Guest guest Posted July 9, 2004 Report Share Posted July 9, 2004 Hello Cynthia, I'm new too, so here goes.... I use New Balance running shoes because they are recommended by Ethical Wares ( a vegan mail order company in the UK), so until I received your e-mail I had assumed that they were 100% vegan. In the edition of 'the vegan shopper' that I currently have, it states that unless they are a specialist manufacturer (such as Vegetarian Shoes), none of the high street manufacturers will guarantee the glue used is fully synthetic. The same with Levis jeans; they are animal free but one of their suppliers may occasionally use products containing animal fat as a lubricant. Unfortunately there are no easy answers. You either have to try to source adequate shoes from a specialist, or use New Balance as the best alternative and perhaps lobby the company to remove all animal by-products? I wouldn't feel too guilty about buying NB. After all, how many people think about the manufacturing process and the products used when they buy a t-shirt, or socks etc., and there is only a small chance that the products contain some animal ingredient, and by buying the synthetic product you've demonstrated that the demand for animal free is there and hopefully manufacturers will take notice. Hope this helps? Adrian Cynthia Gadarian <cgadarian wrote: Hi- I am new to this group but have been on other vegan chat lists before. I signed off one particularly hostile list, so I am hoping that the question I am going to ask now does not start a hostile discussion. I would like your ideas, I truly would. I will try to present my thoughts in an organized fashion. 1. I have always worn New Balance Walking shoes. They are the only ones that have supported my orthotics, my heavy weight, my leg pain, etc.. For this reason, I love them. 2. I have tried many other shoes: Easy Spirit, Rockport, etc. None are comfortable. My foot is extra wide: EE. 3. New Balance, at my inquiry, sent me a rather ambiguous email telling me which of their shoes were animal-free. However, I will insert here what New Balance said about the glue in the shoes: "ALL of the following models are made with synthetic materials.However. please note that we do use different types of gluesdepending on what is available. Also be aware that some of ourglues will contain animal products as many glues do. Even thoughthe shoe contains all synthetic leather does not mean it willbe completely vegan. We do not mix real and synthetic leatherson any shoe. It is either leather or synthetic period." 4. This means to me that there would be absolutely no way of knowing if the shoes were vegan or not. They might have animal-free glue, or they might not, but I would have no way of knowing. I am trying to do this right. This threw me for a loop, however. My question: Would you wear the shoes? Why or why not? <I am somewhat sure what I am going to do, but I would like to hear your ideas> Thanks very much.C. Gadarian To send an email to - ALL-NEW Messenger - sooooo many all-new ways to express yourself Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 9, 2004 Report Share Posted July 9, 2004 Hiya Cynthia, big dilemma don't waste your money. wear the shoes till they wear out then source another brand of vegan if possible I have a pair of leather shoes I got 5 years ago I wear only at work I became vegan a little over 3 years ago I told myself I would throw them out when they wore out, that will be soon the shoes cost me over $200. when I bough them so I guess the money can be an issue. hope this helps all the best and welcome to the group Craig Hi- I am new to this group but have been on other vegan chat lists before. I signed off one particularly hostile list, so I am hoping that the question I am going to ask now does not start a hostile discussion. I would like your ideas, I truly would. I will try to present my thoughts in an organized fashion. 1. I have always worn New Balance Walking shoes. They are the only ones that have supported my orthotics, my heavy weight, my leg pain, etc.. For this reason, I love them. 2. I have tried many other shoes: Easy Spirit, Rockport, etc. None are comfortable. My foot is extra wide: EE. 3. New Balance, at my inquiry, sent me a rather ambiguous email telling me which of their shoes were animal-free. However, I will insert here what New Balance said about the glue in the shoes: "ALL of the following models are made with synthetic materials.However. please note that we do use different types of gluesdepending on what is available. Also be aware that some of ourglues will contain animal products as many glues do. Even thoughthe shoe contains all synthetic leather does not mean it willbe completely vegan. We do not mix real and synthetic leatherson any shoe. It is either leather or synthetic period." 