Shoe Guilt
September 24, 2007 at 7:53 pm 2 comments
A few weeks ago I got into a bit of trouble riding my bike, and to make a long story short my left sneaker ended up wedged in the front grill of a chevy SUV. The shoe did a magnificent job of protecting my foot, but the poor thing ripped down the side and, sadly, is now unwearable. (more to come on what to do with old shoes, plus tips on how not to die when riding a bike).
So I had to get a new pair of shoes. I wanted something durable, comfortable and low-profile. I needed shoes that would last me through the slushy, grey New York fall and winter without getting too dirty-looking, which is a huge challenge. So I bought these:
They’re Diesel sneakers, and they’re made of leather and rubber. And although they feel good on my feet, they do cause a dull, constant pain in my soul.
Leather comes from cows. It’s a very lucrative by-product of the beef industry, which, as you may or may not have heard, is characterized by its lack of compassion for animal welfare, the Amazon rainforests, and overall land and water degradation. I eat beef, don’t get me wrong, but I only eat local, sustainably-raised beef that I buy at the Farmers’ Market. I doubt that the cows whose skin I am now wearing on my feet were local and sustainably raised.
Anyways, I feel guilty about my shoes. I should have bought shoes from these guys instead. Maybe if I keep them for long enough it will compensate for the bad decision I made… buying another pair of shoes will definitely not solve the problem.
Entry filed under: clothes, shoes and other goodies (or badies). Tags: "green living".
1.
Helen | October 4, 2007 at 1:49 am
Shoes aren’t the only thing. Have you considered that carpet?
Thought of this when I saw an ad for “Cool Carpet” by InterfaceFLOR. Claims to “zero out all greenhouse gas emissions associated with the entire life cycle of your carpet.”
2. Guilt-Free Sneakers « Green with Envy, Riddled with Guilt | December 1, 2008 at 3:53 pm
[...] 1, 2008 It’s been over a year since I wrote this post about my old sneakers. They were good shoes that held up for a long time, and my only regret was [...]