leather boys

[Guest guest]

leather ...

 

 

I am pretty much stuck with leather shoes until someone makes vegan shoes that

are foot shaped rather than vegan shoes that make vegan feet shoe shaped.

 

Too many years wearing Birkenstocks, I have nice straight big toes that dont fit

into pointing shoes any more - even Doc Marten like ones. It is torture.

 

Have written to manufacturers and retailers with no joy. Even had mails of

sympathy and empathy back ... but not found any yet.

 

I still keep two old leather jackets from my biker days, one is more than 20

year old gets dug out when it is really cold as it is all I have for winter and

cash has been tight. The other is kept until I really need the money because it

is worth a bit. Kind of a savings account. I would guess the karma has been paid

off long ago. Probably falling off push bikes unprotected ... I also use a

recycled army belt that is probably 50 years old. They have meant that I have

not need to use up more new material and create pollution etc ... it is all a

balance between what is perceived as " veganism " and the environment. I have

limited myself to one pair of leather shoe and chose a pair pretty much hand

made and rebuildable, from naturally tanned leather.

 

In the archive, this list has going through the leather / environment / ethics

debate before ... we should write a FAQs about it. Personally, I am pro the

recycling of any materials and functional practices and dead animal skins would

always be around. Of course, I am entirely anti the commercialisation and

fashion element.

 

Again I note that in India you can buy " Brahmin leather " and goods from it

made from natural dead holy cows. Of course, you can criticise animal husbandry

out there but it is a cool concept. It did not feel right when I realised that

the soft leather they use for shoes, especially the inners or liners is called "

crate leather " or something ... yes, I know that in the West leather is all

part of the meat economy.

 

In the archives, we have also been through the animal first veganists versus the

environment first vegan thing. [ Most vegan gardens having a Fatwa against slugs

]. Sure, I started into this lifestyle out of blind compassion but I guess I put

the environment first because without it, there is nothing but cockroaches and

they are already pretty liberated - as any New Yorker would tell you. Some

animals can be just as dumb or hurtful as human beings on an individual level

.... albeit not collectively.

 

All good stuff to consider though.

 

John

 

Anyone read or seen a copy of William Kotzwinkle's Doctor Rat? Know if it is

still in print? a kind of " Animal Farm " for the anti-vivisection generation.