Is Fake Leather Ever Worth It?
On Saturday I bought some new little leather booties. They were fake leather, yes, but they were also $60, which is not $0, which made me think they still must be of some quality. I’ve worn them for one week and they are totally trashed and terrible. I am never buying fake leather shoes again—that was my $60 lesson. I asked some friends about their thoughts and feelings about leather and fake leather. Is it ever worth it?
Lauren Rodrigue says, No.
Logan: What was your first leather jacket? Did you have a fake one before this good one?
Lauren: No, never.
Logan: So you never buy fake leather.
Lauren: No. Well if it was a skirt I would. Belts, yes. Um sandals, yes, because faux leather sandals are so cheap and so trendy they don’t have to last longer than a summer or two anyway.
Logan: So for you the thing about buying real leather is really about quality, not about feeling like you’re cheap or fake.
Lauren: Correct. And also if you wear closed faux leather shoes without socks they make your feet smell. Like faux ballet flats are like walking around with like 2-liter Coke bottles as shoes. Not breathable. And plastic leather doesn’t break in like leather does. It hurts. Smells.
Logan: I feel like when we were younger, “nice” stores always had real leather shoes and fake leather was just for cheap and trendy, like at Payless or Old Navy or whatever. But now I feel like fake leather is everywhere and I’ve been duped more than once because the price point is in my mind, too high to be fake so it must be real.
Lauren: I think IN MY MIND anyway that in our generation, and the one below us, there’s just less a concern for quality overall. Whereas when my middle class parents were young, my dad got ONE nice pair of leather shoes, and when they wore out he would get another, and thats it. There isn’t that premium on quality anymore and the more you see fake leather at Urban Outitters where expensive shit lives and status lives, the more it becomes OK to buy. When it was just Payless and Walmart that had pleather, forget it, but now it’s everywhere cool that we shop. IDK about the generational thing. It just seems real to me. It’s not a dissimilar concept to like, crazy preservatives and chemicals in food compared to more authentic food like 40 years ago.
Logan: Do you think it’s different for men and women?
Lauren: Same thing, if not more strange, since men generally have fewer shoes than women. They have less shoe options for sure. There’s no REASON not to buy 1-2 NICE pairs of leather shoes that will last a long time and look handsome. I don’t even know that faux is as available in men’s. Women’s shoes are so trendy they just beg to be made cheaply.
Logan: I bought these boots for $60, little chelsea-style boots, you know the ones. I have had them a week and they are trashed. They look terrible. The uppers has basically crumpled like paper. So basically what you are saying is, I should have known that would happen and never bought them and instead bought real proper leather shoes.
Lauren: Well, not known better. If you’re not REALLY taught that from someone else, you need to experience it yourself in order to learn. When I saw those sweet little red boots of yours ALREADY falling apart the other night at the bar, I just wanted to unsee. There are few things more devastating than the weird paper-towel facade beginning to flake off the slab of polyurethane it covers.
Logan: So even the cutout boots you bought recently, which are so so trendy, they are real leather? Even for such a trend?
Lauren: Yesssss. I could have bought faux ones; they had them for $50 at DSW. I tried them on while feeling really stressed about even trying them, but they made me bummed. They didn’t wear correctly. They weren’t stiff or glossy like the ones I wanted, and I knew I wouldn’t love them. And that’s 50 bucks wasted as opposed to $140 and I’ve already worn them 20 times and felt DISPROPORTIONATELY PROUD AND SATISFIED WITH MYSELF while wearing them.
Logan: So better to have no new shoes than new fake leather shoes, is what you’re saying.
Lauren: Yes. Faux ones seem like a failure. You know they’ll fall apart, they won’t age well, they won’t smell nice, they’ll LOOK floppy and bad. Buying faux instead of leather, but spending less money at that moment, is something you do just to satisfy a jones. It’s like buying a clearance rack T-shirt you don’t care about when you really want a nice thick sweater folded up on a table in the front-center of the store. We all know how that bodes.
Nozlee Samadzadeh says, you be you.
Logan: Do you have any thoughts or feelings on fake leather? The consensus seems to be that real is always better than fake, but there are some occasions when it makes sense to buy fake leather.
Nozlee: I would add that I love fake leather when it LOOKS like fake leather, but not when it’s trying to be too fancy. I mean, a fake leather jacket is essentially like wearing a thick plastic trashbag, you know? So as long as I’m owning that I’m cool with it (note: I don’t own any fake leather jackets). I am TOTALLY DOWN with cute fake leather shoes because they’re going to get destroyed in a few months anyway so who cares. What I certainly don’t want to do is pay $$ for fake leather a la Stella McCartney no matter the vegan/ethical thoughts involved.
