I'd like to advise caution to those donating or considering the purchase of used shoes.  As you wear shoes, they begin to mould to the shape of your foot.  Used shoes, because they have adapted to the foot of someone else, can be the cause of knee and back problems.  

I'm grateful for the discussion of material and options for care of the environmental, but beware the used shoe.  Buy your eco-friendly shoe, and wear it yourself until it falls apart!

There are lots of hemp shoes available - all kinds - sandals, hiking boots, flip flops, casual shoes - everything! I found several sites on the internet you can order direct. Hemp is the future. Hemp is the answer for so many things - not just shoes - we can run our cars and build our houses and do sooo many things with hemp. Put the word out there - hemp!

How about recycled materials shoes? I got my winter boots from Jade Planet. I found them on the Internet last year when I was facing this dilemma.

Umbra summed it up pretty well, but another aspect on the leather issue she didn't touch on is the pollution caused by the farming of the cows themselves. Cows and other livestock produce methane and other greenhouse gas emmissions, cause pollution from the runoff of their manure, and degrade wildlife habitat. Also consider the huge amounts of pollution that result from the production of all the corn needed to feed the livestock.  Livestock farmers make most of their profits from the meat industry, but the leather and wool industries also add significantly to their bottom line.  And let's not forget about the horrific way so many cows are treated on feedlots and in the slaughterhouse.  

So to me, it's a matter of:
Pleather: the materials used and production process cause pollution
Leather: the materials used and production process cause pollution AND animal suffering

Thus I think the better choice, if those are your only choices, is pleather.

But as Umbra pointed out, our choices are not just between leather and pleather.  There's all types of non-animal, eco-friendly materials that are being discovered by designers and we should be supporting their efforts.  Wasn't Ed Begley Junior spotted wearing shoes made from recycled tires lately?  That's the kind of creativity needed in the fashion world.  There's no reason to use environmentally harmful materials like vinyl or to kill cows when there's other materials we can be utilizing.  

If I may put in a plug for the friendly neighborhod cobbler...  You'd be surprised how many people don't even think about taking their shoes in for new soles, heels, etc instead of getting a new pair.  Besides the environmental benefits, you save some $$$ and stick with a nicely worn, comfortable pair of shoes.

Recycling traditional shoes doesn't make sense if your strictures prohibit leather and all its negative connotations or plastic/man-made material shoes that use petroleum products in their manufacture.  Hemp and natural fibre shoes are the only viable choice.  Personally, I don't want to wear sandals and runners all the time.  Even the eco-conscious have times when they dress up a la haute couture.  I'm working on designing more fashionable shoes with heels and some style.

I have an issue finding Vegan shoes for work shoes anyway. I wear a size 14US and where a suit from time to time. I need to know of a line of shoes that are vegan and fit my size foot ... comfort is needed but normal leather dress shoes kill my feet so it is not a total requirement.

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If you can find a decent pair of used shoes, then get them resoled to avoid back/knee problems.

Personally, I find it difficult to buy shoes that I like and that fit, even in regular stores, so I tend to buy good quality shoes and then resole them when they wear down.

Nothing has been kinder to my feet than leather so if anyone can find me a local (Sydney, Australia) store that sells an eco-friendlier alternative of the same comfort and quality, please post here. I don't really think air mail order is going to help the planet.

I have been vegetarian for 20+ years.  I am now vegan.  My dilemma is with leather Birkenstocks.  Two pair I have had for 10+ years.  The other 3 pair were gently used and given to me.  Do I keep all my leather shoes or donate them and buy vegan shoes?   I have a very hard time buying new things.  I know this seems silly, but I haven't been able to resolve this myself.  Any input?
Thanks.

In my humble (vegan for 4 years, veg for 10) opinion, keep the Birkies. Especially since you've had them for such a long time and Birkies are made to specifically form to your foot- I think it's better for the planet if you wear them 'till you can't wear them anymore. Then, when their time comes  invest in some animal-friendly footwear!

Leather makes for a better shoe than vinyl. Leather breathes naturally and your feet do not sweat as much as in the shoes made with artificial materials. Leather shoes don't gas-off like the vinyl shoes do. That gas can't be good for your body. Having worn both leather and vinyl shoes I feel that leather feels better and supports your legs and joints better.

As for the fear that cattle are being killed to support the shoe industry that does not happen. Cattle are killed for the meat and the leather is a by product. The farmer gets nothing for the hide of the animal. If the leather was not being used in shoes and other products it would be wasted. The butchery waste from the slaughtering of animals is used in many things. The blood and bones become blood and bone meal. This is used instead of chemical fertilizers to grow the organic vegetables that our vegan friends consume.

