I guess I don't know the answer to this question: are shoes made from leather from cows that are killed to be eaten anyway? I've never felt that it was wrong to use cow leather as I have it in my mind that all of the cow is used. (I do eat meat though not as much since I recently lost my source for family-raised free-range organic beef and lamb.) I could not bring myself to wear crocodile or ostrich shoes, though I guess ostrich is also used for meat and probably fathers too. I don't know where shoe leather comes from I'm sure google would tell me but no time right now...
Buying anything second-hand is a low impact purchase and that's good.
AP, thanks, but I've probably been to every vegetarian shoe outlet online. I own a pair of Novacas dress shoes (about $100) which are pretty nice but nothing compared to the quality of a really well-made pair of leather shoes. As somebody who is willing to pay much more for quality and design, the choices are really quite limited when it comes to footwear.
a good friend of mine, and fellow archinecter, feels the same way as you do, joed. Shopping for running shoes is tricky, the better brands offer only a few leather free options....(2nd hand experience)
If you've been to EVERY veggie shoe outlet online then maybe you've been to this one, but their real-life boutique is a few blocks from my apartment and they generally appear to have cute items and a good variety.
However, I question the "vegetarian"ness of shoes that are made primarily of stinking, off-gassing, poisonous synthetics. Leather is much better.
If you are really that concerned, then, yes, secondhand anything is the way to go.
It's a tough one about the slaughter of cows (I really highly doubt that the leather is taken from the cows you eat, surely they've figured out ways to make 'unique' cows for specific purposes - it's all $$ and isolating and maximizing is the name of the game, unfortunately) vs. the ecological impacts of synthetics.
However, its' clear that it requires killing to get the leather, none of us know the details about the synthetics (that are used in many industries, also).
I am 99% vegetarian (and have been since birth), but still buy leather. I would buy alternatives, if they were there. I guess it's partial laziness/unwillingness to compromise, etc., blah blah.
How about somone make some nice shoes and clothes from microfiber and that fake leather stuff that even DWR is stocking now? I'd buy. Love my microfiber jackets - inexpensive, looks like suede, water proof (I think) and most of all, machine washable.
For other goodies, found elsewhere on here. Just ordered a friend a gift (he's REALLY concerned about the slaughter/leather).
susan, i am also concerned with the pollutant nature of most synthetic materials
i actually bought the novacas i mentioned earlier from the moo shoes store in the LES. they're made of a microfiber which i know very little about, other than that it's not vinyl, which is what a ton of fake leather products are made out of and which is horrible for the environment.
there's something about your tone that i may be misinterpreting, but, i feel like the comment "If you are really that concerned, then, yes, secondhand anything is the way to go" is a tad presumptious. it sounds as if you're suggesting that anybody concerned enough about animal rights and the environment to consider not buying leather should only purchase second-hand products, as if there is no middle ground for understanding the nature of processes involved in the making of different types of products and their actual environmental effects. you seem to presume that vegetarians are, as a group, uninformed to the extent that they are actually bringing more harm to the world than good through their decisions: you say that "leather is much better" than most synthetics. this comment in itself is completely uninformed. the tanning processes used in the production of leather make the leather industry "one of the most polluting in the world." for more, read here:
while i know that peta is, perhaps, not the most unbiased source for information, this article by the environmental times (a publication of the united nations environment programme) also speaks (albeit briefly and by association) of the ills of leather tanning:
these were just a couple of things that i found by doing a quick google search. i understand fully well that buying goods secondhand is the most environmentally-friendly way to go. however, i would hope that anybody intelligent enough to have found their way to this website would understand that as a simple fact. what i find disturbing is: a) the offhand nature in which you appear to dismiss the intelligence of an entire group of people who have already proven themselves competent enough to take an active intellectual role in the decision-making process involved in choosing the products they consume, and b) the simultaneous employment of blatant misinformation on your own part.
this is the sort of thing that keeps entirely positive counter-culture movements, such as vegetarianism, from taking serious hold in this country: intelligent people making ignorant claims to their other intelligent friends who are equally disinterested in doing any actual research on the topic, perpetuating half-truths which, in the end, only end up perpetuating the establishment and the lazy life it would have you lead.
alexander selkirk, the real robinson crusoe, was the son of a tanner. not wanting to follow in his father's trade he became a navigator. off the coast of chile he was castoff after trying to convince his shipmates to refuse to set sail in their dilapidated ship.
while marooned he ate a much healthier diet of fresh fish, vegetable and fruit. he used his tanning skills to make goatskin clothing. it is also thought that he had sex with some of the goats.