Megan says, Never for shoes, okay for other stuff if you can’t afford the real thing.
Logan: Do you buy fake leather?
Megan: I just bought a fake leather jacket on Sunday!
Logan: TELL ME MORE.
Megan: Well it all started last year, with the Man Repeller’s Rebecca Minkoff leather studded jacket. I wanted it soooooo bad. But it was over $1,000. Bonkers. So I’ve just been looking around. I have an ebay alert for the Rebecca Minkhoff one, but found this one on Sunday for $35! It was at the good TJ Maxx. Instead of saying fake leather, the label said vegan leather. You can’t trick me—still man-made material. But for $35 bucks, why not.
Logan:W hat a deal. The good TJ Maxx really lives up to its name sometime.
Megan: I was wrong, this all started two years ago with Rachel Zoe. I think it’s the same jacket actually, but I think she had it first. No it’s different. Definitely different. Anyway so I’ve been obsessed with this jacket for two years and now everyone has studs on everything and I look like a trend follower, so. God maybe it was three years ago. I’ve been pining after that jacket for a long time.
Logan: It is a good jacket. And I feel like that must happen to you a lot. You’re always ahead of the current.
Megan: But I can’t afford above the current so I have to wait! Anyway the one I found looks pretty good, not too shiny. You have a real one, right?
Logan: I don’t know. I think it’s fake. I can’t tell and someone took the tag out, which makes me think it’s fake. But it’s also The Gap red label, you know the one that fights AIDS or whatever, so maybe that means it’s more high quality? I have no idea. I spent $40 on it at Buffalo Exchange. The one I had before, also from Buffalo Exchange, was $11 and definitely fake and I loved it. It wasn’t fronting. While I feel like this one is fronting a little bit. But I lost that one so now I have this one because I spent an entire Saturday going to every resale store in the city and then just gave up and bought this one.
Megan: This is the that you had last time I was there? The black one? I thought it was real. It looks good.
Logan: It looks okay unzipped. Zipped up it looks stupid. Also it has these vent things in the back that are just so ugly. Like, they look like vaginas. In my coat. Okay one more question: fake leather shoes?
Megan: No. Fake leather rubs blisters and doesn’t wear as well.
Logan: So It’s a quality thing and not a status thing.
Megan: My feet sweat too much for fake shoes. That’s it.
“Beth” says, sure, why not, except if you’re a dude.
Logan: Do you buy fake leather?
“Beth”: Is my name going to be associated with answering these questions?
Logan: No.
“Beth”: Well then, yes, I do buy fake leather.
Logan: So there is some shame associated with that.
“Beth”: I think there is general society shame for buying fake anything, mostly associated with not being able to afford the “real deal.”
Logan: Have people ever asked you if your shit is real? I feel like that’s the first thing anyone says about my fake leather jacket—is it real?
“Beth”: I don’t think anyone has ever asked me that! I would say though, that I’ve wondered to myself about whether or not something is real on other people. But always more about jackets and clothing items than purses and wallets. I also automatically assume all leather looking man things are real leather.
Logan: Oh yes I hadn’t even considered that before. I do the same thing. Do they make fake leather for men?
“Beth”: Sure?! I bet H&M has fake man leather jackets.
Logan: See, this is interesting because now I’m thinking that if guy I knew was wearing fake leather I’d be like, that’s gross, get a real jacket, what’s wrong with you. But I’m fine with my fake leather jacket and other girls’ fake leather jackets. Well, I’d rather mine be real leather. And everyone’s be real leather. Leather for the people. But, you know. I’m fine with it enough to buy it.
“Beth”: I think I’d think the same thing!
Logan: But I guess I feel it’s ok for women because we have so many clothes and things are in season and stuff.
“Beth”: Right. And we’re not expected to pick quality/classic items. We have much more room for trendy.
Shannon Palus says, Never, get that fake trash away from me.
Logan: Do you ever buy fake leather?
Shannon: I hate fake leather.
Logan: Tell me more.
Shannon: I used to buy purses and things a lot from H&M (like, as a teenager), and then one day I got sick of it all and threw it all out because I don’t like how it feels. This is not a judgement on anyone who has stuff that’s fake leather, I can’t even tell/don’t bother to tell if its not physically in my hands. But if I have to touch it, I want it to be real. So now I have exactly three purses, all leather, all bought at thrift and vintage stores for under $30 each. Basically, fake leather never, cheap recycled leather always. I guess it’s also more cruelty free, which I feel like should be important to me.
