May’s Spotlight of the Month: Steve Fish

Steve Fish, of Left Feet Shoe Company, bares his sole to green is sexy…

Steve, how did you decide to open an ethical shoe store?

As a long time vegetarian gone vegan I could no longer live with the contradiction of wearing animal leather. But when I set out to find alternatives for myself here in Canada I discovered that the options were sparse so I did a little research and found that my fellow veg’ns were feeling the same way. My day job wasn’t a keeper and I really wanted to work for myself doing something I cared about so I started planning my launch of Left Feet.

What influenced you to consider a vegan way of living?

I think my earliest exposure to vegetarianism & animal rights came through touring hardcore & punk rock shows. Often bands would table info for PETA or more grassroots vegetarian activists like Food Not Bombs. I learned that the connection between what we produce and what we consume involves far too much cruelty and exploitation of the earth, humans, and our animal friends. Left Feet is my reaction.

So if the shoes aren’t leather, what materials are used in the making of the footwear?

All of the leather alternatives are made of a breathable polyurethane/cotton blend. This progressive synthetic material also makes the majority of the shoe biodegradable. I avoid PVC (poly vinyl chloride) – which is both non-breathable & quite toxic.Unfortunately most people consider leather to be a natural product but, in addition to the barbaric conditions and resource intensive factory farms, animal hides are often processed with heavy metals like chrome during the tanning process. This is extremely dangerous for the tannery workers and prevents the leather from biodegrading safely. Left Feet also offers footwear made of cotton canvas, organic hemp & shoes with recycled tire treads for soles.

Do you take into consideration how the shoes are manufactured and avoid sweatshops?

Yes. All my shoes are fairly produced in Portugal, Spain, & the United Kingdom. I make a point of buying shoes from countries that do not prevent workers from organizing or collective bargaining. The UK factory is the oldest co-op in the country – established in 1881.

Visit Left Feet on the web.

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