Another win for kangaroos as New Balance stops using kangaroo leather

Banner image: Ondrej Machart / Unsplash

The athletic giant has taken a compassionate step towards ending the exploitation of kangaroos for leather by altering their sourcing policies to end the use of kangaroo skins and sales of kangaroo leather boots by December 2024.

This win for kangaroos comes a little over six months since Nike’s decision to switch from kangaroo leather to an innovative non-animal alternative and Puma’s announcement of switching to the cruelty-free alternative K-Better in their kangaroo leather football boots.

However, other athletic footwear giants such as Adidas are still lagging behind as they continue the cruel usage of kangaroo leather in their football boots.

Millions of wild kangaroos are cruelly hunted for their meat and skin. Data suggests around 40% of the shots fired are not immediately fatal, leaving the kangaroos to die a slow, painful death or be permanently maimed.

With the availability and proven performance of innovative non-animal alternatives, the suffering of kangaroos for footwear and other fashion items is completely indefensible.

Together, we can move more companies to phase out the cruel practice of using kangaroo leather and make the world a kinder place for kangaroos.