Style goes vegan

New materials and cheap chic mean those who avoid animal products have better choices

This new era of cheap chic and disposable fashion has an unlikely but appreciative customer -- the stylish vegan.

For years, vegans who wanted to stick to a cruelty-free philosophy in both their diet and fashion meant they often had to sacrifice style. Jimmy Choo stilettos don't come in synthetic leathers. Louis Vuitton isn't known for canvas satchels. In fact, only a few high-end designers -- among the best-known, Stella McCartney -- are conscious about not using animal products in the shoes, jackets and handbags they design.

That's a problem for strict vegans, who don't eat anything that's a byproduct of an animal, including meat, fish, eggs or milk. They also try to stay clear of shoes, handbags, jackets and belts made of animal products such as leather, suede, shearling, wool, fur and cashmere.

Now with the rise of cheap chic -- the trendy designer knockoffs that have been driving sales for stores such as Target, H&M and more recently Payless -- there are more options than ever for vegans to find trendy shoes and accessories.

Often it's not intentional.

To make handbags under $30 that appeal to trendy shoppers, Target designers such as Isaac Mizrahi often use PVC and other plastics. At Payless, new shoe lines aimed at reaching shoppers who want designer-looking shoes for a steal have faux leathers, canvas or other cloth materials.

And dozens of stores in the Triangle stocked one of last summer's hottest shoe -- the Croc -- which is vegan friendly because it's made from a plastic called Croslite. While most people wouldn't call Crocs stylish, they are a fashion work-in-progress. The company recently has come out with new fashion-forward Crocs, including a retro-inspired wedge and a ballet flat called Prima.

Even hippie-chic Birkenstock is making shoes without its traditional leathers, and New Balance has a bigger selection than ever of sneakers made from breathable plastics.

Vegans say the changes have made sticking to their beliefs easier.

Stephanie Hodges, a 33-year-old vegan from Chapel Hill, said now she often finds a vegan option at most national stores she shops at. "A lot of times you come across something when you're not even looking," she said. "I don't feel like there's anywhere that's mainstream where I can't shop."

Zita Resnais, a 22-year-old from Cary, said her vegan finds these days are typically by accident.

"There are vegan things all over the place," she said "People who want to find them, do. If you're a vegan, you want to go that extra step."

The widest selection of vegan shoes and accessories, however, are found on the Web, local vegans say, including specialty stores such as alternativeoutfitters.com and mooshoes.com, but also at shoe giants such as zappos.com, which has a limited selection of vegan shoes for men, women and children.

And when all else fails, there's even a new fashion blog now for vegans, veganfashionblog.com, helping vegans find cruelty-free style options, including shoes and handbags.

Mardi Larson, a spokeswoman for Payless, said part of the difference in the growth of options is the quality of the synthetic leathers that look and feel more like real leather than previous man-made substitutes.

"The materials industry has come a long way," she said. "The technology has come a long way and we're taking advantage of it."

Still, cheap chic and disposable fashion isn't always the answer for vegans who are concerned about animal cruelty as well as the ethical treatment of workers and protecting the environment.

Ashley Worley, owner of Firefly shoe store on Glenwood Avenue in Raleigh, says it's a tricky trade-off.

You can find cloth shoes, but how good are they for your feet? How long will they last?

You can buy a pair of man-made plastic shoes, but how much damage will they ultimately do to the environment? Did workers in third-world countries suffer to make them? And are the glues used to make them made from animals?

"People who want vegetarian shoes are going to be aware of all these issues," she said.

But vegans have to decide for themselves how far to take their purity, Hodges said.

"There are definitely more options out there," said Jennifer Vroom, 30, of Raleigh who has been a vegan for two years. "And as time goes by, we're going to have more choices. I think the more that people start to purchase them, it will show the demand is there."

HERE'S WHERE TRIANGLE VEGANS FIND SHOES

STORES

* Payless

* DSW

* Target

* Whole Foods (most stores)

ONLINE

* www.zappos.com

* www.earthshoes.com

* www.alternativeoutfitters.com

* www.mooshoes.com

* www.veganessentials.com

TALK BACK

You shop vegan? Tell us about your latest find. Or let us know if we left out a place you know of. Go to share.triangle.com and post your comment in the vegan fashion forum.