San Diego Unseen: An Urban Portrait
Polyvore a go-go! - I made this.
Psst. I bought another new pair of shoes: completely original, totally plaid, crazy comfortable and shockingly... vegan. And they weren't the accidentally vegan type either, the cheap shoes that eschew leather not for political or compassionate reasons, but just because pleather costs less. These are well-made and pricey Fluevogs and I got them not here in San Diego, but in San Francisco. Wah-wah.
But it got me to thinking about vegan shoes in general, and vegan shoes in San Diego more specifically, and that led me to the University Heights mini-store, All Vegan. I'm not. All vegan. But have been known to be so, for a day, sometimes even three whole ones in a row. And I love cute shoes. And I'm trying, harder every day, to be kinder in the biggest sense of the word. Ergo, a trip was in order.
What I didn't know before swinging by is that All Vegan is in fact mostly a shoe store. And while they have those very solid, sturdy shoes that I do not feel compelled to buy, ever, in spite of having a diagnosed shoe addiction, they also have some damn-fine sassy styles as well. My favorite brand that they deal in is Big Buddha, which I think is a horrible name. It sounds clunky and chunky and not what I want on my feet. But so be it. The shoes are cute: Herringbone oxfords? Yes. Combative buckle boots that can kick butt? Yes. Sweet and delicate flats? Yes.
Next time you're at El Zarape (the good, casual little one, not the less-than-stellar sit-down one) stop in All Vegan and check 'em out. It's across the street and a few doors down.
But I have to say, this got me thinking, and searching. Who else makes good vegan shoes and where can I get them? Turns out there are a lot of companies making gorgeous, unique, sexy, flattering and fun vegan shoes (and not just $400 Stella McCartney's either.) I made a Polyvore display of my favorites. Curious? Check it out, here.
Hey, All Vegan, might I suggest looking into Marais, Hearts of Darkness and (the admittedly expensive) Olsen Haus.
PS: One last link. This gal on Etsy.com hand-makes the most exquisite vegan shoes. Check her bad-ass self out.
