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In ancestral cultures, man lived in harmony with the environment around him, as if they were two sides of the same coin. Since industrialization, however, humans have begun to exploit raw materials more and more, releasing harmful chemicals into the atmosphere and into the ground during production, to achieve their industrial goals.
Production soon skyrocketed with the consumption of large quantities of non-perishable materials such as plastic. Production waste was hidden underground or thrown into rivers and seas. The intensive production cycle has made our wonderful planet sick.
There are only a few years left to reduce the carbon footprint with which each individual impacts on environmental health and this is only possible by changing our habits and making them eco-sustainable.
The environmental issue was one of the key themes of 2020 and is reconfirmed as a priority even today, felt above all by young people who wonder what their future will be like if nature were to perish under the domination of man.
According to Albert Einstein "You cannot solve a problem with the same state of consciousness that created it. We need to learn to look at the world with new eyes”.
Here then is that the new generations do not want to stop shopping, buying fashionable and made in Italy products, but they want to do it responsibly.
The footwear sector has always been one of the most polluting in the world so we at ACBC wondered how we could continue to produce shoes but without polluting the environment. The solution came with vegan shoes.
Why are vegan shoes the right choice for those who want to be fashionable but make conscious purchases at the same time? Read on and you'll find out.
What are vegan shoes?
When it comes to organic vegan shoes, not many people have clear ideas about the product, that's why we want to explain what they are and how they are produced.
Many are skeptical because they think that vegan shoes, being made with vegetable or recycled materials, are more fragile than normal shoes. Some assume hippie shoes, and still, others think they are normal plastic shoes but only more expensive. Vegan shoes are none of these three things and if you ever thought something like that, it's a good reason to keep reading.
Vegan shoes are so-called because they are produced with materials that are not of animal origin. Inside them, you will therefore not find parts in leather or internal lining in wool.
What materials are used? All those eco-friendly and of plant origins such as algae, grapes, pineapple, BCI cotton, and many others.
But that is not all. We could not talk about vegan shoes produced with ecological materials but held together by chemical glues or containing animal parts. Just like the production materials, the adhesives and dyes are also specially chosen with all vegan criteria.
Don't be fooled by particularly cheap offers, they may try to sell you shoes made of faux leather that are not vegan. Only some of the materials are shown on the labels, but you will hardly be able to find out from a label which adhesives and dyes were used.
Our intent is to make you understand that vegan shoes are an extremely valid product that is designed and manufactured with innovative materials that give the shoe the necessary resistance to a long life but also the practicality of use.
Why are there only a few brands that produce vegan shoes with eco-sustainable materials?
The answer is very simple: because it is a complex process.
It is much faster and cheaper to produce the shoes with the methods that have been abused in recent decades than to study innovative materials and tie them together to create a revolutionary product.
How come you will find so many sellers of vegan shoes at very low prices? It may also be that they have chosen materials of plant origin, but if they have polluted the environment with the chemicals necessary for the assembly of the shoe, you are point-blank.
This is why you need to buy vegan shoes from trusted companies who explain the process by which they create their products.
At ACBC, we care about both animal health and nature. Not only do we use materials that have not caused pain to live beings, but we take care that the whole process is carried out in an ecological way, that is, with the least possible environmental impact.
We tell you right away that it is difficult. For the production of traditional shoes, large amounts of energy, water, raw materials are required, and enormous amounts of CO2 are emitted into the atmosphere and a lot of waste during production. Changing this procedure to make it less impacting on the environment is anything but simple and cheap.
That's why there are few brands that produce vegan shoes that are also eco-sustainable.
We are all part of the environment, even you. Choosing a shoe made with eco-sustainable materials and processes means making a gesture towards the whole environment and not just the animal world. As noble as it is to save animals from a bloody fate, this gesture makes little sense if you do not think about saving the entire ecosystem.
How vegan shoes are made
Does buying vegan shoes mean giving up the models you like best? Absolutely not, there are vegan shoes that resemble suede or leather but without using products of animal origin.
To produce materials that resemble those just mentioned in appearance, we use non-polluting synthetic fabrics.
For decades we have had to choose between the use of leather shoes or highly toxic plastic materials such as PVC. The vegan shoe industry wants to go beyond this choice and allow people to have cruelty-free products that are not polluting the environment at the same time. Therefore, alternative materials have been found thanks to the processing of what is already found in nature or deriving from recycling.
