Vegan Shoe Addict

Yup. It’s time for yet another Rocket Dog shoe review. It’s just that they have so many good vegan shoes… Like these “Jamba school sock” trainers. I’m not sure I like the very blatant Rocket Dog logo on the heel, but I do like the whole “let’s turn the cool school socks into a shoe” thing. I guess if you wore them with black knee-highs you’d look like the anti-preppy student.

They are simple, fun and the grey is a good choice cause it means you can wear them with lots of different things and they are mostly neutral, even though they have a pattern. I wouldn’t go trying them on with anything, say, pink and busy, though!

These plaid vegan trainers are available from Schuh.

It’s been over a week without a single mention of any Rocket Dog shoes, so I feel obliged to mention these. They’re called Mariella Prism (sounds like someone’s name).

They are girly and funky and have nice purple touches which makes them instantly cool. Obviously, they’re not the smart heels you’d wear to the ambassador’s reception, but they’ll make you look cool when you’re out on the town to a less stuffy party.

If you’re the sort of person who wears heels all the time, these would make fun day heels – not too fancy, but definitely eye-catching and different.

Sort of like a cross between a grown up shoe and a happy clubber shoe.

You can get these funky vegan heels at Schuh.

These “Sora” polka dot heels from Rocket Dog are so very cute! One of the things I like most about Rocket Dog is that they really do pay attention to detail. Their shoes always have such nice little touches and these are no different. Check out the lovely red trim, the sweet retro flower and the polka dot heel and lining.

The material, in case you’re wondering, is velour: soft, velvety velour. If you click through and go through the rest of the pics, you’ll see the heel has quite a funky shape too.

All in all, this is a lovely, rather bohemian shoe. It’s a bit too distinctive to be 100% versatile, but would certainly blend in nicely with both modern and vintage outfits and even with a simple pair of jeans.

You can get these from Cloggs.co.uk .

There is often a shortage of shoes that are comfortable yet stylish and these chunky mary janes from Rocket Dog seem to provide a fine answer to this problem. The cushioned sole makes them bouncy and fun to walk in and the design is girlie without being too girlie and unusual with the little stitch detail and retro-patterened lining. They have a reasonably wide fitting, which is rare among the usual crop of mary jane and ballerina pumps and while not quite as dainty as some, they’re definitely cute and fashionable enough to go with a pair of tights and a skirt or a dress.

In fact, these shoes are the sort that would go well with just about anything so would make a good pair of “default shoes” to have and wear constantly with every imaginable outfit. They’re pretty cheap, too.

These are available from Schuh. They’re called “hard copy”, for some reason. They also come in brown.

Oh the weather outside is frightful… Actually, I escaped winter this year (ha!) and while it’s not exactly summery either, it’s warm enough for me to be dreaming of hot retro slingback starlet heels like these!

They’re oh so wonderfully girlie and sweet with the bows and two-tonedness. And is that a little heart-shaped background for the logo? Yes, they are by Rocket Dog and another fine example they are of why they are such a popular brand for both vegan shoe wearers and meat-eaters alike.
These are cute, sexy and kitten-heeled for instant comfort and style. Pure retro-chic glamour with a summery feel. Awww.

They’re also currently on sale at Schuh (maybe because it’s snowing outside?). They’re called Fray tea time.

As we all know, this type of Converse-like basketball shoes / trainers is a pretty obvious staple of vegan footwear the world over, but that doesn’t mean I can’t review the occasional fine variation on the theme.

These leopard print trainers from Rocket Dog definitely have the X-factor, and not in the horrible UK reality show sense, but in the original sense when it still meant something good you might actually want. Apart from the fact that they are leopard print and therefore already cool (remember kids: leopard print never goes out of style), they also have a red lining and a few nice touches of red in the logos on the outside of the shoe as well.

I also like the thick laces that make these look a bit like skate shoes and the sole which almost looks somewhat creeper-like.
While still placed firmly within the standard high-top trainer department, these leopard print trainers are different enough to stand out and get you some compliments.

In the UK at least, these are available exclusively from Schuh.

Vegan biker boots? You would not believe how difficult they are to find.
Winter is a time when shoe manufacturers fall back on leather as their main material and you are left with specialist stores or the cheap stuff. Also, leather kinda goes with the territory when it comes to the biker look so finding “fakes” is a double pain. I gotta be honest with you: when it comes to the biker look, we’re talking slim pickings compared to the plethora of gorgeous leather choices.

I’ve wanted a pair of decent vegetarian biker boots for years and so far I’ve just kept on looking. The ones I’ve seen are all nice enough, but they seem to lack that simplicity and solid feel so many of the leather ones have.

Here’s my first roundup of this year’s offerings. You may well find something you like here.
Please note that these are all biker “style” boots, rather than those that provide actual protection for bikers, so don’t go having bike accidents in them or you will be severely disappointed.

First up are these lightweight boots from Rocket Dog. They are called “chain gang”. Sadly, Rocket Dog’s best biker boots (the “Nokout”) are not veggie, so as far as I’m concerned, all their other biker boots are cheap imitations of the fitted, slick version I would have liked to own. Keeping that in mind, these chain gang ones are not too bad, if a bit slouchy for my taste. They look a bit like a cross between a biker boot and a pirate boot, which I’m not so sure about. The strap detailing is a nice touch and I do like the slick, shiny look. They are available in black and brown at Schuh.co.uk

Rocket Dog also make these Chomps boots – chunky biker boots available in black and brown. I like their shape better than the chain gang ones, though I am not a fan of the distressed look at all. It doesn’t look too bad in brown, but the black version just looks wrong. If I wanted my boots to look worn out, I’d wear them out myself rather than shave a few years off their lifespan before even leaving the shop.
If, however, you can’t wait for your boots to make actual history and want them to look instantly “bought before anyone else’s”, you’ll get along with these just fine. All in all, these are reasonably stylish and bound to be comfortable boots. They are available in black and brown at Schuh.co.uk

Twisted Sister, these vegetarian biker boots from BlowFish, offer a different take on the distressed look and also come in the popular black and brown options. The buckle detailing is slightly more understated on these and they seem to be wider in the calf area than the Rocket Dog ones.
Available to buy at Office shoes .

Vegetarian Shoes make these biker-like pull on engineer boots that offer more of that solid feel. They are steel toed (they now make a non-steel toed version that’s slightly different looking), well made and durable, though are unisex and therefore not quite as stylish as one would like.

Pennangalan’s Vegan range is sadly lacking in straight biker boots, though they do offer calf-length strappy commando boots that are not bad, plus a style of New Rock boot often favoured by bikers.

And last but not least… Not quite a biker boot, but a biker boot inspired wellie from the lovely people at Schuh.co.uk. Available in purple, black and red with a polka dot lining, it’s slightly shorter than your average wellie. Here in London, people usually wear wellies when visiting the muddy fields of the UK’s summer festivals, but further afield, they are a common enough choice for the rainy winter months.