Vans has never shown much interest in providing shoes for vegans. And why would they? During Rowley's vegan stint (1999 to early 2000s), of course, they made millions with the vegan Rowley shoes, made from sort of cheap materials probably. But this may also have been the time before proper durable microfibre suede was available.
Apart from all canvas upper shoes, Vans hasn't really putting out many vegan shoes in recent years, i.e. since the vegan Rowley era ... almost ended two decades ago.
However, now Vans has come out with one colourway of a Lizzie Armanto (the vert legend, young and a legend) shoe "The Lizzie" and this synthetic colourway is listed as "Synthetic The Lizzie" (!). Vans doesn't say that the shoe is vegan, and Vans is said to have a history of putting small pieces of real (animal-source) leather on otherwise synthetic shoes ... Also, I don't have any info on the glue used (if any). So, to the best of my knowledge, this colourway of this shoe has an all synthetic upper - but please try to double check before you buy / steal it.
Note: This is a unisex shoe (not a narrow-foot women's shoe).
SYNTHETIC THE LIZZIE - [Colourway 🠞] "FROST GRAY/ASPHALT"
(All the other colourways have real animal-source leather as far as I know.)
From the Vans website:
"DESCRIPTION
Lizzie Armanto is the only woman with her name currently on a signature skateboarding shoe [...]. [...] Lizzie wanted a shoe that represented her completely—from a slimmer fit tailored to her foot shape to a leaner outsole for a closer connection to her board and improved flexibility. The impact cushioning in typical skate shoes left Lizzie feeling like she was floating above her board, so Vans created a new lower profile footbed to eliminate the gap. The Synthetic Lizzie also features a new vulcanized construction [...]. [...] a new 3D Embossed DURACAP™ toe and Sidestripe has even more durability in high-wear areas, while an all-new micro-waffle tread and Sick-Stick™ rubber offer maximum grip. Because Lizzie is also passionate about preserving our planet, her signature shoe received the Vans VR3 Checkerboard Globe designation, meaning it follows strict footwear material guidelines for all major components and has been designed and engineered to have a reduced carbon footprint compared to Vans’ canvas shoes. • COMPLETELY REDESIGNED UPPERS - Synthetic suede offers more sustainable durability, while high organic-content textiles were used on the quarter-panel, tongue, and lining material. Plus, a flip-up heel pull helps pull the shoe on, with hidden Lizzie branding. • UNRIVALED DURABILITY - A subtle 3D DURACAP™ Sidestripe under the quarter-panel and thicker DURACAP™ toecaps show through under the vamp for extra durability. • UPGRADED IMPACT CUSHIONING - A brand new, lower-profile sockliner has been added per Lizzie’s request, using our new EcoCush™ foam, a 70% bio-based PU that offers comparable performance to PopCush™ for skateboarding. • LOCKED-IN FIT - The new performance-fit last was taken directly from Lizzie’s input. The universal fit increases boardfeel and control for a wider range of skaters. • LEGENDARY GRIP - A brand new bottom plate utilizing flex grooves, zonal waffle lugs for durability and support, and SickStick™ rubber has been paired with Lizzie’s favorite micro-waffle pattern for grip. • UPDATED FOXING AND OUTSOLE DESIGN - The one-piece foxing provides flexibility, using high natural content SickStick™ rubber for durability and grip. The slightly rounded bottom edge of the outsole is exposed for that immediate broken-in feel. • VR3 CERTIFIED - Made in part with organic cotton, natural rubber, and biobased foam designed to have a reduced carbon footprint."
As you see, Vans is promising a lot. If half of that is true, it should be a decent and durable shoe. The description does say it's narrow, so it may not be a shoe for me personally.
Here are the pictures. Remember: only this colourway is vegan (and even with this colourway, please double check).
