What should I look for when buying vegan shoes?

Synthetic leather isn't automatically worse than genuine leather when it comes to durability - it really depends on the quality. What I think matters more is checking before you buy whether the sole and seams are robustly constructed, because that's where most shoes actually fall apart rather than the material itself. And comfort when wearing them is pretty individual - some synthetic materials breathe better, others are stiffer. Best thing is to try them on and walk around a bit before you decide.

What the others mentioned about material and sole is definitely important, but here's my tip: check out the reviews before you buy and filter for "long-term report" or something like that - a lot of people write about how a shoe actually holds up only after months. With vegan shoes, that's worth its weight in gold because not all synthetic leather is the same. And if you can, shop at stores with a good return policy in case the material wears out faster than expected 👟

I'd say the material question really isn't the main problem - what matters much more is how the shoe is constructed. With vegan shoes, it's worth taking a close look at the seams and glue joints, because those are usually the first things to fail on cheaper models, and then even the best synthetic leather won't help you. My tip: get your first vegan shoes from a local store where you can try them on and where the sales person actually knows the shoes - online it's hard to tell if the shoe really fits comfortably, and that's ultimately what decides whether it lasts a long time or just ends up sitting in a corner.