Logan: The cruelty part is interesting. Leather doesn’t really get shamed like fur does, even though it’s still like, the skin of an animal. And while I would never wear fur, or rather, haven’t worn fur and feel icky about it, never say never, I covet leather.
Shannon: I think at least leather is really practical for some things. I was vegetarian for 10 years because I like(d) animals. But I never really checked if shoes and things were leather.
Logan: Me either. That contributed to me eating meat again actually, after 12 years. There were a lot of reasons, but one of them was, okay, I say I’m doing this for animal rights but I still wear leather and covet leather, so I must be at least a little bit full of shit.
Shannon: I think moderation across the board is key. “Key,” as though I could own 100+ pairs of gucci leather gloves if I wanted to.
Heather Yamada-Hosley says, Always, only.
Logan: Do you ever buy fake leather?
Heather: I only buy vegan leather because I’m a vegan. I also don’t buy anything else that uses animal products when I can help it (some are unavoidable such as cars). In terms of clothing items, I always check to make sure they’re vegan (including anything leather-like). This is especially tricky with shoes because sometimes only the interior lining is leather and everything else is man made. Luckily, many manufacturers include a sticker on the sole of the shoe with what materials are used (an animal pelt/fur rug shape indicates leather).
Previously on The Billfold
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Oh man. Fake leather! I haven’t bought into it being trendy. I can understand if it’s a vegan thing and if you really really want a cheap version of something, but otherwise, real leather. Hands down.
Real leather always feels better, wears better, and you can take care of it. The big downsides for me are cost and weight.
Real leather belts are better! They crease better. I kind of agree on crappy summer sandals, but cheap/fake leather cuts my feet up.
@gyip As noted above, fake leather isn’t necessarily cheap. And well-made “vegan leather” can look great and be remarkably durable – oh, my Matt and Nat green purse that looks amazing three years later. I will wear you forever.
@gyip “As noted above, fake leather isn’t necessarily cheap.” I read that too. It’s just that for me, I wouldn’t pay for expensive fake leather. I just don’t. I don’t love designer bags or bag designs enough to compromise on materials.
For me, I can generally tell fake leather from real by feeling it. Again for me, if I’m paying such and such amount for a bag, at a certain point, I’d rather pay the same or more for real leather.
I do like that plastic leather can repel water, but you can easily treat leather to have similar properties, and finished leather can do fine in the rain … it just needs to be wiped off once you’re inside.
Maybe it’s also a “look” thing … that if I want the look of leather and I have no moral objection, why not leather? If I get a plastic bag, I prefer not to justify to myself how much it looks or doesn’t look like leather — if it’s supposed to look plastic, then great! A bit like how I just like tofu and not “meat alternatives.”
Note: I totally respect everyone’s right to buy vegan leather and tofurkey :)
I’ve never had a bad experience with fake leather shoes getting messed up, but maybe that’s because I live in a place where it doesn’t snow/rains only sometimes. Plus I never expect my shoes to last that long and don’t want them to since I like to cleanse and re-add to my wardrobe every year or two. I also almost never buy shoes over $40 because I’m cheap, ha ha.
I decided to buy fake leather booties this year instead of opting for real leather because I purchase leather boots every year and always end up having to replace them the following year. I have wide feed and am super hard on my shoes so I figured, fuck it. I bought two pairs of fakes at Nordstrom Rack for $50 each, have worn both tons, and they’re holding up well. It seems like most leather boots under $200 are not made very well and I can’t afford to spend that much so why bother. YES, I SPENT A LONG TIME NEGOTIATING WITH MYSELF OVER THIS.
I have a fake leather bomber jacket from H&M that must be at least 5 or 6 years old, and in spite of it being fake and my most worn jacket AND from a place that sells mostly garbage, it’s still in shockingly good condition. What makes it look old isn’t even the “imitation leather” (as it is listed on the label), but the fabric pilling on the wrist cuffs, neck and bottom where there are fabric parts. I’ve always loved this jacket so much because it makes me look/feel like a badass, but I didn’t have to feel as guilty about the animals because it wasn’t real leather (there’s still plenty else to feel guilty about). I think it was only $40 (brand new!) too. It’s one of the few pieces I own that strikes the right balance between staying power, timelessness, and my total love for it.
I have a real leather jacket that is lovely buttery-soft calfskin (sorry, vegan interviewee above) and people ask me if it’s real whenever they touch it. I guess if something feels good we just want to know what it is/where it came from/can it be mine too. I also have a fake leather jacket, and it’s also very cute and convincing, but it’s one I am happy to wear to bars and or parties and toss in the corner or over a couch, and if someone spilled on it or stole it I wouldn’t be devastated. That’s why you need fake leather things.
