Vegan, yes. Fashion, yes. Eco? Oh, well...

Spotted these glossy patent Docs in a Nylon mag spread, and I have to say, with the right lighting they look amazing... but it definitely begs the question: if it's vegan, but has a PVC sole (and a plastic upper), is that a net gain for the environment? I suppose that depends how much energy would have gone into making the cow.

Seems like we're making these trade-offs all the time, as with the now-reviled corn ethanol that actually requires more energy to make than it gives off when burned. All we can really do is try to make the best decisions with the information we have. And realistically, we can't make much of a difference vs. the growing overconsumption and pollution in China and India. But we can think of ourselves as the prototype eco-warriors: yes, we're imperfect and often overpriced, but we're the innovators in creating greener industry and a greener world.

As for those boots, I'd totally buy them, except I've vowed to try not to buy anything new this year. And I've already broken that vow a couple of times... unless sale clothing can count as overstock that I'm saving from the world's garbage heaps! Alas, I think not. But I will try harder.