Adidas dropkicks kangaroo leather use 

By Michael Redwood 

Adidas CEO Björn Gulden recently informed shareholders that the company has not purchased any kangaroo leather since August 2024. 

The final pairs of kangaroo leather athletic shoes are currently being produced at Adidas’ factory in Scheinfeld, Germany, with remaining stock still available in several countries. 

The company, and competitors, have come under pressure from activist groups in recent years over their use of kangaroo leather. 

However, the kangaroo industry has called the activists’ efforts and the brands’ decisions misguided, caused by misleading information and a misunderstanding of the need to manage an overabundant species and properly use all of the animal. 

In 2024, Ray Borda, President of the Australian Wild Game Industry Council (AWGIC), said: “Kangaroo numbers have to be managed to ensure their survival, and the commercial industry is the way we do this sustainably and humanely. As kangaroo populations fluctuate in different conditions, they compete with each other and other animals for food and put stress on agricultural land.” 

Reproduced with permission from International Leather Maker, www.internationalleathermaker.com