and enforce a non-retaliation policy that permits factory workers to express their concerns about workplace conditions without fear of retribution or losing their jobs. Workers should be able to speak without fear directly to factory management or Newton Running representatives. Environmental Footprint Newton Running will work with our partner suppliers to promote positive environmental awareness and responsible practices.”

Nike	Contact form
	email
Result: Synthetic options, glue is of animal origin. Proceed with caution (read below)
Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has a search facility and returns results for ‘Vegan’. (Please note: these search results are incorrect! The search returns shoes containing leather!!!) “The word “Vegan” has been auto corrected to bring up the most similar product name, being “Mogan”. As you have seen, these are not Vegan shoes. Apologies for any confusion.”
Correspondence: “Unfortunately at this time we are unable to confirm that any of Nike’s products are free of animal by-products. The reason being due to the various glues and materials used in the manufacturing process. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.”
Working conditions: “Thank you for your email. I have provided you with the below link, outlining information about our workers/factories, hopefully this can answer some of your questions. manufacturing “

Patagonia	Contact form
	email
Result: Vegan options
Details: ‘Vegan’ mentioned on site. Site has a search facility and returns results for ‘Vegan’.
Correspondence: “Thank you for your email. For our Vegan friendly shoe collection, please go to Vegan section These shoes are made without any animal-by-products. Solvents are water based and uppers are synthetic or natural fibers. All the best!” “We do not use any animal based adhesives in our line, and that goes for all styles both Vegan and Non-Vegan options.”
Working conditions: “To find out what we’re doing to ensure that Patagonia products are produced under safe, fair, legal and humane working conditions throughout the supply chain – and some background on how we got to where we are today, please go to corporate responsibility When we develop a new product, we look worldwide to find factories with the skills and equipment to do a quality job and deliver on time at a competitive price, do the least environmental harm and treat workers fairly. We make products in factories in Jordan, Nicaragua, Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh, China, Thailand, Vietnam, Turkey, Mexico, Costa Rica, Colombia, El Salvador, Israel, the Philippines and the U.S. You can learn about our current suppliers at footprint We are an accredited member of the Fair Labor Association (FLA).”

Pearl Izumi	Contact form
	email
Result: All Vegan
Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has a search facility, but does not return results for ‘Vegan’
Correspondence: “All of our current shoes are 100% animal free.”
Working conditions: “DISCLOSURE STATEMENT TO THE CALIFORNIA TRANSPARENCY IN THE SUPPLY CHAIN ACT (SB 657) DASHAMERICA, INC. doing business as PEARL IZUMI USA, INC. is strongly committed to maintaining high compliance standards in its supply chain management through its Code of Conduct and Social Accountability Standards (“Code”). The Code aligns with the international audit standard for workers’ rights, workplace conditions and management systems created by Social Accountability International, commonly referred to as SA8000®. The Code ensures that best efforts are made to positively contribute to sustainable development by addressing social and environmental impacts and by aligning the internal business goals with external society goals, including a distinct prohibition to any form of human trafficking or slavery. • All manufacturers and suppliers are screened and verifications made to ensure they meet the high compliance standards required to produce our products. They are required to enter into formal written agreements, sign certifications of compliance for adherence to our stringent Code, Green Plan and Vendor Manual. The certifications also require that the manufacturers and suppliers do not engage in business with other parties who would violate the Code. • Pearl Izumi USA, Inc. maintains internal accountability standards and procedures for employees or contractors to meet the Code including routine screenings and audits, both announced and unannounced, by personnel and/or by third party vendors to ensure full compliance. In the event that non compliance is found, prompt action is taken to remedy or immediately terminate the relationship. • Pearl Izumi USA, Inc. provides its employees and management involved in the supply chain management with training on its Code to proactively mitigate risk in the production of its products. (SA8000® is a registered trademark of Social Accountability International and is used here with their permission. For more information please go to SA international )

