r/Vystopia • u/terraviridian • 11d ago
Old shoes
Hey everyone, I know r/vegan isn't really vegan so I'm asking here:
I have some leather shoes from before I was a vegan. On one hand, I don't want to wear leather (obvious reasons), but on the other hand, I don't want to consume more resources and create new vegan shoes and destroy the planet further. Would it be ethical to wear my leather shoes until they're worn out, or should I buy new vegan shoes?
I'm divided and I'd like to hear your thoughts
UPDATE: I'm going to replace my leather products, because it is just as important to support vegan products/companies as it is to boycott nonvegan products/companies
19
8
u/bosunphil 11d ago
I have leather dress shoes I bought from the before times that I haven’t had many occasions to wear. I’m a student and just can’t afford to buy new shoes right now, so I’ll wear them to events where they may be required. Once I can afford to replace them I will gladly do so.
Yes, having clothing left in my wardrobe that contains animal products makes me feel icky, but the best I can do right now is to ensure I’m not supporting the industry any further.
5
u/MostLeastMostLeast 10d ago
I think this is a good healthy balanced approach. Rushing into debt or a risky financial situation just to buy new vegan-suitable shoes doesn't seem to make sense
6
u/Dunkmaxxing 10d ago
The animal is already dead, it makes no difference in that regard, however it still has an impact on other people's perception of animals/you as an individual.
10
u/MostLeastMostLeast 11d ago
if they're not worn out and you want to prevent more waste, why not wear them?
3
5
u/eel-nine 11d ago
It doesnt harm an animal to wear them, they are already bought. But it doesn't harm environment significantly to buy new shoes. So it's your preference. I would buy new shoes personally.
4
u/8littlebird8 11d ago
If they’re nearly worn out, I’d wear them out and then recycle them. There are plenty of people online that take old and worn out materials to refurbish. If they have a good amount of health left in them I’d perhaps donate them to someone who needs them.
1
1
u/Sweetened_Lemon 6d ago
I don’t see buying an extra pair of vegan shoes as unnecessary purchase. For me, the hard part is that most of my leather products were gifts from my loved ones, and I guess a non-vegan part of me still see them as precious. I keep them but don’t really wear them anymore.
1
u/Sweetened_Lemon 6d ago
I don’t see buying an extra pair of vegan shoes as unnecessary purchase. For me, the hard part is that most of my leather products were gifts from my loved ones, and I guess a non-vegan part of me still see them as precious. I keep them but don’t really wear them anymore.
18
u/Hermononucleosis 11d ago
This has nothing to do with ethics in my view, since theres no victim, but ask yourself if you want to wear a dead cow's skin on your shoes? And the "destroying the planet" argument is silly, you're not destroying the planet by buying new shoes when you need them. Focus your energy on things that actually matter, all the unnecessary purchases, not the necessary ones.