The long-awaited, first-ever vegan UGG boots have launched in a collaboration between UGG and New York–based clothing label, Collina Strada.
UGG has partnered with fashion label Collina Strada to release its first-ever collection of vegan-friendly boots, marking a significant step for the early-2000s fashion icon, known for its once-ubiquitous sheepskin footwear.
The new line of vegan UGG footwear features bright, bold designs in its classic boot shape and across a range of more contemporary styles.Unlike the brand’s previous lines, these vegan shoes incorporate materials like sugarcane, TENCEL, and recycled polyester microfibre, steering clear of animal products.
Surprisingly, UGG kept quiet about the vegan aspect of this collection, focusing instead on the collaboration’s creative prints, ruffles, and vibrant patterns. Collina Strada, however, highlights the shoes’ vegan credentials on its website, emphasising the eco-friendly production and low carbon footprint of the footwear.
PETA’s push for vegan UGGS
PETA has been a key player in pushing UGG towards cruelty-free alternatives. The animal rights group has been advocating for years, with campaigns that included buying shares in UGG’s parent company, a heartfelt plea from PETA Honorary Director Pamela Anderson, and more than 30,000 emails from PETA’s members and supporters pressuring them to adopt vegan-friendly materials.
PETA’s efforts are now starting to pay off, as PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman describes the launch as a “step in the right direction”. She adds that the new vegan UGGs will “help spare gentle sheep being pinned down and often cut and hit so that humans can steal the wool that belongs to them”.
While celebrating the victory, PETA also urges that UGG should “give wool the boot by making all its footwear animal-friendly.
Expanding vegan footwear options
The vegan UGG shoes are part of a larger movement towards sustainable and cruelty-free fashion. The days of plastic-based leather alternatives and flimsy canvas shoes are over. Instead, vegan shoes made from materials like pineapple leather, mushroom leather, and apple fibres are increasingly popular.
Adidas, Reebok, and Gucci are among the brands which have added vegan-friendly designs to their ranges in recent years.Meanwhile, some brands, including LOCI and Blowfish Malibu, offer fully vegan collections with a focus on eco-friendly, sustainable materials.
Original source: https://www.veganfoodandliving.com
