Veganism and footwear - new insights into a growing market.
Doc Martens Vegan Shoes. Image: Alex Sherlock, 2024.
Veganism is a movement which continues to grow in significance within the marketplace. It is defined by the Vegan Society as “a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude—as far as is possible and practicable—all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of animals, humans and the environment.”
From this definition, veganism extends beyond diet and food choices, yet very little research has been undertaken to study how adopting a vegan lifestyle affects consumers’ engagement with fashion.
As a vegan for over 14 years, I have observed that the vegan community has a tense and fragmented relationship with fashion. While vegan food guidelines remain clear, clothing choices continue to be fraught with confusion and compromise. That's when I decided to approach RMIT University and apply for a PhD program, which I commenced in 2019.
My recently published research thesis, titled “I feel complete when I’m wearing my vegan boots” - The impacts of veganism on fashion use and consumption through new social movement theory: a consumer culture investigation, investigates the nature of this relationship. As the title suggests, footwear emerged as a key topic.
The research initially engaged with online vegan communities in Australia. Data was collected on how community members spoke of fashion products, including shoes, as well as materials of animal origin like leather. This was followed by interviews with vegan consumers to gain a more in-depth understanding of how their veganism impacts the products they choose and wear.
With consumers increasingly becoming conscious of the ethics and environmental consequences of fashion and footwear, the research highlighted a number of findings that reveal persistent challenges.
The first is that a transition to a vegan lifestyle transforms and damages relationships with products one already owns. With most still making the transition during adolescence and adulthood (rather than being vegan from birth), a significant shift occurs in how materials of animal origin such as leather, which may have once seemed desirable, are understood and responded to. This happens either gradually, or when vegans absorb confronting or morally shocking information. This change in perception prompts them to either continue to use their products while finding them problematic, or dispose of them, which presents its own set of ethical challenges.
This dilemma was shared by participant Janet who felt a moral imperative not to donate products made with materials of animal origin:
“I feel like if I give them to a thrift shop, I’m promoting the use of them. It’s really complex, isn’t it? I don’t think I even realised that. It’s like, somebody else is going to use it without thinking. They’re going to buy a leather product. And I’ve been party to that by putting it out there in the marketplace. ”
The consumption of new products also becomes more difficult through one’s adoption of a vegan lifestyle. For many, finding vegan boots or shoes played an important part in helping vegans feel like they could partake in a variety of activities, which included items like boots for work or for hiking, dancing shoes, motorcycle boots, and professional footwear to be paired with corporate uniforms. However, the choice of new shoes for some of the more environmentally conscious consumers became challenging when they considered both animals and the environment; for some, the harm caused by second-hand leather shoes was preferable to the environmental impact of new vegan shoes that were made from fossil-fuel based materials.
This was illustrated by a Facebook community member who proposed that if one “[ignored] the harms that came from animal products, wool and leather lasts a long time. […] It seems that environmentally it’s better to go second hand and would be better still to go with these items that last for years and years. I get that it’s animal products and it’s gross, but sustainability wise I think it’s important to consider.”
Resolutions to this dilemma often came down to personal preference and degrees of psychological comfort in wearing materials of animal origin. Indeed, as Emma explained:
“If it’s second-hand, I don’t feel the same guilt. I would never buy leather boots new, but I probably would buy them second-hand because they’re already there.”
Like Emma, none of my research participants would consider purchasing new leather shoes, or new products containing materials of animal origin, with most preferring vegan products that aligned more with their ethics.
From a market perspective, my findings showed that vegan consumers expect additional ethical and environmental attributes from vegan products, including footwear, which affects how they choose new products.
In a book chapter I published in 2023, I highlighted the importance of and opportunities associated with enabling vegan consumption. This can be achieved by providing legitimacy for vegan consumers through the development of vegan products, particularly through the use of vegan labels and certifications on fashion products. For many of my research participants, encountering products with vegan labels became a source of joy and excitement, something not previously explored.
My research is in the process of publication and includes case studies on the branding of vegan cosmetics and the first vegan accessories brand, Matt & Nat. However, research into veganism and fashion, particularly footwear, remains limited. Vegan consumption represents a fascinating topic from a consumer perspective, but also from a business perspective, because there is so much left to understand about how the rise of veganism can impact and advance business strategy.
As the vegan market develops there are many opportunities for consumer culture researchers to work with industry to inform advances in the fashion and footwear sector. As I continue to study this topic, I welcome discussions, research projects or collaborations, particularly with businesses who are offering vegan products, or developing vegan sub-lines.
