Nike will stop using kangaroo skin in making its shoes, ending a controversial practice that has long drawn criticism from its customers and animal rights activists.
The company instead plans to use a proprietary synthetic material, which will be debuted in its new line of Tiempo Legend Elite football shoes.
“This summer, Nike will launch a new boot innovation in its Tiempo franchise. The Tiempo Legend Elite will debut with a new Nike-only, proprietary synthetic upper. The upper has a new material that is a better performance solution and replaces the use of kangaroo leather. In addition, the Tiempo Premier, also set to launch this summer, will move away from the use of kangaroo leather,” Nike said.
“Nike divested of its only kangaroo leather supplier in 2021 and will stop making any product with kangaroo leather in 2023,” the company added.
The company’s decision follows the footsteps of its competitor Puma, which announced earlier this month that it is replacing kangaroo skin with a “completely new, non-animal based upper material” made with at least 20% recycled material.
“Nike’s announcement…is a seismic event in wildlife protection, and tremors will be felt all over the world, especially in Australia where the mass commercial slaughter of kangaroos occurs,” said Wayne Pacelle, president of the Center for a Humane Economy.
