We Can’t Say ‘Vegan Leather’ Anymore – So What Now?
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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!
11 comments
Die EU oder einige Länder Müssen die Verbraucher*innen für sehr dumm halten, wenn sie davon ausgehen, es sei irreführend, von “Soja-Milch” oder “veganem Leder” zu sprechen und dass die Menschen dann glauben, es sei eben Kuhmilch und Tierleder… Reichen denn die näher erläuternden Begriffe nicht aus, um klarzustellen, um was es sich handelt??
Aber mir persönlich ist es komplett egal, wie es heißt, Hauptsache es ist pflanzlich.
Darf man denn “Lederalternative” sagen, oder "NoLeather?
nae shoes: “Animals love them!”
“Recommended by the Cow Family” with picture of Mr and Mrs Cow, and their calves. And the Duck Family, with their ducklings. The Pig Family with their cute piglets.
I think it’s a ridiculous ban. People know instantly whether an item is made from animals or not if the tag/description has the word “synthetic” or “vegan” before the word “leather.” I expect it’s a case of people with money in the animal skin industry wanting to make things harder for their ethical competitors, much like people in the dairy and flesh industries have tried to ban certain words.
As for what to call it now, vegan patent or vegan suede (not sure what to call the other type!)? When I search for shoes, I tend to search for vegan + style of shoe, for example vegan heels.
Thank you for providing ethical and stylish shoes for those of us who refuse to wear skin!
Would “non-leather” be acceptable?
If so, “non-leather, eco-material”?
É mais uma Lei engraçada. E atestado de estupidez aos consumidores. Os vegan, perdem tempo a procurar artigos no meio dos produtos todos e lêem os rótulos. Pena é o “termo/expressão” utilizado para ajuda na escolha, não vir acompanhado de custos ambientais e saúde. Tipo, se escolher este produto irá necessitar de gastar + x e y na farmácia. Das opções gosto de “pele consciente”. Mas se é para ser divertido eu usaria “Protecção com Alma”.