Kangaroo leather: A luxurious material with a bloody price.

Nike’s like ‘Whoa, hold up! We’re jumping on the no kangaroo-leather bandwagon, too!’ Just two weeks after PUMA said they’d be ditching kangaroo-leather, Nike followed suit and declared they were stopping the use of K-leather for their Tiempo soccer boot line. Looks like these big companies have had a sudden change of heart!

Kangaroo leather’s sumptuous and distinctive feel has long captured the attention of the fashion world, which now uses it to create high-end shoes, purses, and other accessories. Yet, the immoral consequences of the material’s harvesting have brought this sector under fire. Kangaroo population decrease, environmental damage, and severe animal suffering are all linked to the harvesting of kangaroo leather. As a result, kangaroo leather import and sale are now prohibited in several nations. 

A law banning the import and sale of kangaroo parts are now being proposed in the United States. The bill, which seeks to safeguard animal welfare, has the support of the Kangaroos Are Not Shoes movement. Similar legislation prohibiting the selling of kangaroo parts has been introduced in Oregon.

One of the biggest exporters of kangaroo leather is Australia. To ensure that hunting is sustainable and does not endanger the existence of the species, various laws are in place. Only male kangaroos may be taken by hunters, according to Australian law. There are also limits on the number of kangaroos that can be killed annually. Animal rights advocates, however, have criticised Australia’s kangaroo hunting laws, arguing that the practice still threatens kangaroo numbers and results in needless suffering. Furthermore, they contend that because the hunting quotas are too high and yet permit overhunting, these restrictions do not sufficiently conserve the species. Additionally, they make the point that many items made of kangaroo leather are not necessary and may be fashioned from other materials. For these reasons, activists of animal rights have urged for a total ban on kangaroo leather, which would prevent overhunting and guarantee the survival of the species.

Animal rights activists contend that hunting still threatens kangaroo populations and amounts to immense suffering regardless of these laws. 

Kangaroo leather has been a source of contention for many years, and as the market for animal goods has grown recently, it has come to light. Numerous well-known fashion companies have come under fire for employing kangaroo leather in their products; some have even come under boycott pressure from the general population. This year, the German sportswear company Puma also ceased making football boots with kangaroo leather. Another A-listed brand, Nike received harsh criticism in 2017 for utilising kangaroo leather in the construction of its soccer cleats. The business was charged with encouraging kangaroo hunting and not taking animal welfare seriously. In response to the criticism, Nike pledged to stop using kangaroo leather in its products. Another illustration is the high-end clothing company Gucci, which received flak for utilising kangaroo leather in several of its items. Gucci responded by declaring that it will stop using kangaroo leather in its designs and would instead concentrate on adopting more eco-friendly materials. Many other fashion companies have followed suit and begun to phase out the usage of kangaroo leather in their products as a result of the growing public awareness of animal welfare issues. For instance, to lessen its influence on the environment, the upscale clothing company Prada has pledged to stop using kangaroo leather in its designs. Even though these advancements are positive, it’s crucial to keep in mind that many corporations and fashion labels still use kangaroo leather in their products. Customers and animal rights campaigners must thus keep putting pressure on these businesses to stop using this material and switch to more environmentally friendly substitutes.

Nevertheless, the controversy over kangaroo leather is significant, and it is reassuring to see that many fashion companies are making efforts to limit their use of this substance. It is also evident that much more has to be done to guarantee that animal welfare is given significant consideration and that kangaroo numbers are not jeopardised by hunting.