Puma	Contact form
	email
Result: Synthetic options, glue may be of animal origin
Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has a search facility, but does not return results for ‘Vegan’.
Correspondence: “Thank you for contacting PUMA! Unfortunately we have no shoes which I can guarantee use no animal based products. Since many of our shoes are manufactured in the same warehouse, the may be cross contamination with animal based glues and adhesives. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to reply to this email.” “Thank you for choosing PUMA! Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee that any of our shoes are completely “Vegan”. Many of the adhesives and other parts of the shoes may contain animal products. We apologize for the inconvenience this may cause. If you have any additional questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us at any time. Thank you for shopping with PUMA.”
Working conditions: “There is a lot of information on the PUMA.com website. There are several different links that talk about our visions and fair practices and our animal products uses. Please check out Puma’s Standards for more information”

Reebok	Contact form
	email
Result: Vegan options
Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has no search facility.
Correspondence: “Thank you for contacting shop.reebok.com/US customer care. Reebok is transitioning all of our products to synthetic materials only. During our transition phase, any model may contain some animals products as our factories are using up existing materials. I am not able to provide a list of which shoes contain products. However, our new shoe models such as the ATV19 or CrossFit Nano 3.0 are made only with man-made materials. If you have any additional questions or concerns, we encourage you to contact us at 1-866-870-1743 from 8AM to 8PM EST Monday – Friday, or Saturday and Sunday from 11AM to 7PM EST, and a customer service representative would be happy to assist you further.”
Working conditions: Reebok are a part of the Adidas group. Our workplace standards

Salomon	Contact form
	email
Result: Synthetic options, glue may be of animal origin
Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has a search facility, but does not return results for ‘Vegan’.
Correspondence: “Thank you for contacting Salomon. Unfortunately, none of our shoes can be considered as 100% vegan friendly, because we have no exact information about the glue that is being used in our shoes. We apologize for the inconvenience, please contact us again if you have any other questions.” “We are sorry to hear you are disappointed, but as we produce our shoes in different factories and countries we are not 100% sure of which glue is being used. Also, we do not have a list of vegan friendly shoes, excepting the glue. If you tell us in which model or what kind of shoes you are interested in we can tell you whether or not we use animal products in them. We are sorry for the inconvenience, please contact us again if you have any other questions.” “We apologize for not being able to provide you with a list and we have transferred this request to the relevant department. As we produce our products in various factories we are not able to have a 100% control over the glue used. We want to be honest about this to our customers and if we use leather in our products it’s always mentioned on the product pages.”
Working conditions: “Please find our corporate responsibility policy on the link below. Hope this answers your questions, please contact us again if you have any other questions. Corporate responsibility

Sanuk	Contact form
	email
Result: Vegan options
Details: ‘Vegan’ mentioned on site. Site has a search facility and returns results for ‘Vegan’.
Correspondence: “We specialize in all Vegan and Vegetarian items. So in every item description where you see “Vegan/Vegetarian” you know that no animal products have been used!”
Working conditions: “Thank you for your email and for your inquiry on the country of manufacture of Sanuk product.  All Sanuk footwear is made in China.  As for working conditions, Deckers recognizes its responsibility to ensure that working conditions in the factories are fair and safe for workers. For more information on corporate responsibility, please visit Deckers corporate responsibility.”

Saucony	Contact form
	email
Result: Vegan options
Details: ‘Vegan’ mentioned on site. Site has a search facility and returns results for ‘Vegan’.
Correspondence: “Thank you for your inquiry. Please visit our website and type in Vegan. We appreciate your patronage.” “Thank you for your inquiry. Our shoes are made outside of the US and although we do oversee the factories making our shoes, the materials/dyes/adhesives are purchased from many different vendors. Therefore, we cannot guarantee that do not come in contact with any particular substance. The Vegan styles are the only line that is guaranteed not to be made with any type of animal products.”
Working conditions: “Our shoes are made in China, Vietnam and Indonesia. We are a division of Performance Life Group (PLG) and our company is owned by Wolverine. Please visit Wolverine “

