Are Adidas Shoes Vegan? -Complete Guide

The brand has some of the sleekest sneakers, trainers, and shoes, but are Adidas shoes vegan, and what should you know?

Adidas shoes are not always vegan, because many of them have leather, while older models use animal testing and non-vegan glue. They started using more humane methods of production in recent times, so newer models without leather are vegan. Although, you need to be careful about leather, as even trace amounts are considered non-vegan.

So it seems rather easy to identify vegan Adidas shoes from non-vegan ones. However, there are some things you need to know before purchasing. It’s important to read the materials list for yourself to make sure, every time. I recommend that you buy online, as it’s easier to find the information you need.

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How To Choose Vegan Adidas Shoes

Choosing a pair of vegan Adidas shoes, sneakers, or trainers, is just like determining whether or not any other pair of shoes are vegan. There are some things you need to consider, which is the usual stuff such as; the glue, materials, and animal testing.

Do Adidas Use Leather

Some Adidas shoes contain leather, which cannot be vegan. Leather comes from the skin of an animal, meaning an animal was slaughtered to make the product(Read more). Thus, there’s no acceptable amount of leather in vegan products. This means that you have to be very care to determine if a pair of Adidas shoes have even the least amount of leather, before purchase.

Do Adidas Use Animal Testing

Adidas, as a brand, do not use animal testing. They state in this article that they do not tolerate animal testing in new products. However, what’s important is to note that this is only in newer models, while the older models might have animal testing. It’s hard to say exactly which as it’s not something they brag about.

The same is actually true for Nike, which you can read more about here. They started using vegan materials in the year 2015, and it’s said that other brands have done the same, in the following years.

Is Glue In Adidas Vegan

It’s difficult to say whether or not Adidas uses vegan glue. However, one major reason glue can be non-vegan is due to animal testing, which is not an issue. All newer models of Adidas are without the use of animal testing, as I said before.

There’s also the issue if glue actually contain some non-vegan elements. While it’s never safe to just assume, it seems that the glue is vegan. -And I was not able to find a definite source, most resources say that Adidas use vegan glue.

Sneakers Brands With Vegan Glue

In fact, most sources say that the following brands all use vegan glue:

• Adidas
• ASICS
• Globe
• Mizuno
• Reebok
• Vans
• Converse
• Nike
• Brooks

This makes a lot of sense considering Nike does the same. These brands use synthetic glues, and the fact of the matter is that synthetic glue is not just vegan, it’s better. Thus, these sneakers, shoes, trainers, etc, all started using it. It makes sense as it’s a better alternative to the non-vegan glues.

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Vegans Avoid This In Adidas

The most important thing when it comes to buying vegan shoes is to know that every shoe, sneaker, trainer can be different. By that I mean that a pair Adidas shoes can be vegan while others are not. Sometimes it’s simple to determine, but other times it’s definitely not.

Non-Vegan Materials In Adidas

• Full-grain leather
• Raw leather
• Corrected grain leather
• Nubuk leather
• Full leather
• Non-vegan glue (Older models)
• Animal testing

Many of these things can seem rather easy to avoid, but it’s not always the case. For example sometimes shoes are without leather on the top, but have some leather inside. It’s easy enough to see if a shoes has leather on top, but don’t let that fool you. You need to identify if there’s even a trace amount.

Non-Vegan Leather VS Real Leather

Another issue is that synthetic leather is similar to real leather. So even though a pair of shoes seem non-vegan, they may be.

Check this example out on Amazon, to get an idea of what I’m talking about.

Why Is Leather In Adidas Not Vegan

The issue with leather, any kind of leather, is that it comes from an animals. Vegans cannot have any amount of animal product in their diet, or clothing. So this means they need to avoid shoes with leather, no matter which brands.

The reason for this being that animals suffer a lot from this practice. Many animals even have their skin ripped off while alive. So it’s actually more important to choose a pair of vegan Adidas shoes, than avoid milk. (Both is preferred)

However, there’s one kind of leather that’s good. That’s the synthetic leather. The reason it’s called that is, not surprisingly, because it’s not real leather. Which makes it 100% vegan, despite looking non-vegan.

Are All Adidas Shoes Vegan

Far from all Adidas shoes are vegan, even though many are. That’s why it’s important that you take your time to make sure, every time. It’s a lot easier to purchase vegan Adidas shoes online because you have so much information at your fingertips.

It can be incredibly difficult to buy vegan Adidas shoes at a store. Sometimes the tag is off and sometimes the box has dissapered. -And even if all the tags, etc, are present, it’s still hard to determine exactly which materials are in it. -And don’t even consider asking the employees, they don’t know either.

That’s why I always recommend that you buy shoes online. Amazon is a great place, but there are also some webshops with “vegan” search filters.

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Which Adidas Shoes Are Vegan

Adidas shoes made of textile on the top are always almost vegan. It’s not safe to say always, but it’s almost always the case, so you should not worry too much about these kinds. That being said, if you have the slightest doubt; avoid them.

It’s not worth it to purchase something if you are not 100% sure. Animals suffer and you will spend your time wondering if you shoes contribute to this. So do your homework, and make sure it’s vegan.

Vegan Adidas Shoes

Luckily, many Adidas shoes are vegan, and it’s quite easy to identify which are. Most of them state if it’s “synthetic”, “leather”, or a mixture. Right at the beginning of each listing. Pretty neat? Here are some examples of vegan Adidas shoes.

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Adidas Originals, synthetic

These may look like leather but it’s actually 100% synthetic. I first thought they had some sort of raw leather, but apparently it’s just synthetic. This just goes to show that it’s impossible to know which are vegan and which are not. At least without having a look online.

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Cloudfoam Running Shoes

This one is a bit more obvious. It looks vegan, and it is vegan. Most of the Adidas running shoes are vegan, which is not even on purpose. The simple reason is that textile and vegan materials are the best for breathability.

Thus it doesn’t even make sense to use leather, and that’s why it’s rare to find non-vegan running shoes. -At least from Adidas.

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Conclusion

It can be difficult to choose a pair of vegan Adidas shoes. There are many things you need to consider and the worst part is that it’s hard to know. So even though you know what to avoid, it’s difficult to know the exact materials of an Adidas shoe.

You need to make sure every time and it’s not enough to simply assume. I recommend that you buy online because you have so much information available. Buying in stores on the other hand, can be a jungle. -And you may even end up buying something, even though you are not 100% sure. It’s bad for the environment, and your conscious.