As some of you may have noticed, there has been a noticeable absence of New Balance shoes on this site as of late.  I like a lot of what NB has to offer and I’m thinking a lot of you out there feel the same way.  However, I have been consciously avoiding them due  to the fact that they have informed me that despite offering a handful of synthetic leather shoes, they cannot guarantee that their shoes were 100% animal free.

A little while back, I just happened upon a site (which shall remain nameless)selling packaged vegan food who happened to be selling New Balance shoes as well.  As this store appeared legit, I thought maybe that I had it wrong or that New Balance changed it up.  But after contacting NB with this news, my hopes were shot down:

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M587NV

MR905LW

Here at Vegan Kicks, we tend to focus on style over substance.  This is not necessarily a bad thing.  We like to look good.  Fortunately for us, most of what we like happens to be comfortable as well.  Veganism is a lifestyle choice in a way, and much of that lifestyle has to do with being more mindful of health and well-being.  Well, vegans and vegetarians definitely have the eating part of it down.  But it’s no secret that regular physical activity goes a long way to making you feel better and live longer.  Whether you play sports, work out, or perform some type of strenuous activity for your job, you need the equipment to go with it.  This one goes out to my runners out there.

The New Balance M587NV and MR905LW – both $104.95 – are men’s running shoes (sorry girls.  For the complete list of vegan shoes, men and women, click here).  The list is quite long, but I selected these two because the others were just, well I didn’t like them.  But these two are handsome, I think.  The M587NV goes with more of a retro look, harkening back to the New Balance shoes of the 80′s and 90′s.  The MR905L is sleeker, incorporating more obvious synthetic materials in the upper, such as molded plastic, probably to shave off some weight.  The look is more futuristic.  But whatever your pleasure, these two are sure to please if you run.  I don’t know crap about running shoes, but I have worn New Balances to run in, and they do nicely.  They aren’t nearly as nice as these.  So check them out, vegan runners!

Available at Tri City New Balance… [right now there's free shipping, guaranteed before Christmas, plus 10% off]  Click on the pics above to view the links to the store.  You’ll get more technical specs as well.

Huh, this is something a little different from those of us used to seeing the elevated running sole on New Balances.  Here, the V74 is jumping on the vulcanized sole bandwagon, with the top covered in all canvas.  Still, it keeps distinctive NB marks, such as the side “N” and the tongue tab.  Solid.  But keep in mind, that New Balance does not guarantee their synthetic or canvas shoes to be vegan.  They don’t necessarily know what their glues are made from.  You’ve been warned.

See the original post at Nice Kicks.  Click for more pics.

These are available in Black, Navy, Grey, and White at Zappos.

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Some more good news for you runners out there.  I found a dealer in New Balance and have a special little link for synthetic shoes… as this site confirms, there are no guarantees regarding the glues in NB’s and that is too bad.  But still, if you are comfortable just knowing that these are not leather, then check these out.  These are two of my fave ones out of their offering – the M587NV for men and WR883CU for women.  There are a lot of features in each shoe, and as a person whose had a few pairs of NB, you know you’re going to get a solid runner with good cushioning and breathability.  Peep Pics below (click for availability).

Hey guys, this is in response to Hugues’ question asking whether the New Balance 574 is vegan… well, the bad news is that no, this shoe is not vegan.  The good news is that New Balance does have many shoes that are made with synthetic leather.  The other bad news is that they do not have any guarantees regarding what kinds of glues are used.  So for you hardcore vegans out there, stay away from New Balance.  But, if you want to peep the list, keep reading…

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I am pleased to finally be featuring New Balance.  As many of you know, this company  isn’t exactly fond of using alternative materials, and it is kinda hard to distinguish between the synthetic and non-synthetic sometimes.  Nevertheless, these re-released New Balance CM 1600 are vegetarian, meaning the upper is synthetic leather.  They are probably not vegan, since New Balance apparently does not know what factories use what glues, so they can’t guarantee anything.  Whatever.

Recreated in its original colorway, the CM 1600 has a synthetic and nylon upper for breathability and durability.  As for performance features, it has the long used TPU stabilizer as well as a side ABZORB unit for cushioning.  For reference, these were originally released in the mid 90′s.  Plus, plus, they are made in the USA!  More pictures after the jump…

As of now I don’t know where you can get these.  Look for them to come out soon though, sorry.

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I think it is really important for clothing companies to disclose certain types of information about their products; really basic stuff they should know about their suppliers and manufacturers, such as whether they use child labor or what types of materials they’re .  Although I can understand why some companies would not WANT to disclose potentially incriminating information, there is no excuse for being uninformed about a simple question – do your shoes have animal products in them?

I got a surprising answer when I asked New Balance whether their shoes were vegan.  Some of them are constructed with a synthetic upper, so I just emailed them to ask whether there were other animals being used, in the glue perhaps.  Below is the email exchange: