All creatures, great and small, are a sacred part of nature. Buddhists believe that even the smallest living thing, such as an ant or flower, has a soul. The grace and tranquility that animals lend to the great outdoors is being destroyed. Greedy and selfish fashion hogs are consuming the resources the earth provides us. For example, ivory was once a fashion craze, at the expense of the lives of majestic elephants. Today, we see this cruelty echoed in leather foot wear.

However, the gentle vegetarians, known as vegans, are doing their part to preserve the natural world. Forsaking not only the foods from animals, but furs and leathers as well, the vegan may think that his or her feet are left with little choice. Luckily, vegan shoes are plentiful, produced from synthetic materials that beautifully mimic the real thing.

Vegan shoes are not limited to day-wear like tennis shoes or slippers. There are business shoes, boots, high heels, and outdoor hiking shoes. Entirely man made materials produce extremely fashionable vegan shoes. Textures range from luscious looking faux suede, to shiny and impressive leather replacements, to everyday sneaker material.

When you go hunting for a pair of vegan shoes, there are a few things to keep in mind. Mass producers of vegan shoes have a certain ìkosherî quality to them. Manufacture of this footwear is overseen and designed by those concerned with the safety of animals, and in the interest of the wearer. While the idea of wearing a dead animal may be less than appealing to some, the appearance is known to be quite attractive. With this is in mind, the manufacturers have created vegan shoes that could fool even the most experienced fashionette.

Tennis shoes are the most commonly worn shoe in America. Designed for comfort and mobility, tennis shoes can be worn with anything excluding formal or business wear. Their water-resistant quality can be achieved quite effectively with pleathers (synthetics) and vinyls. One of the plus sides of vegan shoes is that they are more easily washed and cared for than animal skins.

Boots are many people's favorites, especially during winter time. Their larger and thicker structure protects us from the elements, while their shaped heels and leggings provide a nice accent to any outfit. This season, the suede look has become particularly popular. With man-made synthetic fibers, vegan shoes can be on the feet of any animal-friendly person.

The vegan looking for business shoes may have found himself in a difficult shoe search. Wingtips and office shoes are almost always made from leather. Like all other shoes, the business shoe has been successfully imitated with pleathers and vinyls. Unlike regular business shoes, vegan shoes don't need to be buffed and cleaned nearly as often.

As animal slaughter continues, conscience prompts many to turn to synthetic vegan shoes to combat human cruelty. Tennis shoes, boots, heels and business shoes can be as earth friendly as the rest of your wardrobe.