I know, I know... Faux leather is the 'humane option'. Real leather shoes, bags and everything else is the 'devil'.
But why is this?
Is it because you're vegan and are all about animal rights?
Or is it because you just like faux leather more?
Is it that you're an environmentalist and respect animals so you want them to live humanely?
Well, besides the fact that people have hunted animals since the dawn of time - for obvious, survival reasons - faux leather should be the real devil in this story.
Why?
Faux leather or PU is actually plastic.
Yup.
I'd be surprised if you didn't know that already.
And if you're aware of this, you should also know that plastic isn't biodegradable...it can literally take 500 years for a pair of PU shoes to disintegrate...but they probably won't become one with the Earth even then!
Doesn't that sound unnatural?
That's because it is.
+ your PU boots will never adjust to your foot shape, will tear and rip inside because of cheap craftsmanship hence lasting for only a season or two - if you're lucky.
Leather is soft, it's natural, it may disintegrate withing 50 years...and that's the environmentally friendly option.
Leather also won't hurt your feet as much as plastic will. Leather breathes while plastic doesn't. It's so much healthier for you.
+ your leather boots, if you take care of the properly, will adjust to your foot shape, become only more and more comfortable over time and will last for a very long time.
So when it comes to the debate about environment vs. animals - which side do you come down on?
The Reasons Why I Despise Faux Leather and Why All Environmentally-Conscious People Should
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1. "Well, besides the fact that people have hunted animals since the dawn of time" This fallacy is like saying "People have had slavery, war, rape since the dawn of time. I machinery, peace, and consent are the real devil in this story."
2. Real leather is not environmentally friendly. All the food and land to raise the animals, the emission and waste produced by the animals, the chemicals used in tanneries, and more.
"Currently, the most popular alternative to PVC for faux leather is polyurethane. Polyurethane, however, presents its own set of economic and environmental challenges. The chemistry behind it is complicated, which causes the price point to go up, and also creates a wider variation in quality and performance. From an environmental perspective, the main concern with polyurethane-based synthetic leather is that solvents are used. The production process involves painting polyurethane in liquid form onto a fabric backing. Making polyurethane into a liquid requires a solvent, and those can be highly toxic.
Ultimately then, what can give leather an environmental edge is its sustainability. PVC and polyurethane aren’t going to last nearly as long as leather and, as Dent points out, when synthetic leather does begin to wear out, it doesn’t wear out as attractively. “What constitutes ‘worn out’ in a leather is different from what constitutes ‘worn out’ in a polyurethane,”...
I don't like flux leather it peels and flakes to easy. after im older i plant to live on a homestead grow everything I need i plan to use solar for my power and a well for water and do plan to butcher animals im even going to learn to make leather and make shoe etc
IDGAF about animals OR the planet. I like leather for two of the reasons you mentioned: it forms to you and gets more comfortable with time, and it's durable. I have a pair of Carolina combat boots I bought in 1998, when I'd been in. mil just over a year. When I wear them now, it feels like I've got nothing on my feet. I have a pair of Whites steel toe work boots, and they are damn comfortable too, almost as good as the Carolinas. Much better than the Justins that I got the last time I got work boots. The Whites aren't good in the winter, though.
but I do wear faux leather to because it's cheaper, do you have any idea how much a real leather jacket cost? About 600 bucks that's a lot of money for a jacket.
But you don't need to worry about waiting for it to degrade, if you outgrow it give it to someone else to wear and they can wear it.
Or flat out incinerate it, turn it to ash then you don't need to worry about waiting for it to degrade because you did the job for nature.
So I do both, if I can buy real leather I do because I like it better, if I can't afford it I'll buy faux leather.
Cows exist only because we breed them. True, they were bred from far more formidable ancestors, but they are still a human creation that would not survive a week if set free. It is impossible to stop meat production overnight and at the same time expect cows to have a decent life. Now, a cow is probably not intelligent enough to perceive what a reasonably long life is; therefore, if we took care to kill it as painlessly as possible, I think we would be doing the ethically right thing. Since we are going to eat the cow anyway, what's the harm in using its skin to make gloves and shoes?
I suppose we can all get around that you shouldn't be using fur or leather from endangered animals, or animals used solely for their skin. However, we kill so many cows and pigs for meat, might as well use the leather for something too!
im not a fan of plastics but given the tanning process with leather i wonder which is really more damaging to produce? i dont know but i may look into it. on the face of it though this looks like the crazy notion its better to buy a brand new eco car than keep driving that old banger. personally i am veggie and do have one leather sofa and one fake... the key to me is that i bought both of them secondhand because its the disposible society that causes most enviromental damage
Using the leather of animals used to eat, like cows and goats, is not only good but also it should be encouraged because the animal is already used for meat, why not get the most out of that animal if you killed it anyway?
But I'm heavily against using leather of endangered species for the luxury of celebrities. The animals are hunted illegally only to sell their expensive skin in the leather market, which is very cruel. This has to be stopped.
I love wearing leather. Im not a big activist or anything but I have bought faux for the animal reasons, why? Well like you said, animals have been hunted down for survival reasons since the dawn of time. However in today's world, its for fashion, not survival. Besides, the clothes I purchased actually looks great and just as good as if it was leather. Either way, interesting take and you're right.
True... but you can just get shoes and a belt that works. They wouldn't be insanely expensive. And you can wear a coat, no leather. If you want a leather jacket, then your best bet is to look for huge discounts - you'll find it, probably in the Summer, and you'll be happy you did! Anything leather is really an investment, because it'll last for a long time and only get more comfortable as it ages.
I wonder if you'd be writing this if the only source of skin from leather came from humans. But thank God we're able to kill things that can't speak our language and can't complain. I love leather.
Most everything is made with plastic these days. I'd think that the fact that the slaughter of animals for their skins would be more beneficial than the relatively small amount of plastic used.
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