Major Australian Shoe Brand Gets Vegan Certified

Australian footwear company Holster recently became the first of its kind in the country to receive vegan certification by The Vegan Society—the United Kingdom-based vegan authority. The company was started in 2001 in the Noosa Beach region by husband-and-wife team Ben and Natalie Nothling. “Our mission is to help prevent animal cruelty and embrace ethical production processes by producing shoes that do not contain animal products,” Ben Nothling told local media outlet Sunshine Coast Daily. While the couple has been producing vegan footwear since the company began, obtaining certification was the next step, as both are avid animal lovers. “We are excited to see that the veganism movement is a growing trend fuelled by social media and expanding social awareness of environmental issues,” Ben Nothling said, “so we expect that this certification will gain lots of interest and attract more people to our aligning philosophy.” The first shoe line to display holster’s vegan certification is due this month, and the couple plans to release more in the future. Holster currently has a boutique in Noosa Beach, Australia that sells a variety of styles for both men and women, and distributes to 2,500 stores in 65 countries.