Oh my god John Prolly thank you for reviving this thread! Since Archinect was down last night, what else was I supposed to do but buy myself some winter boots?!?
On sale right now at Nordstrom. As I stated above, Via Spiga boots are my heroin. Come on, winter, get here fast!!!
I'll tell you what you don't want to wear as an architect at a jobsite, and that's any kind of mule like this:
You'll just trip in the floor tile demolition scraps and slice your ankle open. Crap. Of course it is all worth it if the site visit is an emergency one in which you are able to show the contractor how he can reroute the ducts to avoid a 24" deep soffit in the family room.
however i cashed out my paycheck once for a pari of prada loafers... I am not a loafers kind of girl... but damn those are the most comfortable shoes I have ever owned.
best shoes for architects?
these aren't bad...
I wouldn't mind rockin' these either...
joed, I respect your commitment.
I guess I don't know the answer to this question: are shoes made from leather from cows that are killed to be eaten anyway? I've never felt that it was wrong to use cow leather as I have it in my mind that all of the cow is used. (I do eat meat though not as much since I recently lost my source for family-raised free-range organic beef and lamb.) I could not bring myself to wear crocodile or ostrich shoes, though I guess ostrich is also used for meat and probably fathers too. I don't know where shoe leather comes from I'm sure google would tell me but no time right now...
Buying anything second-hand is a low impact purchase and that's good.
Oops, ostrich are harvested for feathers not fathers. Except in that one PETA episode on South Park.
AP, thanks, but I've probably been to every vegetarian shoe outlet online. I own a pair of Novacas dress shoes (about $100) which are pretty nice but nothing compared to the quality of a really well-made pair of leather shoes. As somebody who is willing to pay much more for quality and design, the choices are really quite limited when it comes to footwear.
a good friend of mine, and fellow archinecter, feels the same way as you do, joed. Shopping for running shoes is tricky, the better brands offer only a few leather free options....(2nd hand experience)
reef flip flops...but my feet are cold right now
If you've been to EVERY veggie shoe outlet online then maybe you've been to this one, but their real-life boutique is a few blocks from my apartment and they generally appear to have cute items and a good variety.
However, I question the "vegetarian"ness of shoes that are made primarily of stinking, off-gassing, poisonous synthetics. Leather is much better.
If you are really that concerned, then, yes, secondhand anything is the way to go.
It's a tough one about the slaughter of cows (I really highly doubt that the leather is taken from the cows you eat, surely they've figured out ways to make 'unique' cows for specific purposes - it's all $$ and isolating and maximizing is the name of the game, unfortunately) vs. the ecological impacts of synthetics.
However, its' clear that it requires killing to get the leather, none of us know the details about the synthetics (that are used in many industries, also).
I am 99% vegetarian (and have been since birth), but still buy leather. I would buy alternatives, if they were there. I guess it's partial laziness/unwillingness to compromise, etc., blah blah.
How about somone make some nice shoes and clothes from microfiber and that fake leather stuff that even DWR is stocking now? I'd buy. Love my microfiber jackets - inexpensive, looks like suede, water proof (I think) and most of all, machine washable.
For other goodies, found elsewhere on here. Just ordered a friend a gift (he's REALLY concerned about the slaughter/leather).
http://www.freitag.ch/index_frames.php
susan, i am also concerned with the pollutant nature of most synthetic materials
i actually bought the novacas i mentioned earlier from the moo shoes store in the LES. they're made of a microfiber which i know very little about, other than that it's not vinyl, which is what a ton of fake leather products are made out of and which is horrible for the environment.
there's something about your tone that i may be misinterpreting, but, i feel like the comment "If you are really that concerned, then, yes, secondhand anything is the way to go" is a tad presumptious. it sounds as if you're suggesting that anybody concerned enough about animal rights and the environment to consider not buying leather should only purchase second-hand products, as if there is no middle ground for understanding the nature of processes involved in the making of different types of products and their actual environmental effects. you seem to presume that vegetarians are, as a group, uninformed to the extent that they are actually bringing more harm to the world than good through their decisions: you say that "leather is much better" than most synthetics. this comment in itself is completely uninformed. the tanning processes used in the production of leather make the leather industry "one of the most polluting in the world." for more, read here:
http://www.petaindia.com/feat/environmental/
while i know that peta is, perhaps, not the most unbiased source for information, this article by the environmental times (a publication of the united nations environment programme) also speaks (albeit briefly and by association) of the ills of leather tanning:
http://www.environmenttimes.net/article.cfm?pageID=82
these were just a couple of things that i found by doing a quick google search. i understand fully well that buying goods secondhand is the most environmentally-friendly way to go. however, i would hope that anybody intelligent enough to have found their way to this website would understand that as a simple fact. what i find disturbing is: a) the offhand nature in which you appear to dismiss the intelligence of an entire group of people who have already proven themselves competent enough to take an active intellectual role in the decision-making process involved in choosing the products they consume, and b) the simultaneous employment of blatant misinformation on your own part.