Seavees	Contact form
	email
Result: Vegan options
Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has a search facility, but does not return results for ‘Vegan’.
Correspondence: “Thank you so much for your email! All canvas shoes are considered vegan including adhesives per our manufacturer. This includes our rubber soles. I hope this was helpful and answered all of your questions! Please let me know if I can be of assistance to you at all!”
Working conditions: “Brand Vision and Product Creation is all based in Santa Barbara, California. Because of the construction of the shoes they are manufactured in China. Vulcanized Footwear: the unique manufacturing process that results in a classic sneaker – has not been produced in the US since a bankrupt Converse closed down their factories in the late 90s. The industry doesn’t exist today in the US and left well before we established SeaVees in 2008. With that said, we have carefully selected our trusted manufacturing partner in China. We have a relationship with the owner’s family that spans well over a decade. A SeaVees owner / founder is in the factory for 2 weeks every 90-120 days observing their working conditions and ensuring our quality standards. We are highly passionate about the integrity of our products and are proud to make our shoes in our chosen factory – truly the best of its class”

Skechers	Contact form
	email
Result: Synthetic options, glue may be of animal origin
Details: Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has a search facility and returns results for ‘Vegan’.
Correspondence: “On our website if you look under brands, you can decipher which shoes are made with no leather materials: vegetarian shoes. Due to the process of our shoe manufacture, or so I am told by the Testing department, we cannot certify that adhesives used in the shoes are animal-derived or not. However, there are many shoes currently available like those featuring the Skech-knit construction that use little to no gluing in their manufacture. However, our Skechers GOwalk (especially 13595) contain no leather products, and are made with nearly no gluing in their construction, so they are the most likely to be completely vegan.”
Working conditions: “Thank you for contacting SKECHERS and advising us of your concerns. SKECHERS belongs to the Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America and, as such, adheres to their guidelines concerning responsible factory operation. Compliance with these guidelines is documented and monitored by announced and unannounced visits by inspectors. A copy of the FDRA recommended factory practices can easily be obtained by way of writing to the organization or internet search. You may visit their website fdra “

Superga	Contact form
	email
Result: Vegan options
Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has no search facility.
Correspondence: “pls note that our Classic styles, like the famous and icon one 2750 Classic is made with natural canvas and pure rubber. Eylets in alluminium, so we can say it’s totally “green”. Mostly the summer styles has upper in cotton, and construction is similar, however for winter seasons some shoes are in cow leather, Others in sinthetic PU. In our e-commerce web site the commercial description may help you on understanding the composition for each style.” “no animal glue at all. shoes are sticked through a vulcanization process.”
Working conditions: “The Local and international standard certifications are demanded to all producers of Superga products. As per the Made in, please note that it is indicated in every product bearing the Superga Trademark.”

Teva	Contact form
	email
Result: Vegan options
Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has no search facility.
Correspondence: “Thank you for your email. We do have a vegan product, our Pivot. This product is made free of any animal.”
Working conditions: Deckers corporate responsibility

Unstitched Utilities	Contact form
	email
Result: All Vegan
Details: ‘Vegan’ mentioned on site. Site has no search facility.
Correspondence: “Everything produced by Unstitched is made of animal-free products, including the glues and dye.”
Working conditions: “We have a friend who monitors our factories to make sure employees are treated fairly. Our products are currently made in China and Vietnam and no, we do not have fair trade accreditation.”

