Adidas Shoes Made With Kangaroo Leather ‘Illegally Sold’ In California
Adidas is denying a report that it’s selling products made with kangaroo leather in California in contravention of a longstanding law.
But the Center for a Humane Economy said that it intends to sue two Golden State retailers, Soccer Pro and Asby Sports, for allegedly continuing to sell Adidas soccer cleats clad in so-called k-leather despite repeating warnings that they violate a ban enacted in 1971 by then-Governor Ronald Reagan.
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The animal welfare group previously filed a lawsuit against Soccer Warehouse, which is also based in California, for selling k-leather footwear, including from the sportswear Goliath. In it, the Center claimed to have suffered “economic injury” because Soccer Warehouse’s “unfair business practices” diverted resources from its core mission of “advocating for improved animal welfare, a more humane economy, and better animal protection laws.”
“For years now Soccer Wearhouse and many other California retailers have been openly flouting the law, securing shoes from Adidas and other companies on open display in their shops and even bragging that they know it is unlawful while greedily ringing up sales,” said Kate Schultz, senior attorney for the Center for a Humane Economy. “Our notifications to law enforcement officials about these illegal activities have not produced action, and we’ve been left with no choice but to attempt to enforce the law through civil proceedings and to bring these violators to court.”
A Soccer Pro representative said that the retailer has not sold k-leather shoes in “quite some time” and that there is not ”one single item” made from kangaroo hide at any of its locations, “so either your source has confused us for another business or is confused on which footwear is actually made with kangaroo leather.“ Asby Sports did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
California, America’s largest market for soccer gear, is the only state to outlaw the sale of kangaroo leather, which is prized for its strength and suppleness. Though a moratorium allowed k-leather products to be traded from 2007, the ban was reimposed under a 2015 law that extended the prohibition to items made from animals such as polar bears, sea turtles, pythons and jaguars. Offenders face fines of up to $5,000 and up to six months imprisonment.
“We certainly adhere to all applicable legal regulations and do not sell any kangaroo leather products in California,” an Adidas spokesperson told Sourcing Journal.
Adidas noted in 2021—the same year lawmakers pushed for a bill that would nix k-leather country-wide—said that kangaroo hide makes up “significantly below” 1 percent of its total product material mix. The triple-stripe firm said it opposes kangaroos “being killed in an inhumane or cruel manner,” sourcing the material “exclusively” from suppliers that are monitored and certified by the Australian government, ensuring both animal welfare and species conservation.
The Center has made k-leather a banner issue with its “Kangaroos Are Not Shoes” campaign. It says that roughly two million wild kangaroos are “cruelly gunned down” in their native habitats every year because killing guidelines are “deficient” and “impossible to enforce” in the Australian Outback, particularly at night, when mass shootings usually occur. The industry’s commercial code allows hunters to shoot mother kangaroos when the joeys are still in their pouches or nursing, the organization said. The joeys are typically killed using blunt force trauma to the head, most often by slamming them against the side of a car or another hard surface.
Wayne Pacelle, president of the Center for a Humane Economy, called out Adidas for not following the lead of its competitors. Both Nike and Puma are phasing out k-leather in favor of proprietary synthetic materials that they say perform better than the incumbent. By the end of 2023, both brands are set to be kangaroo-free on and off the pitch.
“Adidas has become a notable outlier in the athletic shoe industry by continuing to source kangaroo parts for shoes that can be well-made from other fabrics,” he said. “What’s more, the company is continuing to see its shoes illegally peddled by soccer stores throughout California and it’s not doing a damn thing to stop it.”
