wil,
leather is the primary issue in shoes being vegan. Often vegan shoes will use other durable substitutes, like these hiking boots made from hemp:
http://www.downbound.com/No_Sweatshop_Hemp_Organic_Vegan_Shoes_p/pwt-e-mbo2n.htm
And as that site suggests, the companies making vegan shoes are often also catering to those with concerns about sweat shops, organic materials, fair trade and the like. On the manufacturers of these particular shoes linked above it says:
"This sweatshop-free product is designed and manufactured by Ecolution using locally grown organic hemp. Ecolution is based in the democratic country Romania, where it owns its own organic hemp fields and processing facility, which operate under fair trade no-sweatshop guidelines. The employees that made this product are paid more than the Romanian average, are given opportunities for advancement within the company, receive medical and pension coverage, and work in a facility that is safe, well-lit, heated, and free of toxic chemicals... Unlike most hemp fabrics, the fabric in this product was processed using a series of fine mechanical combings rather than heavy caustic sodas and acid rinses. Non-chemical processing is environmentally friendly, and preserves the integrity of the hemp fiber, which contributes to a strong and durable fabric... At the end of this product's life, the organic hemp fabric is 100% biodegradable, unlike synthetic fabrics or tanned leather... Ecolution uses environmentally friendly fiber-reactive and plant-based dyes. Fiber-reactive dyes contain no heavy metals or known toxic substances... Plant-based dies, such as Oak, Bilberry, Pansy, and Oregano are sourced locally from Romania, and are fixed using only environmentally friendly mordants such as blue stone, alum, salt, and vinegar. All of Ecolution's buttons are made from natural biodegradable materials such as uninhabited sea shells or tagua nuts that are collected by indigenous peoples from the Amazon rainforest. Even Ecolution's threads are selected only from first world factories that hold Oeko-Tex 100 Standard certificates for environmentally friendly production practices."
Course they do cost 100 US (and if not vegan my shoes would most likely be whatever's cheap at an outlet store), but knowing the type of company being supported and where that money is going makes it almost feel like a donation to an important cause, sorta like ordering from T. J. Scallywaggle's:
http://www.scallywaggles.com/?sec=ourcommitment&PHPSESSID=bb98e9d10662de124aff11d5a492e17f
(course since cutting soy and gluten out of my diet due to food sensitivities it's not something I really get to do anymore. I should ask them if they might consider an alternative flour as optional for those who can't eat wheat. G!d knows I was ordering from them frequently enough.)
Dauer