Kangaroos Are Not Shoes

We are working to stop the world’s sportswear companies from driving the biggest slaughter of land-based wildlife on the planet by using kangaroo skin in their products.

The Issue

We are working to stop the commercial killing of roughly two million wild kangaroos annually, mainly to manufacture soccer cleats. When the night shooters slay adult females, the joeys are collateral damage. As prescribed by the Commercial Code, the shooters smash the skulls of the joeys or decapitate them after pulling them from their dead mother’s pouch. (There are more joeys killed than baby harp and hooded seals at the height of the slaughter in Atlantic Canada.)

The manufacture of kangaroo skin soccer shoes creates the demand that drives the commercial killing of these iconic marsupials. In 2023, Puma announced it would no longer be using kangaroo leather. This announcement was shortly followed by Nike’s similar statement. (You can read more about it here.) It makes sense as both these companies already developed and use synthetic knit, mesh and even fake “k-leather” fabrics in their most popular lines of soccer shoes. New Balance has modified its restricted materials list to include kangaroos, beginning in 2024.

We are still working to convince Adidas and others like Mizuna, and lotto to follow suit.

Watch our videos

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The Solution

The Kangaroo Protection Act would forbid trade in kangaroo parts in the United States. By closing off the U.S. market to products made from dead kangaroos, the legislation would complete the industry transition away from kangaroo skins. Among major brands, only Adidas continues to retail soccer shoes made from these animals.