For almost 14 years now, one of the first things that people have said when they find out I’m a vegetarian is, “But you wear leather shoes, don’t you?” Even though it’s an irritating knee-jerk question, I can see why they ask it. Finding comfortable, attractive, durable non-leather shoes can be a lot harder than finding vegetarian food, but I think it’s worthwhile. I tend not to wear hemp or canvas—I think they soak through instantly and look dirty from the moment you put them on—so I look for fake leather. The various kinds of fake leather can have their own issues, but I consider it the lesser of two evils.

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Where to Look

• Mooshoes.com – Truthfully, I do most of my shoe shopping online. It can be tough to track down a wide enough selection in Boston, and Mooshoes has a great interface for browsing (and a generous return policy if they don’t fit).
• Sudo Shoes –  A completely vegan shoe store that recently opened in Porter Square in Cambridge. They carry many of my favorite styles, so walking through is like catching up with old friends. Unfortunately, they have a relatively small collection, and didn’t have the size I wanted in many styles. (This is a problem with vegan shoes in general, since the market for them is so small.) But I’m hoping they’ll grow if we continue to support them.
• Hempest – Carries Earth Vegan shoes. Not a great selection and the cashiers can be, frankly, a little out of it.
• Aldo – A vegan coworker told me she gets a lot of her shoes here (thanks, Bobbi!). Lots of heels. I’m surprised at how many aren’t leather.
• Steve Madden – The Madden Girl collection has some cool vegan shoes, but I had a hard time finding them in the store. (And the salespeople had no idea that they even carried non-leather shoes.)

My Favorite Brands

• Earth Vegan – These have a negative heel, so they’re not for everyone, but I think they’re super comfortable. And they last forever.
• Novacas – Their Alta boots are the best boots I’ve ever owned. I’ve had the zipper replaced twice because I couldn’t bear to part with them.
• Vegetarian Shoes – They have everything, including a great men’s line. Almost all of Jason’s shoes are from here.

Any recommendations? I’m sure I’m missing something, and I get a little obsessive in my search for the perfect pair of shoes.