Imagine this: You walk into a store looking for sustainable, cruelty-free footwear, and suddenly, the words ‘vegan leather’ have vanished. No labels, no descriptions, no mention of it anywhere. No, it’s not a dystopian novel—it’s a new legal reality in some countries.

Yes, you read that right. Certain governments have decided that ‘vegan leather’ is too confusing and misleading, so they’ve banned the term altogether. Portugal, Italy, and a few other European countries have already enforced this restriction, and the leather industry couldn’t be happier.

Why Is ‘Vegan Leather’ Banned?

The argument is that the word ‘leather’ should be reserved exclusively for materials derived from animal skin. According to these regulations, calling something ‘vegan leather’ or ‘synthetic leather’ is misleading because it implies it has the same characteristics as traditional leather. The goal? To ‘protect’ the leather industry from competition.

Well, let’s take a moment to appreciate the irony. While the fashion industry is making strides towards sustainability and innovation, traditional leather production continues to contribute to deforestation, water pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions. Yet, instead of addressing those issues, regulators are focusing on policing words.

What Can We Say Instead?

Now that ‘vegan leather’ is off-limits, we’re left wondering—what can we call it?

• ‘Animal-free leather’? Nope.
• ‘Sustainable leather’? Forbidden.
• ‘Plant-based skin’? Sounds creepy.
• ‘Eco-friendly alternative’? Too vague.

At this point, we might as well just say, “That material we’re not allowed to call vegan leather but is obviously better for the planet.”

But Does a Word Really Change Anything?

Banning the term doesn’t change the fact that people want alternatives to traditional leather. More and more consumers are looking for sustainable, ethical fashion choices. The demand isn’t going anywhere, and let’s be honest—if the leather industry felt truly confident in their product, they wouldn’t need legal protection from a word.

At NAE Vegan Shoes, we’ve built our brand around transparency, sustainability, and ethics. Whether or not we’re allowed to call our materials ‘vegan leather,’ our mission stays the same: to create high-quality footwear that doesn’t harm animals or the planet.

Our Response? A Little Humor, A Lot of Innovation

Instead of getting frustrated, we’re having some fun with it. We’re inviting you—our community—to help us rename our materials. What should we call them? ‘Future leather’? ‘Conscious skin’? ‘Eco-fiber’? Let us know in the comments!

And in the meantime, you can still shop our 100% cruelty-free, sustainable shoes (whatever the official term may be) with exclusive discounts available now!

What do you think about this word ban? Drop your thoughts below!