Man is an omnivore and meat is a natural part of our diet. A meatless diet is unnatural in human beings. I respect my vegan friend's right to choose to live their life as they see fit but don't try to take the moral high ground. There is nothing moral about denying ones nature. There is such a thing as the "Circle of Life" (even before Disney) we are a part of that circle which includes death. Everything on this planet lives off of some other form of life. Cattle consume only certain types of plants and we consume cattle.

Trying to live a sustainable life and farming organically in Ohio.

Dear Umbra,

What about how long the product lasts?  Do leather shoes last longer than vinyl or hemp or whatever?  Surely that should be a factor in considering which choice has more impact.

The discussion seems to be about the upper part of the shoes, without regard to different types of soles.  I'd like to know more about what to look for in that area too.    

In my personal opinion the best thing you can do to respect the lives that went into the making of your shoes is to continue wearing them and repairing them until it is absolutely impossible to do otherwise  or donate them to someone who will.

Sorry about my fragmented post (I tried to respond to the person with the birks but it posted at the bottom).  Any way my thoughts on the subject are that in view of the fact that leather can be produced in extremely environmentally friendly methods (contrary to apparent popular beliefs chrome tanning is not the only tanning technique used), lasts for literally a lifetime (my grandfather has had the same pair of leather boots and a leather belt for longer than my parents have been alive), and the fact that there is still few if any other products that can compare for quality of life provided by leather shoes (though hemp is pretty nice too).  I would say that the best method would be to contact a custom footwear maker (turtle island moccs does some great stuff) and pay the price for a truly one of a kind set of footwear that if made right and using full grain leathers (often you quite the set of options as to what kind and where from) you can keep them functioning for literally your entire adult life.

Kristofeichenlaub, even if leather is tanned in an environmentally friendly manner (and the reality is that very few leather materials are actually processed sustainably), how do you know if the cow was raised and killed in an environmentally friendly and humane manner? This is probably a more important issue than the tanning process. The livestock industry is probably more destructive to the environment overall than the tanning industry.  Currently there are no labels on leather that indicate how the cow was raised or killed so a consumer really has no idea if the cow was grass-fed or raised in humane conditions when they purchase leather.

Sycamore: "The farmer gets nothing for the hide of the animal."  This is absolutely not true.  Farmers would not trade in leather and other cattle by-products if these products did not bring them more profit.  The sale of leather makes the raising of cows more profitable, thus giving the farmer an incentive to raise even more cows.  How much cattle farmers make from the leather trade varies depending on the quality of the leather compared to the quality of the meat, but I've seen estimates ranging from 10%-50%.  

Also, most cows in the US are currently being fed corn.

Like you, I'm sort of stuck with leather. Either I'm allergic to pleather or I need a material that "breathes"; wearing any kind of "man-made materials" on my feet causes them to break out in a very disagreeable rash. I get round the issue of leather and animal welfare by buying classic styles (pumps and boots with moderate heels, clogs, oxfords, "ballet" slippers) that will be good for a number of years, and sticking to basic colors (black, red) that go with a lot of things. Then I wear them till they're falling apart, get them repaired, and go on wearing them. I stay away from extreme styles, no matter how "kicky" the salesperson tells me they are. Fortunately for me, I live in a part of the world (central California) where people tend to wear what they have and feel good in. I can't image having to clothe and shoe myself in a place like New York City.

One very good investment I've found is Ugg boots. They wear for ages if you get them a size larger than your regular shoe size (they're very soft sheepskin, so if you don't get them large enough, your toe eventually comes through the end). They're like going barefoot, only your feet are warm.

Dear amc89,
Maybe I should been more detailed in my explanation of the actual process by which the farmer or feed-lot operator sells the cattle. There are two ways cattle are sold. Cattle are either sold on the hoof, also known as live weight and on the rail which is the slaughter weight. The slaughter weight is determined after the cow has been killed and the hide and all non-edible parts have been removed. You have probably seen movies where sides of beef were hanging in a cold room. In either way the farmer has passed ownership of the cow long before the quality of the hide is determined. The trading of cow hides and other cattle by-products is not in the hands of farmers. The last time the farmer sees his cattle is as it goes through the sale ring at the local stock yard.
Your information on the leather trade and hide value is not really important to the farmer because he has no direct connection to the after slaughter product processing.