4. This means to me that there would be absolutely no way of knowing if the shoes were vegan or not. They might have animal-free glue, or they might not, but I would have no way of knowing. I am trying to do this right. This threw me for a loop, however. My question: Would you wear the shoes? Why or why not? <I am somewhat sure what I am going to do, but I would like to hear your ideas> Thanks very much.C. Gadarian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 10, 2004 Report Share Posted July 10, 2004 Thanks a lot, Craig. It is really nice to be on a list where people present their ideas with reasons as well. This really clarifies things for me. Cynthia - Craig Dearth Friday, July 09, 2004 6:49 PM Advice, please Hiya Cynthia, big dilemma don't waste your money. wear the shoes till they wear out then source another brand of vegan if possible I have a pair of leather shoes I got 5 years ago I wear only at work I became vegan a little over 3 years ago I told myself I would throw them out when they wore out, that will be soon the shoes cost me over $200. when I bough them so I guess the money can be an issue. hope this helps all the best and welcome to the group Craig Hi- I am new to this group but have been on other vegan chat lists before. I signed off one particularly hostile list, so I am hoping that the question I am going to ask now does not start a hostile discussion. I would like your ideas, I truly would. I will try to present my thoughts in an organized fashion. 1. I have always worn New Balance Walking shoes. They are the only ones that have supported my orthotics, my heavy weight, my leg pain, etc.. For this reason, I love them. 2. I have tried many other shoes: Easy Spirit, Rockport, etc. None are comfortable. My foot is extra wide: EE. 3. New Balance, at my inquiry, sent me a rather ambiguous email telling me which of their shoes were animal-free. However, I will insert here what New Balance said about the glue in the shoes: "ALL of the following models are made with synthetic materials.However. please note that we do use different types of gluesdepending on what is available. Also be aware that some of ourglues will contain animal products as many glues do. Even thoughthe shoe contains all synthetic leather does not mean it willbe completely vegan. We do not mix real and synthetic leatherson any shoe. It is either leather or synthetic period." 4. This means to me that there would be absolutely no way of knowing if the shoes were vegan or not. They might have animal-free glue, or they might not, but I would have no way of knowing. I am trying to do this right. This threw me for a loop, however. My question: Would you wear the shoes? Why or why not? <I am somewhat sure what I am going to do, but I would like to hear your ideas> Thanks very much.C. Gadarian To send an email to - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 10, 2004 Report Share Posted July 10, 2004 Hi Cynthia - I would wear them. The world is an imperfect place, within which perfection is impossible, however much we might like it to be otherwise.... Gaije On Fri, 9 Jul 2004 10:39pm, Cynthia Gadarian wrote: > LeavesThanks a lot, Craig. It is really nice to be on a list where > people present their ideas with reasons as well. This really clarifies > things for me. Cynthia > - > Craig Dearth > > Friday, July 09, 2004 6:49 PM > Advice, please > > > Hiya Cynthia, > big dilemma don't waste your money. > wear the shoes till they wear out > then source another brand of vegan if possible > I have a pair of leather shoes I got 5 years ago I wear only at work > I became vegan a little over 3 years ago > I told myself I would throw them out when they wore out, that will be > soon > the shoes cost me over $200. when I bough them so I guess the money > can be an issue. > hope this helps > all the best and welcome to the group > Craig > > > > Hi- > > I am new to this group but have been on other vegan chat lists > before. I signed off one particularly hostile list, so I am hoping > that the question I am going to ask now does not start a hostile > discussion. I would like your ideas, I truly would. I will try to > present my thoughts in an organized fashion. > > 1. I have always worn New Balance Walking shoes. They are the only > ones that have supported my orthotics, my heavy weight, my leg pain, > etc.. For this reason, I love them. > > 2. I have tried many other shoes: Easy Spirit, Rockport, etc. None > are comfortable. My foot is extra wide: EE. > > 3. New Balance, at my inquiry, sent me a rather ambiguous email > telling me which of their shoes were animal-free. However, I will > insert here what New Balance said about the glue in the shoes: > > " 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. Also be aware that some of our > glues will contain animal products as many glues do. Even though > the shoe contains all synthetic leather does not mean it will > be completely vegan. We do not mix real and synthetic leathers > on any shoe. It is either leather or synthetic period. " > > 4. This means to me that there would be absolutely no way of knowing > if the shoes were vegan or not. They might have animal-free glue, or > they might not, but I would have no way of knowing. I am trying to do > this right. This threw me for a loop, however. > > My question: Would you wear the shoes? Why or why not? > > <I am somewhat sure what I am going to do, but I would like to hear > your ideas> > > Thanks very much. > > C. Gadarian > > > > > > To send an email to > - > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 11, 2004 Report Share Posted July 11, 2004 Hi Cybthia Welcome. I would use the shoes until they wear out. I also have problems with shoes because I have such wide feet. I have found a couple of pairs of court shoes for best from Total Liberation which I can wear for two or three hours without getting uncomfortable, but I want some tie-ups or black trainers to wear with trousers, and I'm having a job to find any. Jo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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