Asking here because c/vegan seems to be dead (what's up with that?).
Anyway, I'm looking to get some combat/hiking boots on the cheap, and I've been looking at military surplus stores. Problem is, most of the options available are made of leather. Now, I'm of the mind that it's fine to purchase/use leather products second-hand, however I'm not so sure that military surplus exactly counts as second-hand. Any vegans out there who have some insight/opinions on this sort of situation?
Dirty carnist bloodmouth here, so I can't be trusted to weigh in on the ethical side with respect to veganism, but I can say that if you decide these boots are ethical to buy, treat them properly. It's unquestionably more ethical to take good care of the dead animal stuff than to treat it like shit and have to replace it. A lot of boot care products have animal fats or beeswax, so tread carefully. If you need any help figuring out what to use and how to treat the shoes, feel free to DM me.