The Nike Free collection has always been interesting in design and concept. The Roshe Run really raised my eyebrow though. I’m not crazy about running shoes because I don’t run, so I don’t really give a crap about performance. They generally tend to have too much going on, and they’re really expensive. The Roshe Run addresses both of these problems handily.
Saucony has offered the Jazz Low Pro vegan for a number of years now, so it was surprising when I searched my own site and discovered that I have never written about these ever. So, I guess here we are, a few years too late. You guys have probably seen these already, and it’s likely that you’ll either love them or hate them. When you compare the “vegan” colorways to the non-vegan ones, it’s obvious that some genius made the connection between vegans and granola lovers (“No, they’re not hippie enough!!!”). I guess they could do worse (just one of many examples, you know what I’m talking about). At the very least, they are solid throwbacks that are evocative of the much preferred New Balance 1400. Hey, we take what we can get.
Available at your local eco-friendly corner store, er, Zappos.
I think a lot of us who pay attention to this stuff are well aware of the Saucony Jazz Low Pro as a widely available retro running shoe that happens to be vegan. It also happens to be, well, pretty boring. Let’s be real, they look like old man shoes.
But lookey here, Saucony flipped the script with this 2011 new-and-improved Jazz Low Pro. Like before, it’s made out of hemp and canvas. But it’s gotten a significant style makeover. The heel padding is totally gone, now leaving just a thin fabric backing. I believe overall, there is much less padding, though I can’t tell 100% from the pictures. I think they just abandoned all pretense that this shoe would be used for running. But to me, it’s for the better. The shape and silhouette are significantly more sleek. And no one is running in these shoes anyway, right?
Available at Premier for $55.
I had to shout out my European peeps. The vegan scene is definitely well represented in Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Poland… man, everywhere. I can’t believe it, but I can honestly say this is an international blog. The WWW is crazy! Thank you so much for reading, and giving me your support. Nothing is better than hearing from people from all over the place, giving me ideas and input. So cool. But anyway, onto the shoes!
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.
I’ve been posting a lot lately on boots and some dressier shoes, but I can’t ignore my love for the sneaker. And to me, nothing represents dope kicks like a Nike Air Max. Ever since the Nike invented “Air” (heh) and started incorporating it into all these different models, Air Max represented the pinnacle. I recall when I was young, I could never get em’ because they were so expensive, and I was especially blown away when they had the air balloon that went all the way around the heel.
The Nike Airmax 2010 is the top running shoe offered by Nike (with a price that reflects that description). The upper is all synthetic, with mesh combined with Flywire technology for a lightweight and strong build. The main event is the Air Max technology. For those familiar with Nike’s Air Max shoes, or if you take a brief visual inspection, you’ll know that your feet will be sitting entirely on airbags for a nice cushy ride. This kind of running shoe seems to be a stark contrast to some other new Nikes, such as the Free, which eschews the fancier features and aims for simplicity. I guess as a runner it’s really your preference. As a non-runner, I can’t speak to the performance, but both styles looks dope to me.
Pictured here is a new colorway, white/black/orange. There are several others as well. Available at Finish Line (Mens & Womens).
Source: Nice Kicks. Click below for more pics!
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).
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.
These shoes look pretty good for a runner. I don’t know if you’ve had the chance to try on Nike’s new LunarLite soles or Flywire technology, but the stuff is super comfy! After contacting Nike, I was able to get confirmation that these shoes are made of 100% synthetic materials. They are available at several stores including Zappos and Nike Store. Check out one of the men’s colorways after the jump.
-Birdfeed
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