Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Try Walking in My Shoes

Confession: I used to be a shopaholic when it came to shoes. I loved them all... rugged hiking boots, dainty ballet flats, trusty running shoes, funky wedges, and even those killer spiky heels. After going vegan I realized that most of the shoes in my growing collection were born of cruelty so I slowly began to purge my closet and took them to Goodwill. I kept a few pairs that I really loved, figuring it seemed logical to wear them out before getting rid of them. But I found myself not wanting to put those on either, and they eventually got the boot. So you can only imagine my excitement when a representative from Gaiam contacted me asking if I would like to review a pair of their vegan shoes! Let's take a walk in my new J41 Yoga Slide shoes (which are on sale right now!) and I'll let you know what I think...

These slip on shoes are constructed with a cute and colorful corduroy upper and recycled rubber soles . The treads are tough enough to take you on a short rocky hiking trail but still comfy enough for walking to your neighborhood coffee shop. I have an older style of this shoe (which I still love), and I'm happy to report that they have added more cushioning to the insole, allowing for endless hours of roaming through the city in search of vegan treats. The handy velcro closures allows a snug fit for both narrow and wider feet, but you still have the luxury of being able to slip these shoes on and go!

I have worn my J41s both with and without socks (got a tiny blister the first time I wore no socks, but after that no problem), with jeans and with skirts, to the grocery store and to work and all without missing a step. Speaking of missing steps, if you are a bit of a clutz (like me), the super reinforced rubber will keep your toes safe from whatever you smash them into. Plus, it's super cool that they have the word "vegan" written on the inside.. just in case your friends have any doubt.

Overall I would rate these shoes as excellent and they are key player in my line up of everyday shoes. My only suggestion is they should add more color combinations so I can get another pair!

In a world that is full of yucky leather shoes, it's nice to know that our options are growing everyday with stylish, eco-conscious, well-built vegan shoes that with every step we take, we are making the world a more compassionate place. Thanks Gaiam for the shoes... I love them!

** My only compensation for this review was a free pair of shoes. Sweet!
** In other shoe-related news in my life... I bought John a pair of his first vegan work shoes for Christmas this year and he loves them!! He says they are not only more comfortable than his other work shoes, but they also make his feet sweat less. Bonus!

39 comments:

Anonymous said...

You are so LUCKYYYYYY! I would love to try a pair of those shoes! They look so cool - all Greaky & stuff!

Unknown said...

Shoes are a mild topic of debate. But for the most part it is unanimous to say that buying regular flat Ballet shoes are a must and that pointe shoes should be a saved purchase down the line when the feet, body and mind are properly conditioned. This can take several years of training.

Anonymous said...

They look adorable, and SO COMFY!!! I have a terrible time finding shoes that don't hurt my feet. . . I bet these would be wonderful. Wonder if they're available here in Canada?

Jacqueline Meldrum said...

I really do like those, very nice!

Anonymous said...

For me, converting to a vegan diet was 100 times easier than not buying leather shoes (esp. high-quality running shoes), though this was several years ago when the choices for non-leather were generally not comfortable, much less cute.

Anyhow, I just wanted to say that I wish vegan bloggers wrote about leather more since it's something most of us have in the form of shoes and bags when we become vegan. And it's really a dilemma to give it away or use it and replace with vegan pieces. I chose to use and replace, but not without internal conflict. I don't believe that giving it away is really the morally superior choice, I guess, since it just shifts the same leather item down the line.

allularpunk said...

those shoes are super cool! awesome review ;)

Vegan_Noodle said...

Anonymous -

I agree that it is a tough decision to figure what to do with your leather goods once you make the choice to go vegan. I don't think there is one "morally superior" choice, everyone just needs to do what makes them most comfortable. Thanks for your comment!

ChocolateCoveredVegan said...

Those are soooo cute! Even the color (the blue) is awesome; I'm super-jealous!

Bianca said...

Dude, I want some vegan shoe company to send me a pair to review. Lucky you!

I'm not usually a fan of the strappy sneakers, but those are pretty darn precious!

Jennifer Popper said...

Not sure if they'd pass the vegan grade, but similar in style, I love my Privo shoes! If I remember correctly Privo is owned by Clarks.

Jenni (aka Vegyogini) said...

Hooray for vegan shoes and vegan yoga (in name only, obviously) shoes at that!

