Dance*is*life Posted March 13, 2016 Share Posted March 13, 2016 I don't know if this has ever happened to anyone. Two of my students suddenly realised that they were wearing leather ballet shoes - you mean animals were killed so that I could have leather ballet shoes??? - was their appalled reaction. I'd honestly never thought of it like that and didn't know how to answer them. In the end I told them that it was probably artificial leather like the furniture, but quite honestly I have no idea. I mean we've all stopped wearing fur coats, but what about "leather" handbags and shoes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxi4ballet Posted March 13, 2016 Share Posted March 13, 2016 Your young dancers might be reassured by knowing that the leather will be a by-product of the food industry, so the animals will not have been killed specifically for the making of their shoes. You can get vegan ballet shoes I think, not sure who makes them though! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pups_mum Posted March 13, 2016 Share Posted March 13, 2016 Grishko make vegan soft shoes. I have never seen a vegan Pointe shoe though. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Picturesinthefirelight Posted March 13, 2016 Share Posted March 13, 2016 Leather can not be called leather if it is artificial. Do these children wear school shoes from places like Clarks/start rite etc. They will be leather (though cheapo supermarket shoes are man made) If they are vegetarian then they may need to investigate an alternative, if not I don't see the ethical problem 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dance*is*life Posted March 13, 2016 Author Share Posted March 13, 2016 They call it imitation leather I think! They wear trainers for school (there's no required school shoe here) and probably synthetic boots for the few rainy days. That's a good point about the leather being a by-product of the food industry - I didn't ask if they were vegetarian or vegan. I usually insist on leather shoes, rather than canvas, but I suppose if they continue to make a fuss, I will have to allow them to wear canvas. I just found it surprising, as nobody has ever queried wearing leather shoes before! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarahw Posted March 13, 2016 Share Posted March 13, 2016 Girls have to have something to be dramatic about..... 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drdance Posted March 13, 2016 Share Posted March 13, 2016 I doubt any ballet shoes are made using real leather anymore - too expensive and too stiff! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moomin Posted March 13, 2016 Share Posted March 13, 2016 (edited) The canvas ones still have a suede sole???? Edited March 13, 2016 by Moomin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxi4ballet Posted March 13, 2016 Share Posted March 13, 2016 The glue used in manufacture is often derived from animal products as well. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DancingDays Posted March 13, 2016 Share Posted March 13, 2016 Hi everyone, I administer the Leather Working Group (www.leatherworkinggroup.com), an environmental stewardship group with members from a vast number of well known brands around the world. I can confirm that leather is a bi-product of the food industry and you can't call fake leather, leather - so if it's called a leather ballet shoe then it is made of leather. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Picturesinthefirelight Posted March 13, 2016 Share Posted March 13, 2016 I'm fairly sure leather ballet shoes & jazz shoes are real leather. Satin are quite popular here in the UK for younger children too. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MayKwok Posted March 13, 2016 Share Posted March 13, 2016 Just to confirm, grishko do make vegan pointe shoes. I have a friend who's vegan and she wears special order grishko vegan shoes. Took an awful long time to get to the UK, but it's what's important to her so worth the wait. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trog Posted March 14, 2016 Share Posted March 14, 2016 My Freed ballet shoes are real leather, as are my Capezio tap shoes. I have some canvas ballet shoes too, but they don't feel as nice to dance in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted March 14, 2016 Share Posted March 14, 2016 I can't imagine having synthetic "leather" ballet shoes: if they're like ordinary synthetic shoes I imagine they would just stretch and never resume their original shape, which I'd have thought would make them horrible to dance in. And yes, leather is a byproduct of the food industry, so no, animals aren't being killed just so people can have shoes. What on earth would you do with all the waste hides if they weren't made into leather? (and do the girls routinely avoid leather ordinary shoes as well?) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fiz Posted March 14, 2016 Share Posted March 14, 2016 I have a friend whose daughter became a vegetarian after watching "Babe". Her mother agreed as she didn't much care for meat herself but the one thing at which she drew the line was her daughter wearing synthetic leather shoes, saying that they did not support young feet in the same way. Her daughter accepted this although she was not happy about it. I had a "meat is an animal" moment when I was three and refused to eat it for a while to my mother's horror. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yaffa Posted March 14, 2016 Share Posted March 14, 2016 There's a nice blog post about the options for ballet shoes free of animal products (with specific shoedetails) at http://www.bigtentvegan.com/blog/2014/3/5/vegan-ballet-slippers-and-pointe-shoes The writer points out that canvas shoes without leather soles can be washed (though preferably not dried) in a washing machine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BankruptMum Posted March 14, 2016 Share Posted March 14, 2016 (edited) Grisko sell a 'Vegan' shoe if they are that concerned - canvas shoes with no use of suede. They also stock vegan pointe shoes. Sorry just realised this was mentioned above - let them wear satin! We all have different views - no right or wrong. Edited March 14, 2016 by BankruptMum 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dance*is*life Posted March 15, 2016 Author Share Posted March 15, 2016 Thanks for the feedback everyone. It could well have been them just being dramatic, but I'll be forearmed if they bring it up again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TabbyCool Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 Sansha also make vegan shoes, both soft shoes and pointes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
invisiblecircus Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 I usually insist on leather shoes, rather than canvas, but I suppose if they continue to make a fuss, I will have to allow them to wear canvas. Can I be nosy and ask why you prefer leather? I've only worn leather ballet shoes once. I've no idea why I bought them but I wore them on the first day of a summer school and not only was I the only one in leather shoes but they left a distinct half circle on the floor when we did ronds de jambe a terre. I was horrified, and conviced I'd ruined my chance of getting into this school after this double gaffe! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TabbyCool Posted March 19, 2016 Share Posted March 19, 2016 Can I be nosy and ask why you prefer leather? I've only worn leather ballet shoes once. I've no idea why I bought them but I wore them on the first day of a summer school and not only was I the only one in leather shoes but they left a distinct half circle on the floor when we did ronds de jambe a terre. I was horrified, and conviced I'd ruined my chance of getting into this school after this double gaffe! I personally hate wearing leather ballet shoes, they always seem to stick to the floor rather than gliding like canvas ones do! They're not very breathable either, I find that they make my feet too warm! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted March 19, 2016 Share Posted March 19, 2016 I've gone off leather ones too as they always seem to be made narrower than canvas ones. There's a vegan shoe shop here in Brighton in either Bond Street or Upper Gardner street ( next to each other) probably don't do ballet shoes though will,have to go in and find out!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TabbyCool Posted March 19, 2016 Share Posted March 19, 2016 (edited) I got some ballet shoes from Taglia Basilica that have a microfibre sole rather than suede, don't know if they use vegan glues or not though. Edited March 19, 2016 by TabbyCool Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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