posted by Edina

Jan 28, 2008 11:36AM

An earlier post reads that Natalie Portman is so annoyed with celebrity fashion that she designs vegan shoes. For me, a $300 pair of plastic (?) shoes is annoying. There are already leather-free shoe options out there. Especially if she's so cooly detached from fashion obssession, why doesn't she simply settle for canvas sneakers?

posted by louis

Jan 28, 2008 12:14PM

They don't say that they are "for fur" - they just point out that some people aren't into Natalie's shoes costing 300 freakin dollars.

PS - canvas shoes are totally worth $30. Hooray for Chuck.

posted by guest

Jan 28, 2008 12:50PM

She does wear canvas sneakers.

posted by le petit lapin vegan

Jan 28, 2008 3:12PM

Besides Stella, there are very few high fashion vegan shoe collections. I personally am super psyched (and frankly quite grateful) that Natalie has brought a new line to this small luxe-vegan niche. Unless you are a vegan, it's not especially prudent to impose your judgement on the matter, unless you have (literally and figuratively) "walked in [a vegan's] shoes". Seriously, I wear Stellas, the token leather-free Marc, and Jack Purcells. Anything new to this exclusive, oft-overlooked market is highly appreciated. I suppose I don't understand why it is deemed 'so astonishing' that a well-crafted pair of shoes is $300. If you'd pay such a price for cruelty, why is it rendered as unforeseen for peaceable, green goods?
It is understandable that Natalie may be a bit miffed with the general celebrity fashion status as of late. But we all say things off-the-cuff in the heat of the moment that don't entirely encompass our true feelings on a subject. I mean, she wrote this very praiseworthy article on fellow Israeli Alber Elbaz so she obviously has an appreciation of fashion.
Voilà: http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/time100/article/0,28804,1595326_1595332_1616649,00.html

posted by guest

Jan 28, 2008 3:20PM

amen le petit lapin vegan, AMEN!

xoxo
a fellow herbivore

posted by guest

Jan 28, 2008 4:39PM

I second that amen, and I'm not even vegan.

Although I wouldn't buy these $300 shoes, I can appreciate what she's doing. Also organic and vegan products tend to be more expensive, because they don't follow cheaper, more conventional ways of manufacturing. And canvas sneakers aren't necessarily vegan.

posted by chartreusegirl

Jan 28, 2008 10:08PM

I third the amen. Women don't blink at $600 Jimmy Choos; why not recognize Natalie's designs as another high end option? I personally don't have a place in my life for $300 shoes, vegan or not, but if I did, I'd be pretty happy that I could make a conscientious choice with my money!

posted by CJo

Jan 29, 2008 9:25AM

Guys, I think the point is that just because you don't want to wear the skin of dead animal on your feet, doesn't mean you have to wear flip-flops or $30 canvas sneakers (ps- I love converse though!).

Sure, they're overpriced, but so are most non-vegan shoes, although those also come with the price of a dead animal!

I love Natalie and her new collection, but I wish the heels were a little higher. I mean, I'm used to the 4 1/2 inchers over here!

posted by Kate

Jan 29, 2008 11:08AM

I agree with le petit lapin and fellow herbivore. It's not easy to find quality non-leather (and no, 'plastic' is probably not an accurate characterization) shoes in classic styles. Natalie's shoes look attractive and wearable, and the styles would seem to suit both work and after-. They are also at an accessible price point; there's not much between cheap fake-leather Payless and the spendy but very nice offerings from Stella, Beyond Skin, and Charmone etc., and those that do exist have had quality issues in my experience. Good for Natalie for putting herself out there for a misunderstood cause!

xx a vegan fashionista

posted by guest

Jan 29, 2008 10:26PM

$300 petrochemical shoes, so we trade leather for oil products. I hardly think oil is w/o it's ethical issues and isn't exactly cruelty free.

Wanna buy the shoes, but 'em, your money...just don't get on some cruelty free biodegradable soapbox about it.

posted by guest

May 04, 2008 1:08PM

I applaud Natalie for caring about animals. There are already more sustainable materials on the market, like organic cotton, hemp, ramie etc.. so people who are ready to jump and exclaim that it has to plastic vs leather, calm down. Lets stop living on animal suffering and lets find alternatives that are kinder and moresustainable. NP's shoes are a better choice than cows skin "at the moment". I dont see how you can excuse using leather if fur is already branded as wrong. I dont like "plastic" either, but I'll choose it any day over animal corpses and suffering. Someone who wears animals can hardly say they care about the environment.