Are Nike Shoes Vegan? – Complete Guide

Nike shoes are everywhere, and you may just be wondering the same thing as I once was, are Nike shoes vegan?

Nike shoes are not always vegan because some of them contain either leather or non-vegan glue. Luckily, Nike started using vegan glue in 2015, so all newer models are vegan if they are without leather. Vegans should opt for synthetic leather shoes, sneakers, trainers, as regular leather is made of animals.

It’s actually not all that easy to know precisely which Nike shoes are vegan because there are so many models, and even those can have different materials. A shoe like the Nike Air Force 1, can be both vegan and non-vegan.

So read along as I explain how you choose a pair of vegan Nike shoes, as well as which are actually vegan.

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How To Choose Vegan Nike Shoes

Many of Nike’s shoes are entirely vegan, but some are not. So it’s essential to know precisely what you need to avoid when buying them.

Is Nike’s Glue vegan

Nike started using vegan glue around 2015, which means the glue they use is free from animal exploitation. So there is nothing wrong with the glue of new Nike shoes, but you do need caution with the old models.

The older models have non-vegan glue as they first started using vegan glue in 2015. It’s usually not a problem, as you rarely encounter 4-year-old shoes in the stores. However, it’s not recommended that you buy older models from before that time.

Stick to newer models if you want your shoes to be entirely vegan.

Non-Vegan Materials In Nike Shoes

• Full-grain leather
• Raw leather
• Corrected grain leather
• Nubuk leather
• Full leather
• Non-vegan glue

So these are the materials that you should avoid. Most of them are quite obvious, as you probably know that leather is not vegan. That includes any variation that’s made from real leather, but synthetic leather is fine.

Avoid the kinds of leather from this list. Synthetic leathers can have many names, so it’s a bit hard to navigate in this arena. However, if you avoid these kinds, then they should be vegan, as an E-mail inquiry to the company itself said that these are the non-vegan materials.

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Why Can’t Vegans wear Leather

By now you may be wondering why the leather in Nike shoes is non-vegan. That’s because leather is derived from an animal. Vegans cannot have any products from animals, for any reason, which includes leather.

Regular leather is made from animal skin, and that animal is normally cows. It’s essentially the same as eating animals, as it causes the same amount of harm. Thus, you cannot call yourself vegan if you wear leather.

Is All Leather Non-Vegan

Regular leather made of animal skin cannot be vegan. Although, synthetic leather, on the other hand, is entirely vegan as it’s artificial. Usually, we prefer our products to be natural as opposed to artificial, but in this case, the synthetic is better.

Synthetic leather is, in many ways, the future of leather. For one, it doesn’t require the slaughter of animals, and it’s also just a better material. Just think about this, regular leather is made for animals, not for shoes, sneakers, trainers, and handbags.

Read more about leather and vegans in this article.

The synthetic counterpart is made for specifically that. To give a great deal of protection to your feet, while being long-lasting and durable.

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Are All Nike Shoes Vegan

Not all Nike shoes are vegan, as some of them contain leather. Many are made of a combination of leather and synthetic materials, so not all of them are vegan. That’s because vegans can’t wear or consume anything of an animal, which leather is.

Luckily, Nike has many vegan shoe options. Whether it’s Nike trainers, running, or sneakers, they all have vegan options. Here’s an example of a pair of vegan Nike sneakers.

It’s also quite easy to identify whether or not a pair of Nike sneakers, or shoes, are vegan. When you purchase their products from Amazon, it actually says “synthetic,” “leather,” or something like that.

That makes it super easy to identify which Nike shoes are vegan, and which are not.

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Which Nike Shoes Are Not Vegan

Nike has stopped using non-vegan glue, so the only thing you need to avoid is leather. Now you may think; which Nike shoes are not vegan then?

All Nike shoes that contain any amount of leather are not vegan. So you must avoid those at all costs, to adhere to the vegan lifestyle. An example of these non-vegan Nike sneakers can be seen below.

These Nike sneakers contain both leather and synthetic materials. They are listed with the label “Leather-And-Synthetic,” which means they do have leather. So these are not vegan, but it does show how easy it is to find vegan Nike sneakers. Or at least which to avoid.

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Which Nike Shoes Are Vegan

So what popular Nike shoes and sneakers are actually vegan? Let’s take a look at some of the Nike sneakers to see which are vegan.

These are just some of their many options. Although it should give you some perspective as to what you need to look for. -And probably more important, what to avoid.

Are Nike Air Max Vegan

Not only does Nike have many different models, but those models can be wildly different, in both look and material. However, Nike Air Max is almost always vegan, as they are made of solely synthetic materials.

Both the shoe and the sole are synthetic, and they don’t have any of the leathers you need to avoid, as previously discussed.

You can have a closer look at the model by clicking the link above. Here you can see that it’s an entirely synthetic, and thus vegan, shoe.

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Are Nike Air Force 1 Vegan

Not all the Nike Air Force 1 sneakers are vegan, it depends on which you choose. Some of them are made of both synthetic and regular leather, making it non-vegan.

However, it’s quite easy to see if it’s vegan, in case you buy on Amazon. I found an example of a pair of vegan Nike Air Force 1 that you can see below.

Not only are these sneakers vegan, but they are probably my favorite Nike model. I love the design and comfort that it offers. Have a look at these if you are like me, and don’t worry, you can find them in white too.

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Are Nike Tanjun Vegan

Surprisingly enough, not all Nike Tanjun sneakers are vegan, as some of them have small amounts of leather. They do have plenty of vegan options, though, and it should be rather easy to find a vegan pair you like.

Here’s an example of a pair of vegan Tanjun sneakers.

The example above is 100% vegan, so have a look at those if you are looking for a pair. It’s probably one of the most comfortable shoes you can get without paying hundreds of dollars.

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Conclusion

Nike shoes are not always vegan, but many of them are. Besides, it’s incredibly easy to identify which are vegan if you buy them at Amazon. It can be a little more tricky if you purchase in a store because it’s hard to get a fast overview of the materials.

So I advise that you purchase most products like these online, which makes it both easy and safe to buy your Nike shoes vegan.