Kat Von D’s New Vegan Shoe Line Is Made From Apples

What do you do when you can’t find the vegan products you want? Well if you’re Kat Von D you build multiple million dollar companies in the makeup and shoe industries and make them yourself.

As of November 1st, 2019 her luxury vegan shoe line Von D shoes launched on what also happened to be World Vegan Day.

“I became vegan in 2013 and, to be honest, I thought it was just a dietary thing,” she said

“Then I was looking at my shoe collection and everything was either made out of leather or snakeskin, or the adhesive used was derived from horses.”

She also had trouble finding shoes in her style and aesthetic that were vegan

“It was really difficult to find things that matched up to the way I liked to dress,” she explained

“I also looked around at all of my vegan friends and everybody was struggling in the same department.”

It took over two years but she created an impressive shoe collection that ranges in price from $90 to $350, is made in Italy by the same luxury shoe cobblers that produce shoes for Dior, Chanel, Gucci, Jimmy Choo and I environmentally friendly using apple peal based leather.

“It was really important to me to get vegan shoes on everyone’s feet,” she says.

“I really focused on making a wide variety of different styles ballet flats, wedges, platforms, combat boots, riding boots, moon boots, creepers, and then a few unisex styles as well. The quote-unquote ‘women’s styles’ come in sizes 5 to 12, just to be able to hook up all of my drag queen friends.”

The first collection features 13 styles and 19 more are going to follow in the months to come. She has no set schedule for those other 19 though because she doesn’t want her or the consumer pressured to pump out products.

“To be honest, I’m quite against fast fashion, and the damage that it does to our environment, as well as the psychological damage it does to people,” she admits.

“I feel like we live in a time where we feel this pressure to continuously buy, buy, buy. I don’t really want to contribute to that. Every shoe that I make is designed to last a lifetime, and I don’t want people to buy every single design, either. Whether you buy one, two, or three styles, they’re going to last you forever.”

If all of that wasn’t enough to pique your interest to buy these shoes there’s another compassionate reason to buy a pair or two. On select shoes in the line like the Calaveera pump emblazoned with a dog bone 100 percent of the sales will go to benefit no kill animal shelters.