Internationally-renowned luxury fashion brand, Hugo Boss, has responded to the growing demand for cruelty-free footwear by releasing its first-ever line of vegan men’s shoes.
The shoe collection, titled “BOSS,” features sneakers made from Piñatex, an animal-free leather derived from pineapple leaf fibers.
The limited-edition collection is described as “innovation meets responsible design” and offers sneakers in four naturally-dyed colors. Each shoe features Piñatex, lightweight recycled TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) soles, a cotton-linen lining, and organic cotton laces. The company describes the new collection as “footwear that makes a minimal imprint on the planet and offers a sleek BOSS look.”
Hugo Boss isn’t alone in its effort to produce more animal-friendly fashion; vegan shoes are said to be going mainstream. Founder of Brave GentleMan, Joshua Katcher, said, “Vegan footwear is no longer seen as just an alternative.”
“Many of the recent innovations outperform conventional footwear. We are seeing more and more designers who are using vegan materials, creating designs that are innovative and cutting-edge and cool – very aspirational and desirable,” he added.
Following the success of its first vegan shoe line, Birkenstock expanded its cruelty-free collection with additional colors and designs. As well as this, popular alternative footwear company T.U.K. ensured that the majority of its latest collection was made with vegan materials.
Brands are getting creative with the materials used for animal-free fashion. High-end German footwear company nat-2 recently launched a pair of vegan mushroom leather sneakers, while last year, luxury vegan shoe brand Veerah launched a line of high heels made from apple peels.
Vegan celebrity Miley Cyrus recently released Converse x Miley Cyrus, a collaborative effort resulting in the launch of vegan shoes, clothes, and accessories that channel the singer’s sparkling personality. Further, vegan entrepreneur Kat Von D’s cruelty-free shoe line is expected to drop sometime this year.
Image Credit: Hugo Boss