Vans	Contact form
	email
Result: Vegan options
Details: ‘Vegan’ mentioned on site. Site has a search facility and returns results for ‘Vegan’.
Correspondence: “Many styles within our Classic Collection are Vegan-Friendly. Here are some examples: Classic Authentic (Canvas Only) Classic Era (Canvas Only) Classic Slip-on (Canvas Only) Classic Zapato Del Barco (Canvas Only) Zapato Lo Pro (Canvas Only) Classic 106 Vulc (Canvas Only) KVD (Canvas Only) Custom Slip-on, Era & 106 Vulcanized (the Custom Old Skool is NOT vegan) Old Skool Vegan (only if it states Vegan) Sk8-Hi (True White colorway Only) Rowley 99’s – (Black/Synthetic Only) – Limited Edition We may have additional styles available that would be Vegan-Friendly. If you’re interested in a specific style not listed here, feel free to contact one of our Service Specialists. Also please note, we constantly refresh our styles & colorways, and unfortunately do not maintain any inventory for items from past seasons. If you see something you like we suggest buying it now since we can’t guarantee that we’ll have more in the future. Best Regards”
Working conditions: “Hello, Vans, a VF Company, has a world-wide program to monitor every supplier. VF performed over 1,200 factory inspections during the last year with our own team of inspectors, as well as with independent audit companies. It has been and will continue to be the Company’s policy to obey all applicable laws and to honor our obligations to society by being an economic, intellectual, and social asset to each community and nation in which the Company operates. We’ve manufactured Vans shoes outside the United States since the mid-90s. While our heart and soul (and designers) remain in Southern California, it’s necessary for us to use factories outside of the U.S. to provide our customers with the best possible materials at the best value. Vans, a Division of VF Corporation, is THE leading action sports lifestyle company. While some companies just jumped on the skate bandwagon, we’re the original skate shoe manufacturer since 1966. We stay connected to those who love Vans through action sports including skate, snowboarding, surfing, moto and BMX and through major events like the Vans Warped Tour and the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing. Vans operates more than 150 retail stores in the U.S. and Europe with many more on the horizon! We design, market, and distribute footwear, clothing and accessories as well as performance snowboard boots and outerwear. Southern California lifestyle has always been at the heart of Vans. Our corporate office, centrally located in Cypress, is just minutes from the shores of Huntington Beach and a couple of hours from the snow topped peaks of Big Bear and Mountain High. Our corporate office is home to many of our company’s major functions including: Merchandising, Marketing, Promotions and Events, Store Operations, Real Estate and Construction, Sourcing & Logistics, Business Planning, Buying, Design, Product Development and National Sales. We try to provide as much information as we can on our corporate website (www.vans.com). Best Regards, Vans Team”

Vasque	Contact form
	email
Result: No Vegan options
Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has a search facility, but does not return results for ‘Vegan’.
Correspondence: “All of the Red Wing boots/shoes use leather or some kind of animal product” (vasque is a red wing company)
Working conditions:

Vegetarian Shoes	Contact form
	email
Result: Vegan company
Correspondence: “We don’t use animal glue or by-products in making our shoes and the uppers are completely man made, but we cannot guarantee that they will not come into contact with machinery that has been used for non vegan shoes in the factories we use. Hope that helps and thanks for your interest.”
Working conditions: “All of our shoes are made within the EU (for example the UK, Spain and Portugal). The factories where our shoes are manufactured operate within EU employment laws, and all workers get paid a minimum wage, if not more. Working conditions are excellent and workers are entitled to join unions. It is our company practice that the shoes be as people-friendly, as well as animal-friendly as possible. Ethical Consumer has reviewed us in their shoe and walking boot guides, which you can find in the following links: Ethical consumer walking boots Ethical consumer shoes

Vibramfivefingers	Contact form
	email
Result: Vegan options
Details: Vegan’ mentioned on site. FAQ Site has no search facility.
Correspondence: “Vibram Fivefingers products which are marked as leather contain animal products. All others are 100% synthetic”
Working conditions: “Vibram produces products in both Vibram owned and contracted facilities. We expect that all laws and safety practices to be complied with from all our contracted partners. Vibram audits its supply chain according with our internal policy, on the other hand Vibram already started the process to certify its supply chain through third party agency.”

