Lifestyle
Do vegans wear leather shoes? What are the alternatives?
Short answer
They do not buy new leather. Alternatives: PU/vinyl, canvas, rubber, cork, apple or mycelium leather, and second-hand if someone accepts extending the life of a pair that already exists.
Leather is a slaughter product, not a magically ethical leftover. Plastics have their own footprint — veganism does not claim PU is an ecological ideal, only that it does not require raising a cow.
Repair shoes. One pair for years beats three cheap “vegan leather” pairs from a chain. Suede and nubuck are still leather.