this is the sort of thing that keeps entirely positive counter-culture movements, such as vegetarianism, from taking serious hold in this country: intelligent people making ignorant claims to their other intelligent friends who are equally disinterested in doing any actual research on the topic, perpetuating half-truths which, in the end, only end up perpetuating the establishment and the lazy life it would have you lead.
although most of us are wearing classic converse all star or pumas here in studio at the moment.
http://www.officeholdings.co.uk/perl/go.pl/mens-style.html?webcode=22&style_uid=535&color_uid=1145
Wow joed. Very well-tempered and thoughtful and informative post.
sit right back and you'll hear a tale:
alexander selkirk, the real robinson crusoe, was the son of a tanner. not wanting to follow in his father's trade he became a navigator. off the coast of chile he was castoff after trying to convince his shipmates to refuse to set sail in their dilapidated ship.
while marooned he ate a much healthier diet of fresh fish, vegetable and fruit. he used his tanning skills to make goatskin clothing. it is also thought that he had sex with some of the goats.
i know this has nothing to do with shoes.
for those times, when - in the performance of your architectural duties - your shoes aren't the only parts of your anatomy touching the ground ....
i am the king of style
these are pretty hot and another cool design in there by Johnathan Ive
My husband loves his Fluevog Unswooshers:
They're a little strident, but look quite cool.
are those comfortabe and hard wearing, i wanted to buy some but i was worried they would fall apart or smell funny
The Nike ones are by Marc Newsom
Soooooo comfy...
I just ordered these:
New Prod Stash Artist series - laser-engraved NYC / BK skyline....
cheah
and a blog posting about my kicks HERE
satori shoes from argentina.
http://www.satorishoes.com.ar/
Not bad. I'll prolly never stop wearing sneakers tho'
Oh my god John Prolly thank you for reviving this thread! Since Archinect was down last night, what else was I supposed to do but buy myself some winter boots?!?
On sale right now at Nordstrom. As I stated above, Via Spiga boots are my heroin. Come on, winter, get here fast!!!
I'm aching for these to drop.... DINOSAUR JR Nike SB Highs!
Dinosaur Jr. as in J Mascis? What's the connection between Dinosaur Jr. and Nike? Odd.
Nike SB made a Melvins dunk, a De La Soul dunk, an Iron Maiden Dunk [sample] and a Pushead dunk. They've been collaborating with musicians for years.
I'll tell you what you don't want to wear as an architect at a jobsite, and that's any kind of mule like this:
You'll just trip in the floor tile demolition scraps and slice your ankle open. Crap. Of course it is all worth it if the site visit is an emergency one in which you are able to show the contractor how he can reroute the ducts to avoid a 24" deep soffit in the family room.
I think I'm wearing out my welcome at that site.
architects should not wear "Sketchers"...ever!
[img]http://stuff.silverorange.com/images/samba.jpg[img]
classic steez right there. Nice choice.
Adicolor Tron
I have a matching jacket but I make sure never to wear them at the same time. That would just be silly.
[img]http://www.metrotimes.com/sb/91515/b6city.jpg[img]
yup...those are gators
forgot the back slash...wtf
go bare feet!!!
Chris Daniels, those are cool. Where do you find those?
Chris Daniels, those are cool. Where do you find it?
havaianas flip flops, nothing can beat that...
also i love my VANS
"The Nike ones are by Marc Newson"
Yeah i knew that, i just read my post again... my bad
Mines r same as Ryan Whitacre's..
true veryyyyyy comfy !!!!
and those plastic thingies r so helpful to turn on the ups in the mornings ! hehehe
Loved the Nike ones by frem001
Flip flops for sure...
however i cashed out my paycheck once for a pari of prada loafers... I am not a loafers kind of girl... but damn those are the most comfortable shoes I have ever owned.
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