Victoria	Contact form
	email
Result: Vegan options
Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has a search facility, but does not return results for ‘Vegan’.
Correspondence: “Thank you very much for your interest in Victoria and for writing us. Most of our models are made without using animals in any part of the process. For instance, our most representative model, Victoria plimsoll, is made with 100% cotton and a rubber sole. However, we have some Winter models which contain natural leather.”
Working conditions: “Thank you for your interest. We are based in Spain (Europe) and we produce according to the European laws. However, we don’t have any fair trade accreditation.”

Vivobarefoot	Contact form
	email
Result: Vegan options
Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has a search facility and returns results for ‘Vegan’.
Correspondence: “Thank you for your email. I have passed your comments on to our head office. None of our shoes are made with animal derived glues or other materials (aside from leather on the leather shoes). Please see the list below for all the Vegan men’s shoes: Evo Lite, One, Stealth, Neo Train, Synth Hiker, Achilles, Ultra, Breatho, Freud (not black), Ra Canvas. I hope this helps and for any further assistance please do not hesitate to contact us.” “The ladies Vegan styles are as follows: JingJing, Nancy, Waterloo, One, Stealth, Neo Trail, Synth Hiker, Achilles, Ultra, Breatho. Kids Vegan Styles:- Neo Velcro (Mesh White/Navy + Mesh Navy/Sulphur only), Ultra, Waterloo, JingJing, Evo Lite. We hope this is of some help.” “We can confirm that no animals are used in the production of the shoes listed.”
Working conditions: “Our shoes are made in China. We are interested in making lightweight anatomically correct shoes from the minimum number of components and China is the best place to do that. All the component makers and advanced material suppliers are based in China and considering that most shoes contain 30 different components we minimize our production miles that way. We work directly with all our factories and they are independently audited to the highest international labour and environmental standards. We hope this is of some help.”

Walsh	Contact form
	email
Result: Vegan options
Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has a search facility, but does not return results for ‘Vegan’.
Correspondence: “I know that the performance range PB’s qualify as a ‘vegan’ shoe. The casual range use leather in some part of every shoe.”
Working conditions: “All the products for our current lines are made in Bolton Lancashire and the directors of the business work alongside the employees in the factory.  We believe we are the only British owned, designed and manufactured sports footwear remaining”

Wicked Hemp	Contact form
	email
Result: Vegan options
Details: ‘Vegan’ mentioned on site. Site has no search facility.
Correspondence: “Every style that we carry, except the Wicked Trek, are 100% vegan. We use recycled PVC or synthetic man made leather in lieu of real leather. All of our glues and adhesives are, also, vegan friendly. The Wicked Trek does have real leather detailing, but are made with the same glues as the rest of our entire line. Please let us know if you have any further questions.”
Working conditions: “All of our employees are treated and taken care of like family as we are a family owned and operated business. All of our footwear are made in independently owned factories located in China. They are fully unionized and all the wonderful people who make our shoes are treated exceptionally well. The owner and design manger for Wicked Hemp travel to China and inspect the factories prior to and during production to make sure they meet up to our high ethical and quality standards. We DO NOT and never will work with sweat shop type factories. We work under fair trade guidelines and hold them as high standards when travelling the world to find the hemp and other materials used in making our footwear to when inspecting the factories first hand and even our practices in our HQ in New Hampshire. We have looked into obtaining fair trade accreditation but have realized that all you are doing is paying money to obtain it. We found there are no inspections when you work with factories located in China with footwear, like there are when producing edible products. So, we take that responsibility upon ourselves and our high standards to ensure the people we employ to the people who make our shoes and even the janitor that cleans the facilities are treated properly from their pay, workers’ rights, to the conditions they work in. Please let us know if you have any other questions. Thank you and have a great day.”

Zoot	Contact form
	email
Result: All Vegan
Details: ‘Vegan’ does not appear to be mentioned on site. Site has no search facility.
Correspondence: “I can confirm that there are no animal parts in the cement used in Zoot Sports footwear or the footwear models themselves.”
Working conditions: “As part of K2 and Jarden, we have the strictest policies in place to protect the human rights of employees of the factories who manufacture Zoot Sports footwear. All of our footwear is made in China.”