Michigan woman launches vegan shoe line

Elizabeth Katzman

Detroit-area TV host, blogger and momtrepreneur Elizabeth Katzman is committed to living a kinder, cleaner lifestyle...in style. Her new shoe collection for women, "Elizabeth's," fuses fashion and compassion in smart, trend-right styles that are also vegan, eco-friendly and cruelty-free.

Handmade in the United States of recycled materials, Elizabeth's features the season's must-have footwear: Peep-toe booties in faux leather are long on style but short on environmental impact; they're biodegradable and emit no volatile compounds. Faux suede slingbacks are versatile, sexy and made from recycled plastic and soft, ultra-microfiber. And side-zip faux leather combat boots are funky, fashionable and, like all Elizabeth's styles, finely crafted and comfortable enough to be worn every day.

For warmer climes, there are Elizabeth's jelly flip flops, sporting a black cow print or pink pigs and the message "Go Veg."

"This collection was born from my love for animals and fashion," says Katzman. "Although the two are often mutually exclusive, I don't believe they have to be."

Katzman, who lives in Birmingham, is a former lawyer turned stay-at-home mom to two young boys. She created the website and blog "Elizabeth's Kind Cafe" (elizabethskindcafe.com) to share tips on cooking, composting and gardening with kids, teaching them to care for the earth and themselves. She and her family became vegan in the process, meaning they don't use or eat animal products, because of the widespread abuse and exploitation of animals for food and also because of the considerable health and environmental benefits of a plant-based lifestyle.

"The vegan lifestyle makes sense on so many levels, and that means not only what we eat, but what we put on our bodies and in our homes," she adds.

Katzman's desire to share her passion as well as resources for a kinder, cleaner lifestyle led to hosting the current "Elizabeth's Kind Cafe" weekly talk and cooking show on Bloomfield Community TV. She also created a store on her website to make available helpful products such as books, cruelty-free cosmetics and her easy-to-use, all-natural DIY Home Cleaning Kit. Her new shoe collection fills yet another important need:

"There are vegan shoes out there, but for style-conscious women looking for really fabulous but cruelty-free footwear, there's a hole in the market. My goal with Elizabeth's is to fill that void, and I look forward to introducing more great styles in the months to come."

Elizabeth's shoes are sold at elizabethskindcafe.com.

A portion of the proceeds from every sale benefits People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and 1% for the Planet, a global environmental initiative.