RE: running shoes? - Adidas

[Guest guest]

> The Adidas store in SF's Westfield mall has Stella's line of athletic shoes, so you can least try them in person.

 

Whenever I think of Adidas, I think of kangaroo leather.

 

http://www.savethekangaroo.com/adidas/index.shtml

 

And SB 880, which would make it legal for the sale of kangaroo leather products. Yes, SB 880 would overturn a current California law that makes the sale of kangaroo leather products illegal.

 

Tammy

 

 

[Guest guest]

Everyone has their own approach to consumer activism, but my feeling

is that boycotting Adidas's vegan line because they sell kangaroo

leather is a mistake. If Adidas's vegan line is successful and

profitable, they'll be more inclined to shift their product line in

that direction, or at the very least, they'll continue carrying vegan

products. Every item in Stella's line carries a tag that says

" suitable for vegetarians " which I think is a brilliant and subtle

way to get the word out.

 

Another thing to consider: this thread had other recommendations of

places to buy vegan shoes from companies that also sell cow leather

shoes. If you're willing to buy vegan shoes from a company that

profits from cow leather, it's not much different to buy vegan shoes

from a company that profits from kangaroo leather. Similarly, many of

us have no problem with eating vegan food at restaurants that serve

meat, or buying produce from supermarkets that sell meat.

 

Stella McCartney is the only high fashion vegan designer right now,

and one of the main things that the vegan movement is suffering from

is a complete disconnect from popular culture and fashion. Veganism

just isn't sexy or exciting to the vast majority of people - it's

viewed as a difficult, prudish lifestyle choice, on par with being

Amish. We should support our designers rather than finding fault with

their marketing channels, and hope that other designers will be

inspired to follow her success.

 

(Note - I have no affiliation with Stella McCartney or Adidas.)

 

On Jul 14, 2007, at 9:09 AM, Tammy, BAVeg wrote:

 

>

> > The Adidas store in SF's Westfield mall has Stella's line of

> athletic shoes, so you can least try them in person.

>

> Whenever I think of Adidas, I think of kangaroo leather.

>

> http://www.savethekangaroo.com/adidas/index.shtml

>

[Guest guest]

Oh, since I brought up the point about Adidas, I will add that I don’t disagree with what Steve said. This is definitely not a black/white issue. For example, I saw on another list that someone said Adidas has spent half a million dollars in supporting this legislation. Does that make Adidas more culpable than another leather-selling company that is profiting from selling kangaroo or leather shoes, but wasn't actively involved (or a leader) in the anti-kangaroo legislation? I think the situation of whether to buy vegan shoes at Adidas is similar to when Burger King introduced the BK Veggie Burger and there was controversy over whether the veg community supported it or not .... Personally, I feel it's not the veg community that will bring vegan products mainstream. We are, really, a small community. In my opinion, the really important and ultimately deciding factor is whether these vegan products have sufficient cross-over appeal to the mainstream. I know some feel products should be explicitly labelled as vegan so it makes vegan a more 'mainstream' concept but does that backfire and alienate the general (non-vegan) consumer.

What is good is just to have information and to be able to make informed choices. So for anyone who didn't know about Adidas and the kangaroo slaughter (motorcycles chase the kangaroos on land, and they're killed by people riding in helicopters), now you know.

It is really good to have local stores who carry vegan shoes and other vegan products, definitely! And there will be people who see the products, and like them and buy them -- not because they are vegan, but simply because it is a good product. And that is how a vegan product will succeed.Tammy

[Guest guest]

--- " Tammy, BAVeg " <t wrote:

> I think the situation of whether to buy vegan shoes

> at Adidas is similar to

> when Burger King introduced the BK Veggie Burger and

> there was controversy

> over whether the veg community supported it or not

 

Tammy,

 

Good points. Just a historical note about BK's

veggieburger. When they test-marketed it in 1993, one

of the (3?) locations was the BK in the University of

Buffalo, where I was a grad. We, the vegetarians

(mostly Indians, actually) made it a point to go there

for lunch everyday for the veggieburger. It used to be

sold out by the afternoon almost every day. At the

culmination of the test period, the manager remarked

that it was a rousing success, and that influenced

their decision.

Today, I'm glad they have a veggieburger. When I'm

travelling, I know I can hit the BK veggie for a quick

bite ( " misunderstandings " at too many other fastfood

places have made me wary of the others).

 

Your point that a product can't succeed on the basis

of being vegan alone is very valid. However, we (the

veg*ans) can help new products by creating a little

demand and giving good feedback. Sometimes this

initial push is what helps products and ideas

succeed.

 

Ajay