Product Review: Faux Shearling Vegan Boot

Manufacturer: Alternative Outfitters
Price: $48.00 USD, plus applicable shipping
Material: microsuede, with synthetic wool fleece lining
Colors: Tan and black
Direct link for purchase: here

When I first became a vegetarian, panic set in. This panic had very little to do with not eating meat, and more to do with winter wear.

I admit it. I'm a reformed slave to fashion. There was a time when I didn't care where my clothing items came from as long as they were stylish and expensive. Ah, the dangers of impressionable youth and a corporate society.

I still like to think of myself as having some sense of style. I still love clothes and shoes and purses and accessories, and I thought this was something I would have to give up as a result of my new awareness regarding animal cruelty. I had visions of myself wearing a potato sack and banging a drum in the street.

Kidding. Well, sort of.

I was fine with giving up fashion. Better the potato sack than a corpse. However, as I did more and more research, I realized that this is not the vegetarianism of the past. There are dozens of websites and companies and clothing lines that not only provide animal-friendly choices, but help you to understand where these products are coming from and at what cost.

The truth is, there are millions of us out there, who love animals and who love clothes, and by God, we can have it all!!!

There are many websites out there catering to animal-friendly fashionista and Alternative Outfitters is one of them. This month I embarked on my first purchase from them and decided on a pair of winter boots.

I have been an Ugg-wearer for several years. Not because I find them particularly stylish. In fact, I don't necessarily disagree with the public outcry regarding their hideousness. However, I live in Canada. It gets pretty freaking cold here. And in my 24 years old as a Canadian, Uggs were the warmest boots on the market, to the point where if I wanted to, I could wear barefeet and my Uggs through the nastiest of January storms and my toes would still stay nice and toasty.

All of this became a moot point with my vegetarianism, because Uggs are made of sheepskin.

And so began my quest to find morally-conscious winter boots.

I looked around some shops in town, the standard issue AmericanEagleAbercrombieHollisterBoathouse generation of stores, all of which carry Ugg knockoffs, some animal friendly and some not, none of which struck me as particularly warm or particularly durable.

I came across the Alternative Outfitters through PETA, saw these boots listed and figured I'd give them a shot. I was indecisive at first, because of my obsession with finding the warmest boots possible and the lack of ability to try them on and feel just how warm they were, but for $50, I closed my eyes and clicked submit.

The boots arrived within a couple weeks (however, international shoppers, do note that I had to pay a customs fee). It is important to note that other than their shape, they bare very little likeness to traditional Uggs. I had some concerns because they were incredibly light, much lighter than most winter boots.

The are manufactured by a company called Wild Diva, which was not and is not listed on the Alternative Outfitters website. They are also made in China, which is not mentioned on the website either, so if you are involved in several of the major boycotts going on regarding Chinese product manufacturing, be sure to steer clear of these boots.

I have one other minor complaint. When I purchased these boots a few weeks ago, there was no mention of their durability. However, if you check the link now, the following disclaimer is provided:

PLEASE NOTE: THESE BOOTS ARE MADE OUT OF A MICRO-FIBER FABRIC. THEY ARE NOT SUITABLE FOR HEAVY WEAR, OR HARSH WEATHER CONDITIONS.

I would have preferred to know this prior to my purchase, as everyday between December and March we experience what would be considered 'harsh weather conditions' in my neck of the woods. Furthermore, the website doesn't specify what is considered harsh weather conditions: Extreme cold? Snow? Sleet? Freezing Rain? All of the Above? And just how much snow has to fall before it is considered 'harsh'?

Further, it is very important to read the disclaimer regarding sizing. These boots are very generous with their sizes. I normally wear an 8.5 so I sized down to an 8, and regardless of the fact that I have wide duck-feet (hey, ducks are beautiful and noble creatures), they are still too wide for my feet, particularly around the heel.

It is important to note that Alternative Outfitters has a very generous return policy, and had I wanted to exchange for another size or another item, they would have covered the shipping. The only situation where the customer would have to pay the shipping is if the item was being returned for a full refund, which I consider more than fair business practice. This is not a multi-conglomerate, big-box store we're talking about; it is an independently owned internet-based company with one store location that is working hard to ensure that we all can look cute and still respect other living creatures.

Regardless of these initial reservations, I decided to give it the old college try, and trekked about town in them while doing some Xmas shopping in the early stages of what is allegedly going to be a major snowstorm. It was cold. I was going shop to shop in the downtown area of my city for well over an hour and my feet stayed warm. Actually, they were damn near sweating. These boots are as warm, if not warmer, than my old, beloved, unnecessarily cruel, Uggs.

I was overjoyed. The rest of my complaints were deemed irrelevant and it looks as though my quest for the-perfect-boot-where-no-one-has-to-die has come to a close. I'm telling you, I don't care about anything regarding the boots but the lack of animal use and the prevention of me losing a toe to frost bite this winter. The season is just beginning, so as winter draws to a close in a few months I'll follow-up with this issue, and see just how much 'harsh weather' these suckers can take.