Yes, and From Hugo Boss, No Less
By: Noli Vinca
Hugo Boss is a luxury fashion brand most of us have heard of due to their quality lines of clothing for both men and women. Now, they’re making news for something as equally wonderful as it is impressive:
Hugo Boss just launched a menswear shoe made from pineapple leaves.
The shoes are produced with a natural material that comes from pineapple leaf fibers. Called “Piñatex™,” it’s considered to be a natural-leather alternative. Best of all, it’s totally vegan! Completely flexible and breathable as well, the leather-like textile makes a perfect “fit” for shoes.
Piñatex is still extremely new, so not many companies are using it yet in their products. In fact, not many large luxury brands are manufacturing vegan products at all, nor do they associate themselves with the growing movement for practicing ethics and helping the economy remain sustainable. So Hugo Boss’s new pineapple-leaf shoes make the company a real pioneer.
The pineapple leaves used are harvested as a by-product of pineapple farming, so no extra resources are needed to produce them; this in turn provides the farmers with additional income. That puts Hugo Boss in the spotlight again as they continue to improve conditions for their workers (and to cut CO2 emissions, as well).
Thankfully, the company is transparent with their practices and views on their website. There you can learn about their anti–animal testing stance and the facts supporting that their leather alternative comes only from food industry by-products. Their transparency is less than perfect, but it far exceeds that of other popular fashion brands, and they’re clearly moving in the right direction.
Hugo Boss’s Piñatex shoes are sneakers and come in four colors: blue, yellow, brown, and black. Definitely giving off a casual or street-style vibe, they are nonetheless stylish. The shoes are a limited edition and cost $348 a pair, in keeping with the company’s luxury brand. If you’re looking for a high-quality, luxury-styled, and fashionable shoe, I strongly recommend you take a look at these on the Hugo Boss website.