Unknown said...

those are super cute! i want them.

i think they should send me some vegan snow boats to test out! :)

Cakespy said...

Those are super cute. I'm always looking for new shoes, and it doesn't hurt that they're cruelty free for sure! :-)

jessy said...

thanks for the review! i really like those! since going vegan just over a year ago i haven't had to buy new shoes yet, but you better believe that when i do they'll be crueltry free! it is nice to know we're got more options each day! yay! hooray for a free pair of shoes, too! that rocks so hard!

Anonymous said...

Cute shoes, great post! I enjoy your blog!

Anonymous said...

From Anonymous 10:41--

Hey Vegan_Noodle, I commend you for drawing attention to the subject at all! I didn't mean to imply your choice was wrong and I agree everyone must decide what works best for him/herself. More discussion of the leather (and fabrics) topic helps me since there is far less of it than discusson of diet (understandably, in terms of numbers of animal lives). I want there to be more alternatives for all of us. So, thanks!

P.S. And that's not even touching the topic of PVC use in products we wear!

Anonymous said...

Super cute! I never wear socks so it's good to know these are good sockless. I'd like to invest in a couple good pairs of eco/animal friendly shoes soon. I've got a pair of black flats that I got at Payless almost 2 years ago. I wear them to work 4 days a week and I'm ready for a change!

Sergio bought a pair of "Vegetarian Shoes" brand dress shoes a couple years ago and they're very durable! They still look good! :)

Kelly said...

The second picture did me in - those are really cute! Thanks for the review. :)

Bex said...

nice review. those look super cute and super comfy. I need a new pair of shoes because I have finally worn out all my old leather ones. I just can't decide what style I want.

Lovlie said...

Thanks for the review! They look super comfy and so much my style too! I love the cross between a flat pump and a trainer! So cool! Shoes have been a real trouble for me since vegan shoes are not always available where I shop and extremely expensive if I have to order over the internet. But hopefully in future we'll have more options!

You're so lucky to get a free pair!

Hungry Hungry Dancer said...

so cute!!!!

i feel the same way about non-vegan shoes... i just havent brought myself to be able to get rid of them just yet.. i havent bought any new ones though!

aTxVegn said...

Free shoes - awesome! And they are so so cute! I love that color, but more options would be great.

River (Wing-It Vegan) said...

Oh lucky you!! They seem so comfy and I love their eco-conciousness and veganness! YAY!!

VeganCowGirl said...

I heart those shoes. They look amazing on yah!

Melisser; the Urban Housewife said...

Oh, how fun! They look comfy.

Anonymous said...

Those are too cute! Love the blue straps.

Amey said...

Nice Score Amanda!
They are super cute. Also, It's awesome that John loves his vegan shoes so much! right on. :)

Anonymous said...

I don't know if I could stand wearing flats (love my heels!) but those are so really cute shoes!

MeloMeals said...

those look so comfortable! I am definitely interested in them as I have wide feet.. so does my youngest son. It's hard to find good vegan shoes that fit a food like ours!

Anonymous said...

I have been eyeing those shoes you've been wearing (they are so cute), for a while now. Since they were on sale (although, lucky me, it seems that the exact style and size for me were the only ones left!), I couldn't help but get some! Yep, I hope they come out with some more colors/styles! Thanks for the post - made it easy to find them!

Vegan Girl (Roni Seabury) said...

So adorable!

Anonymous said...

Confession: I'm a merch assistant for a women's fitness apparel company who is actually opening a store in Austin come March. I know the shoes you speak of and can't agree more! They have a pretty good selection of vegan shoes, so I am always sure to point them out during out product knowledge talks :)

Anonymous said...

Just came across your blog and I love it..! Those shoes are pretty cool.

Lisa said...

those are totally cute! Thanks for the review.

Anonymous said...

Another suggestion for Gaiam is to offer its shoes in Size 12. I've been smitten with a pair of brown and pink J41s for a long, long time, but they don't come in any size higher than 11. :(

Please correct me if I'm mistaken--it would make my month!

DJ said...

Nice to see some vegan shoes that don't look like they've been stolen by moonlight from some old dear's closet and repainted brown!

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Denise said...

Those shoes are looking so comfortable and best for yoga... Gaiam provides really good stuff!!

Term Papers said...

its really cool these are cut e and colorful and also durable