Bad Ralph Lauren! Very bad!
When you see the words "Authentic cowboy boot-inspired detailing" and it's not a cowboy boot, then it's time to put down the crayons.
It's not bad enough that they tortured and killed the lizards to make shoes, they made tacky hideous shoes too.
Smart-alec-y-ness aside, the exotics trade is truly horrendous. What follows is a very powerful and distressing video about the exotics trade and the way these animals are captured, tortured and used - often skinned alive.
I do admit I have some items, mostly vintage that have snakeskin and lizardskin (I think, they may be stamped), bought before I made the connection between the animals I loved and the ones killed for a mere accessory.
All of these injustices are wrong. From using animals for food and entertainment to the seal and whale hunts to the animals used for their skins and wool. But I find the fur and exotic trades some of the worst along the scale of abject cruelty... because they are so unnecessary.
Fur, snakeskin, lizard, eel and stingray. The use of their skins is for nothing more than show. Some could argue that the leather made from cows' hides are needed because of their durability etc., but you can't argue that about these others. The delicate nature of their skins mean they are abused even more so than the cows, pigs, goats, kids and calves that are more commonly used for our shoes, gloves and purses. And the purchasing of products made with them can be easily avoided altogether.
So what does it say that they continue to be killed... when there is no good reason other than sheer vanity?
