Here at NAE, we use a tight selection of hand-picked, sustainable materials to create our vegan shoes. One fabric we always find ourselves coming back to is our microfibre leather, which is both 100% vegan and eco friendly. This strong, long-lasting, and circular material is one of our favourites for a reason, and we're excited to tell you all about it.
What is Vegan Leather?
Vegan leather is a term which can often be broad, and refer to a number of different things, generally describing any leather alternative that is made without animal exploitation. But in our case, we use the term to refer to something called Eco Microfibre, a vegan fabric that has the feel, look, and most importantly durability of animal leather, without any of the grisly connotations. The material uses a special coating to give a leather-style appearance and feel to recycled polyester, rescuing synthetic fibres that would otherwise have gone directly to landfill or the water system. The polyester allows for breathability and durability, and is sturdily reinforced by the coating. We believe that recycling is always the best course of action when there is waste fibres lying around, as this allows us to extend the amount of time we can spend with the materials instead of consigning them to the ocean or earth forever.
Why do we Use Vegan Leather?
We use vegan leather because it's a great material to work with. It's sustainable, stylish, and versatile, providing leather-like finishes ranging from suede to patent, and anything in between. This allows us to create an incredibly diverse array of shoe styles from the material; casual to formal, women and men's vegan shoes, and a wide selection of colours.
We chose this specific kind of vegan leather because it's eco. It's certified by OEKO-TEX Standard 100, which ensures no harmful chemicals are used in its creation, and therefore, the finished product. This guarantees that our vegan leather does not contain any Chromium 6, one of animal leather's most harmful chemicals. The material is highly resistant and durable, which makes it perfect for shoes, the one piece of clothing that takes the highest level of regular, heavy usage in daily life.
What do we Make from Vegan Leather?
We create a wide range of shoes from vegan leather, but today we're going to highlight a few products that show the versatility and quality of our eco-microfibre leather fabric.
Tango
The Tango Brown is a stylish penny loafer for men. Famed for it’s pleasing vegan leather strap across the front, the penny loafer is a popular stylistic choice for this kind of shoe. The soft suede finish is comfortable to the touch, and looks incredible. The sole is also designed with a great grip, and can last for many years. The Tango is where smartness meets comfort, perfect for wearing at home, or to formal events. Bring on the vegan champagne!
Fresia
Fresia is the minimalist, low heel vegan ballerina flat from the new Blooming collection. Professional and elegant, these comfortable shoes will allow you to make a splash at work while keeping practicality at the forefront of your mind. They’re easy to slip on and off, have a lowkey but attractive design, and are ideal for any semi-formal setting. The vegan suede provides a soft feel and appearance, while maintaining its quality and durability. The shoes are available in beige or black.
Madder Black
Madder Black is a unisex vegan sandal, with straps crafted from Vegan Leather. A timeless, summary sandal, it’s perfect for the deck of a ship or your garden, or wherever you best enjoy the sun. With a sole made from recycled material, these shoes are both sustainable and stylish. A timeless style that would fit in among ancient Greek philosophers as much as at a modern day beach, Madder is the option to beat!
Conclusion
We were glad to share a little info with you today about our vegan leather, it's a material we really love working with. As a company passionate about not just what we do, but the way we do it, shining a light on our practices is a point of pride we just can't pass up. If you enjoyed this little journey, be sure to check out our range of products made from vegan leather, you might just find the shoe for you nestling among our website.
