Ariba Ariba! Planet-friendly Vegan Trainers

Kew a great fit for Veganuary

If you embraced a vegan lifestyle for ‘Veganuary’, or have simply become more eco-conscious throughout the year, our new footwear innovation means you can also extend your principles to your wardrobe and do even more good for the planet, by wearing truly amazing, cactus leather, vegan trainers.

Our family business launched a new ‘Kew’ range of ‘plant-powered’ trainers that encompass this vegan, eco-friendly material, marking another innovation milestone for our brand.

We spent months learning how to work with this ground-breaking, plant-based leather, to bring it to the mainstream UK and global footwear markets and garnered the support from Innovate UK - the UK’s innovation agency – to fast-forward this exciting project.

The launch of our new Kew range has marked the next big step in our brand’s sustainability journey, complementing our firm advocacy of slow fashion and small batch production and our shoe recycle and plant-a-tree initiatives.

Available in different colour options and styles, our exciting Kew range of low-top, hand-crafted vegan trainers all stay true to our brand’s ethos of producing the most comfortable footwear in the market, with a contoured footbed, indulgent underfoot cushioning and a soft and plush lining made from recycled materials.

The plant-based, off-white cactus leather sits atop a speckled, eye-catching sole with its own eco-twist. The rubber actually contains 30% cork, which has been recycled from used wine-industry corks. Effortless beige laces, made from recycled polyester, complete the look.

Considerately designed for Work to Weekend versatility, our vegan trainers also provide owners with a real talking point, when worn in the office, at social occasions or just when out and about, day to day.

Perhaps most exciting is that you don’t have to be vegan to wear these trainers! They’re brilliant for anyone interested in trying something new and innovative but also particularly brilliant for those who like to make planet-protecting lifestyle choices because this range also helps one of Earth’s natural stars – the cactus plant – to be supported as a crop. Cacti are natural carbon sinks and a 14-acre cactus plantation absorbs and extracts around 8000 tons of carbon from the atmosphere. Cacti do not drink up vital water resources, can survive drought conditions and help rejuvenate surrounding soil for other crops. Their cultivation supports local communities in Mexico.

A podcast about our new range and the story behind it can also be found here

Our new Kew collection of vegan trainers are available here.

FAQs Vegan Trainers, Sustainability & Cactus Leather

Q1: What is cactus leather and how is it made?
Cactus leather is an eco-friendly, vegan alternative to animal leather, made from the mature leaves of the nopal cactus. The leaves are harvested, cleaned, and dried in the sun before being processed and combined with a natural formula to form a durable, soft material that mimics the texture and flexibility of traditional leather. Please take a read on a great log we wrote on Cactus materials here.

Q2: Are cactus leather trainers durable compared to traditional leather?
Yes, cactus leather is known for its durability and resilience, when properly cared for. The process for making the material is also very important for its use. The Coagulation is vital for material to be used in footwear, say over car seats or bags. Here is another great blog we wrote on Cactus Leather, see here.

Q3: Are the Kew vegan trainers suitable for people who aren’t vegan?
Absolutely! While the Kew trainers are completely vegan and ideal for anyone following a plant-based lifestyle, they’re also perfect for anyone who values sustainability, innovative materials, or is simply looking for stylish, comfortable footwear with a lighter environmental footprint. You don’t have to be vegan to appreciate the many benefits of cactus leather trainers.