Vegan leathers, for example, are made with biodegradable vegetable fiber materials. The suede, on the other hand, is obtained with a recycled imitation leather composed of PET plastic obtained from the recycling of bottle caps. The vegan leather used for the soles, on the other hand, is obtained thanks to a sole made up of recycled cardboard and resin insoles.
As you can see, it is not necessary to give up a classy shoe that is also beautiful to look at. The trick lies in the quality of the innovative materials used to produce it which are breathable and antibacterial, posing no threat to the health of the feet.
Following the same principle developed for the materials, even the glues are vegan. The ones we use for the production of our vegan shoes made in Italy are not based on animal collagens.
How to recognize a true vegan shoe from one that isn’t
Now we come to one of the most difficult circumstances for vegan products lovers. We have already anticipated that many merchants are trying to make their way into today's market by pretending to be vegan shoes that are not eco-friendly. These industries rely on the consumer not being fully acquainted with the product they intend to buy, but this is where they are wrong.
People are becoming more and more informed before buying a new pair of shoes and we want to help raise awareness of the population so that they can make truly conscious purchases.
To recognize true vegan shoes, we start by exclusion. Usually, companies that produce genuine leather shoes are keen to let customers know, by stamping the “real leather” brand directly on the material or writing it on the packaging. With this simple foresight, you can eliminate most of the products on the market.
However, the real difficulty remains to distinguish a plastic shoe or a fake vegan shoe from a 100% eco-sustainable one.
The vegan shoe is very often recognized thanks to the same principle thanks to which animal skin shoes are recognized, that is, through symbols. Today consumers are looking for vegan shoes and the brands that produce them are keen to give them visibility, which is why they insert vegan symbols on the shoe or on the packaging.
Products with these symbols are certified, i.e. they have been made according to criteria that certify that product as a vegan.
You will surely have seen the symbol of VeganOK, the most widespread vegan certification in Europe, on various commonly used products. Like this there are many others and if you find one of their symbols you will know that you are buying a product that is not only vegan but also eco-sustainable.
Some brands use other symbols, such as a net or a diamond, which demonstrate the use of man-made materials, therefore not of animal origin.
Why are vegan shoes made in Italy the best?
Italy has always stood out in the world for the production of handcrafted items created with refined materials and finished with attention to detail. Made in Italy is a guarantee of quality, safety, and reliability. As well as fashionable.
However, it is not difficult to imagine why so many people opt for the products of multinationals: they are cheap.
So many are pushing towards the eco-sustainable world looking for cheap vegan shoes (meaning by economic an expense of € 15- € 20). The truth is that it is not possible to buy a product of this type for a few euros, precisely because of their characteristic of being artisanal.
A made in Italy shoe is a product made by hand by experts who have studied every single detail and finish.
Now you may be wondering if it is worth spending a little more on vegan shoes made in Italy. The answer is yes.
Their cost is related to the value of each individual product, and it is not even that high if you think you are holding a sturdy, comfortable and fashionable shoe.
Not many Italian brands produce vegan shoes, hence the exclusivity. However, their price is perfectly competitive with the non-vegan shoes of the multinationals.
Italian fashion has always been synonymous with refinement and elegance all over the world. This is why so many consumers spend the same amount on an Italian niche product of which they know the materials and production process than a more famous international brand that does not have the same certification.
On the other hand, all Italian fashion in recent years has been moving towards more sustainable choices in accordance with the greater attention to the global climate situation.
Conclusion
The planet needs your help. Making sustainable choices does not mean giving up shopping or elegance, but simply buying consciously.
We, at ACBC, take advantage of technological innovation to find more and more eco-friendly materials and design shoes that are comfortable, functional, breathable, and also beautiful to look at.
The sustainable industry is making great strides, and new elements that we expertly combine in our vegan shoes are always being discovered. Forget all the rumors you've heard so far about eco-sustainable footwear and get ready to change the world with a product that all your friends will envy you.
Remember to pay attention to what you buy, inform yourself about the production cycle and the intrinsic values of the company. Now all you have to do is buy your next pair of vegan shoes.
Visit our online shop to discover all the models and colors we offer, designed for the environment and, above all, for you.