In the same way that a good Linda McCartney pie can convince even the most committed carnivore that veggie food is a winner, specialist footwear supplier veganline.com claims non-leather footwear can be as durable and sexy as my mock-croc stiletto boots. Uniquely Woman has asked me to put that to the test!

As an environmentally-aware fish-eater who won't touch meat, I have, for many years, convinced myself that leather is a by-product of the (mostly) ethical British farming industry. But it seems there is no such thing as a by-product of UK farming. London-based veganline.com owner, John Robertson, says UK shoe manufacturing is simply no more. Instead work's moved abroad, to places where animal welfare is questionable. This is somewhat of a shock. I've justified my fab red leather stilettos with the thought they're eco-friendly: made from the remains of animals who've had a fairly good life and whose leather would otherwise have gone to waste. Apparently I've been misleading myself. Time to reconsider? Step forward, a day in the life of vegan shoes....

09:00 The Carpeted Office
A brown box arrives for my attention. My colleagues gather like lions round a kill - it's rare for us to get exciting post. Inside, a pair of dark brown faux-suede shoes with black plastic soles. The gathered crowd is surprised to hear they're vegan. I think we were all expecting something more hippy and fundamental looking.

10:30 The Paved Street
I am a TV news journalist and this morning's task is to gather vox pops - loads of short interviews - with shoppers going about their daily chores. It's tough for the feet. Many people say 'no!', as soon as I thrust a microphone at them and there's a great deal of pavement pacing before my cameraman and I find enough opinions on the subject du jour, for our evening news programme. Expecting non-leather shoes to be hot, sticky and uncomfortable, I am wearing teeny tiny trainer socks, without the right sort of padding and warmth for this time of year. And yet, far from the rain forest experience that I've had in the past, these micro fibre uppers are more breathable than leather. And the air-cushioned soles are genuinely comfortable.

12:30 Lunch In My Chair
Salad baguette please, hold the butter. Working at my desk, I have time to consider the experiment so far. But my attentions are drawn to my freezing feet. These shoes are so breathable I haven't dressed right at all. I'm told there are all sorts of fibres for all sorts of seasons. My, how times have changed. There's also time to consider the 'extras'. I don't mean suede protector and snug in-sole padding. These are moral additions. John set up his company when there wasn't even a handful of similar businesses in the UK and he's still going strong some 6 years later. When he started there were 250,000 vegans in the UK - that's people who don't eat or wear animal products or by products - and that number's rising. It's a matter of choice and it's a lifestyle. John Robertson argues phasing out leather is often an emotional decision, but going back to it once you know the facts is a moral one. There's the question of animal welfare, plus leather's polluting (vegans point out it's heavily treated with chemicals to make it last), but making shoes out of plastic isn't environmentally friendly either. Lots to think about over my baguette.

16:00 Beer Festival
It's a tough old job... covering a four-day beer festival isn't taxing for me, but it is for my new shoes. It's raining and very windy and I'm facing a great deal of standing around on flooring as varied as pebbles, mud, pretend grass and that plastic walkway stuff. Again, the shoes cope well. The soles are thick enough to soak up the offending surfaces like a good in-car suspension system. And despite the natural truth-telling properties of a couple of pints of real ale, not one person has laughed at my shoes. This proves, I feel, they're impossible to discern from a 'normal' leather pair.

18:30 Home
At the end of a long day, there's time to reflect. I've learned that vegan shoes are a lot more breathable than I'd expected and are cooler to wear than leather. And while I'll admit that my new shoes and I haven't exactly been hiking, they have proved more durable and comfortable than I was expecting. As for style, they're something I'd pick out from the high street shelves and there's the added bonus of many styles to choose from. Even my mock-croc stilettos have a vegan friendly alternative on the veganline website.

If you're looking for an alternative to leather, look no further. Vegan friendly shoes have taken huge strides forward in the last few years and don't resemble the falling apart, hot, plastic ones of old. These shoes, boots, sandals and mules WERE made for walking and if you want them to, they will.

- Article by Lucy J Morgan

To visit Veganline.com CLICK HERE