I carry Matt and Nat bags (I buy on sale, rarely full price) and I like them, they’re reasonably well made without being too expensive. Also I don’t have to worry about them getting wet, or treat them regularly aside from a wipe-down. I do like how leather wears in though, and looks better as it gets older, if it’s well made and you take care of it. Plastic doesn’t age well.
Having read a bunch of the stories about tanneries etc. lately though, I’m struggling with the decision to purchase and wear it. I’d pay more for a responsible, ethical product.
@Fig. 1 Yes, Matt and Nat!! :D Also, there’s a few lines of higher end vegan shoes that people should check out. I personally cannot afford those, but they’re there.
I stopped eating meat almost 2 years ago, and my leather shoes from my meat-eating days are now mostly worn out. I’m struggling with the undeniably crappy quality of the shoes I’ve bought post-change.
@themegnapkin Good quality vegan shoes are out there! Looking online makes it a lot easier to find them. I have a few vegan pairs from Nature Breeze that are holding up pretty well and are very comfortable.
@themegnapkin My husband buys his leather shoes second-hand from Etsy. This may or may not work with your personal ethics/fashion choices, but he’s found some great shoes this way! And they’re not expensive– I think the most he’s ever paid is like $60 including shipping.
For shoes that I am going to wear outside, real leather. My feet need to stay dry, I need to clean salt off them. But, I have a pair of booties from Target that are definitely fake suded – but I pretty much only wear them inside. Maybe briefly walking between bars. (I’m definitely not biking in them.)
I don’t have a leather jacket. If I did, I would go for real. And I get real leather belts. Bags – I have a fake tiny leather bag, but my other bags are all cloth. If I were to get a statement bag (whatever that is) I would get real leather.
So with $1000+ designer goods being made out of fake leather now, where is a reliable source for real-leather goods that’s not some rugged outdoorsy store or Frye boots?
@aproprose Tano makes gorgeous leather bags, as does Liebskind.
@aproprose My favorite real leather goods include:
-an Andrew Marc leather jacket
-my Coach Legacy Duffle bag in black, aka the best crossbody purse that holds absolutely everything I need and is sitting on my desk RIGHT NOW, http://www.coach.com/online/handbags/Product-legacy_duffle_in_leather-10551-10051-19889-en?cs=svbk&catId=5000000000000015030
-Frye boots, yes, but mine are bright red and amazeballs
-For less rugged boots, I have a pair of Anne Klein brown knee-high riding style boots that I’ve been wearing all the time for years. Actually, wearing them right now.
The leather jacket was purchased on sale in May years ago, because Bluefly did a Mother’s Day leather goods sale. The Frye boots were a splurge, full price. The Anne Klein boots were a Black Friday find, spent less than $100 on them. The Coach bag was a birthday present but considering cost-per-wear after only 15 months, would be worth my own $350.
@aproprose Camper makes leather shoes that last forever. Some of the styles are a little “funky” which I hate but many people love, however, if you dig around they have plenty of traditionally attractive things and I have gotten many complements. The flats tend to be $100-150 and the boots are like $200. They do go on sale, but not by much (so it’s good to wait for the sale but once they are on sale don’t wait for it to get lower because it wont).
I’ve also found leather boots at Macy’s (I just bought some recently, from some brand…I think Marc Fisher? I’ve only seen it at Macy’s). I also bought real leather boots 5 years ago at JC Penney, on sale for $50 and the only reason they just fell apart is because I was horrible to them.
@aproprose I love my Sudini boots, in the mid $100 range. I’ve had them for 3+ years and wear them all the time, summer, winter…The Bay Area weather lets that happen. I polish them myself, but I’ve had the soles replaced once and a zipper tab added once. I try to take care of them and do fixes early-should get several more years out of them. Purchased through Nordstroms. They also are great for those who have wide or narrow calves because the back is adjustable without wrinkling, as it is three pieces.
@LocalGirl Forgot to add that so far my booties from the Clarks Artisan collection are also wearing well and are super stylish!
AHHH, Heather means an “animal PELT,” not pellet, which . . . Yes. Gross. Feel free to delete this after.
@aetataureate ha ha, yes you’re right. Sorry, I wrote that quickly on the commute to work. I didn’t realize this was a direct quote kind of thing. :)
@Heather Yamada-Hosley No no, totally, it’s obviously a typo. A missed edit isn’t your fault.
