These shoes are vegan. Other than being made with no animal products, I have no idea what that means, politically speaking. Were more toxins generated with the man-made materials than would be with leather processing? How will they age? Do they breath? I guess this varies by brand. There are plenty creating vegan footwear. In fact, there is a store full of gorgeous pieces in Cambridge! Sudo Shoes, on Mass Ave, just a few blocks from the Porter Sq T station. This place has such a nice collection of bags, purses, shoes and accessories that I only realized on my third visit there was no leather. I guess that’s a testament to the lac of plastic outgassing too! Anyhow, I picked these out because the color! It is a gorgeous shade of royal blue. They are cute, practical and comfy.