I think we might be insane...

I will try to keep this short...because it's such a bummer to talk about this. There are hidden complications in being vegan, and even more so when combined with the added rejection of mainstream manufacturing that relies on the exploitation of workers in other countries. We would like to think that this isn't a problem with us, but with everyone else(kinda like the atheist thing...). But sometimes it is hard to not wonder. Are we insane?

Vegan shoes...not the easiest thing to find. Make that vegan kid shoes, extra degree of difficulty. I guess not too many vegans are having kids. Or they don't care about what conditions the shoes are made in...

A pic from back in the day when we did not look into where our clothes and shoes were made...2008 I think. Check your Nike, Adidas, Reebok shoes, etc...The very definition of exploitation. Pay workers in poor countries close to nothing to make shoes, then sell them in western countries for outrageous prices.

It feels almost impossible to find a non-leather shoe, that was not also made in China/Vietnam/India/Bangladesh/Cambodia/Thailand....you get the point. Sophie and I went to 3 shoe stores today. The first had no shoes that did not have leather. The second had 1 pair of canvas shoes made in Vietnam. The last had about 5 pairs of non-leather shoes, but all made in Asia.

Really the plan was just go to the stores, get her shoe size(different shoe sizes in the UK than in the US), then we order her shoes online that are vegan and made in Europe. So really, I knew what to expect...it was just sad that we live in a world like this. A world that doesn't care how the workers that make the product you're buying are treated. That just cares about what they get...they don't care if a creature had to die for their shoes...or if workers get paid $15 a week to make their underwear in Jamaica, or even less to make their shoes in China.

We did find a store that makes shoes here in the UK, but they are not sneakers(here). So we will get her one pair of those, but we will still have to look for sneakers for her. We end up paying more for these kinds of thing, because they are considered specialty products. And one of the reasons is because it does cost more to get materials in a responsible manner(instead of say, using dead body parts to make shoes), and to pay workers a fair wage. But another huge reason is because there is not a proper process in place anymore for producing these products in large numbers. Because as the volume increases, the cost per unit decreases. So yes, sure, we would pay more than for the shoes we normally get at the department store now. But is paying a little more really an excuse for exploiting not just animals, but fellow humans? Them being far away does not make them any less human...

And besides, buying 2 or 3 pairs of shoes instead 5 or 6, or even more than many people have is a small price to pay for the better treatment of others. But apparently, we are crazy for thinking so.