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Asics and Mizuno will halt the use of kangaroo leather in soccer boots as the last major holdout in the sporting goods industry will abandon the material beloved by elite stars such as Pele, Diego Maradona and David Beckham.
The decision by Japan’s two biggest sports shoe manufacturers follows a decades-old campaign from activists who argue that the unique combination of lightness, durability, strength and exceptional ball control offered by kangaroo leather is at the expense of animal cruelty.
Other manufacturers, including Nike, Puma and Diadora, have already phased out their materials. Adidas told investors in May that it would halt the purchase of new kangaroo leather and would end production this year.
Japanese companies have been protected more. However, ASICS told the Financial Times that the company intends to end production of Kangaroo leather products by the end of 2025.
Animal rights groups are calling for bans on kangaroo exploitation due to concerns about the suffering of injured animals and how hunters will deal with the boys ©Diego Fedele/Aapimage/Reuters Connect
The company said the driving force is not pressure from animal rights groups, but rather a pursuit of “higher performance” products.
Still, ASICS continues to sell kangaroo leather boots as excellent, and says on its website:
Mizuno told FT that the company plans to phase out the use of kangaroo leather without providing a timetable.
The company has received “some degree of opposition” to Australian leather use, saying it “selects materials based on a variety of values, not just environmental friendliness.”
Kangaroos are hunted commercially and by Australian farmers and recreational shooters. According to Australia’s Wild Game Industry Council, approximately 1.5 million macrodos, including kangaroos, wallaros and wallabees, were commercially harvested last year, earning around $199 million in revenue and employing 3,000 people.
Kangaroo meat and skin, as well as scrotum, are available for sale at airports and tourist shops.
Animal rights groups have long called for a ban on kangaroo exploitation, due to concerns about the suffering of injured animals and how hunters will deal with boys still on their porches.
Trade groups argued that the commercial industry was regulated and that global sports brands were pushed to throw away more environmentally sound leather than synthetic materials.
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Council biologist and executive Neil Finch said that, given leather is a by-product of the larger meat and pet food industry, the movement by the shoe industry would not affect the number of kangaroos filmed each year.
“They devalued and demonized the world’s finest leather, Australia’s indigenous leather, and replaced it with plastic,” he said of activists’ pressure on businesses to stop using the product.
UK retired Tanner Mike Redwood said he stopped using kangaroo leather early in his career due to environmental concerns, but reversed the decision after learning more about how to manage the industry.
“The ulls that take place in Australia are necessary and generally well thought out. In such cases, it is appropriate to use the skin and meat,” he said.
