YOUR NEXT SHOES SHOULD BE CANVAS.

Canvas is a course cloth material made from the hemp plant. It is used in sails, tents, paint boards, and shoes. Shoes made from canvas are casual and constructed very simply with a cloth upper and a rubber sole. Many adults and most children, when allowed to choose, prefer canvas shoes over leather for comfort and looks.

And this post poses a question to you? Do your feet really need those animal skin shoes or would you be happier with a nice pair of canvas shoes? In case you haven’t thought a lot about it, read this and decide for yourself.

GrandmaS wants you to know that she doesn’t sell canvas shoes nor does she, knowingly, have any advertisers that do so. But GrandmaS has been thinking a lot about this topic and, now, is trying to only buy non-animal shoes. She has successfully purchased three pairs of leather-free shoes - the only ones she bought this year. The investment was modest. They were rubber flip-flops - $1, canvas boat shoes -$10, and canvas sneakers - $7.

Canvas shoes are convenient and fun

So, why are canvas shoes highly recommended? First, they're lighter in weight than most other kinds of shoes and mold easier to the shape of the foot. And they're comfortable because they are porous. That means the feet "breathe" better. They also dry out fast, if they get wet.  Looking for more canvas shoe virtues? Here are a few. The rubber soles of canvas shoes don’t tend to stick to the floor and cause missteps on wet surfaces like leather shoes do. They are also casual, versatile, and economical. The cost for a decent pair is usually from ten to twenty dollars - sometimes even less.

You can choose from hundreds of styles of non-leather shoes, clothing, and accessories. And, best of all, no animal needs to be killed to make them. We, humans are causing a major extinction of animals. With the incredible world population of 7 billion with almost standardized customs of animal meat heavy diets and animal skin clothing and shoes, there is a veritable man-made war on animals. We raise millions of animals to kill (in an entirely inhumane manner), skin, and eat them. And we're doing this more and more. Besides that, leather industry is a huge ecological problem. Along with the immense water use and direct pollution of the meat farms, the toxins used in animal hide tanning cause further environmental destruction.

Help save the animals
Animals need human allies who strive to eat no meat or, at least, much less meat and turn away from the wearing of animal based shoes - whenever possible. Of course, having a pair of leather boots for snow and ice is (currently considered) acceptable but, certainly, not the lunacy of many regular people who hoard 20 or more pairs of leather shoes and boots in their closets. It doesn't make any sense at all - except, perhaps, to the industrial shoe makers - who encourage us to indulge in such idiocy through their constant commercial advertising. Their bid is to get all the people with some kind of money, extra or not, to buy a pair of shoes every month of their lives - or more often, if possible.

And, yes, taking a stance against the senseless killing of animals - any animals, horses, wolves, cows or dogs - is being an animal rights activist. But animal right activism is not some kind of terrorist act as is often indicated by the mass media. Concerned people from all political persuasions are trying to lprevent needless animal suffering. Those who are in favor of more humane treatment of animals strive to communicate with everyone on these issues, hoping to expand our moral circle to encompass all kinds of animals - domestic and wild. Wearing canvas shoes is one way to begin your personal animal rights campaign.

We don't need to go on harming so many innocent animals in order to feed and clothe ourselves. And that means we have to be more vigilant in our choice of personal things. Of course, this is best a process instead of an ultimatum, and it’s not necessary to throw out all animal related items for our closets in just one weekend. But a start can be made with that next pair of shoes.

(Now, reducing meat consumption is another matter. Food is something that we can replace fairly quickly. There are not so many acceptable excuses in that area.)

Canvas shoe care

Once you've bought your canvas shoes, you'll want to take care of them. While tough, they’re not indestructible, and you can extend their life by taking some precautions.

- Apply a cloth care spray or starch to the shoes for weather protection. Do this in a ventilated area and wear and wear vinyl protective gloves.

- Wear clean, absorbent socks when you exercise to help keep the insides of your shoes clean and dry.

- Remove your shoes with your hands and not with your other foot, so as not to stretch the canvas and cause the rubber sole to separate from the canvas.

-Remove any loose dirt with a small hard-bristle brush.

- Don’t put them in the washing machine (unless they are really grubby and, if you do, be sure to use the gentle cycle). It’s always best to wash them with dish soap with a clean sponge or toothbrush.

- Wipe away any soap remaining on the shoes with a cloth.

- Dry them by blotting the cloth upper with a hand towel. Put them toe-side up, vertically, against a wall to drain off any water.

- Put them outside in the air overnight or place them in front of a fan.

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