Drawing the line: Sustainable or just plain Vegan?

Drawing the line: Sustainable or just plain Vegan?

Before delving into the fine line between that separates sustainability and vegan footwear, it’s important to remove all confusion by defining both terms that are used on a regular bases - correctly, incorrectly or otherwise.

At TOWER, we’re continually pushing for a greener, more sustainable future. After all, whilst our family may be London born and bred, we see the affect our actions have on those situated outside of our capital; whether that be waste management, energy reduction or investing in more sustainable product.

Sustainability focuses on meeting present, modern needs without compromising future generations’ need for the same. Generally, sustainability can be broken down into three elemental pillars - economical concepts, environmental impact and social perception.

As one of London’s fastest growing indie retail spaces, it’s TOWER’s responsibility to support consumers in shopping sustainably; therefore we minimalise our ecological footprint where possible.

By developing an affinity between the conscious TOWER consumer and brands that are held closely to our heart, we are not only pushing the sustainable ethos but reaffirming our intentions community-wide, too!

Now to dispel a popular myth - yes, vegan material options may be great for those mindful of animal harm, but, the cruelty-free label does not automatically grant a sustainable status by any means.

Footwear-based veganism is an essential factor that contributes to the overarching drive for trainers void of animal bi-product, yet within the glue, uppers, rubber compounds and even threads, it’s very likely that not-so-naturally residing materials can be found at one moment during production.

Without catering to a lifestyle that ‘excludes all animal product and attempts to limit the exploitation of animals’, TOWER cannot continue to stake its claim on setting new standard across the indie footwear industry. We don’t mind why you opt for a vegan lifestyle, though we do want to make it easily maintainable through TOWER.

But, at what point do the lines cross? In order to tick both boxes, we’d be aiming for sustainably sourced, non-leather footwear that is manufactured without harming both the environment and global animal population. Preserving everything we love for future generations, if you will!

We pride ourselves in taking every relevant step towards creating a community that accommodates for everyone. Keep reading for a selection of our family’s top pairs - the styles that are sitting in our baskets or even laced on foot.

So, what’s your pick? Head over to tower-london.com and shop our handpicked, sustainably selected vegan options available now!

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