I have recently (like, yesterday) decided that since I have been a vegetarian for 17 years I really should only be buying fake leather, unless it is vintage. My guess is that I’m actually just trying to morally justify the purchases I’m making in my current state of broke-ness and I would change my tune if I came into some money. But who knows! There are a lot of good vegan leather things out there and a lot of good vintage Fryes.
Ethical arguments aside, I do want to say that I think even cheap ass Target fake leather can be FINE. I’m a classy broke person, I have great taste. I have two fake leather jackets from Target and four pairs of fake leather shoes and I get compliments on them all the time. Knee-high boots are harder to pull off in fake leather, I’ve never seen a good, cheap version of those. But I think fake suede can look totally great. Everyone go out and get these booties, they are comfy and cuter than they look online: http://www.target.com/p/women-s-merona-kaitlin-casual-ankle-boot-olive/-/A-14465082
@katieeitak I have been looking for ankle boots as I own NONE….
@katieeitak I have a fake leather bag from target I’ve gotten a million compliments on. generally unless someone is reaching out and touching it you really can’t tell. It’s not the same as carrying a rubber bag around.
@bgprincipessa I also just bought these and my super fancy friend who works in fashion at Amazon and would never set foot in Target told me he loved them!: http://www.target.com/p/women-s-merona-kailey-ankle-boot-with-buckles-black/-/A-14464594
They also look way better in person. Like definitely not ALL of Target’s shoes are good, but I think about 20% are which is pretty decent numbers because they have a shit ton of shoes there. Also I live in Seattle and winter here is wet and disgusting so I actually prefer fake leather because it’s almost like a rain boot and it’s wont get stained from water.
This is SO RELEVANT to my interests. I have literally been on the hunt for a good leather jacket (would be my first ever) for months, and because it would be a splurge on something quality I need it to be PERFECT. I am okay buying multiple other types of jackets but if I do leather it has to be The One. But all the real, good quality leather jackets aren’t exactly the style I want, and I found the jacket online that IS the style I want but it’s faux! (At $120 it is too expensive to employ the “oh it’s fake so it’s cheap” rationale.) So I have been hesitating on pulling the trigger for weeks now. Every day I will stare at the shopping cart, wondering whether to hit “buy.” This post has helped me feel less abnormal about it but has not helped in making a decision!
@pengu1n i have been going through the same thing. I need good shoes & a handbag. Just 2 weeks ago I had a conversation with the manager at a chain leather store store that has been existence all my life. They are now selling cloth coats. And the leather products that was for sale in the store was junk. It is almost impossible to find ” leather ” anything anymore unless you pay top dollar. We import everything. Fake leather shoes are fake leather shoes, they don’t give and they hurt your feet. I ordered a pair of “real leather boots ” from a well named fashion manufacturer & will be returning them, like the stuff in the chain store the leather was crap. What bothers me is when stores charge top dollar for ‘faux leather’ like it’s real.
please be careful and make sure animals are not torturted when buying products.
I’m vegetarian, and I rarely buy leather. So far, I have avoided foot death. My pet peeve is that the old-lady sneaker-flat-maryjane things I favor (I require my feet to be very, very comfortable) sometimes include tiny amounts of stupid leather trim for no reason.
I just found this link and feel like its relevant to this. http://jezebel.com/winter-is-hard-on-your-shoes-heres-what-to-do-about-i-1450901787
If you wear fake leather and don’t floss it as real, I am okay with that [I GUESS].
I never buy fake leather bags, shoes, wallets, passport cases, jackets, etc.
But if you are a woman that thinks it is gross for a man to wear fake leather, then it is gross for you too. Because you women on here are basically saying that us men can’t wear faux leather but “it is okay for us women to wear fake leather because we have to buy more things to follow the trends and look nicer”, but in reality, most people who wear fake leather look a hot mess. If you can’t afford real leather, don’t try to fake it with something cheap. If you can’t afford that $1000 jacket, buy a good faux one by a name brand for $200. Or just buy a real leather jacket for $200.
This is the equivalent of buying a $50,000 Hermes bag, but instead, buying a fake one for $350, or buying a used $1,500 Louis Vuitton bag that is in HORRIBLE condition for $250. you can’t afford it, so don’t act like you can.
You don’t have to go with the trends, and that’s what it seems like you and your friends are doing. I wear blazers, bow ties, argyle sweaters, dress shoes, dress shirts and I am only 16. I don’t follow the trend of buying the “obey” sweaters and hats because that is not what I like.
This comment will definitely make some mad, but it’s just what I think, just how you think men can’t wear fake leather (which I do too, but neither should women)
-Parker