Get your predators while you can

July 24 – 2007

My feet, having grown up in the sweet embrace of kangaroo hide, are shocked and saddened by today’s news.

Soccer shoes and other athletic footwear made with prized kangaroo skin are banned under a state law that was upheld Monday by the California Supreme Court. The court unanimously decided that a 36-year-old ban on the import and sale of products made from various wildlife species, including kangaroo, was not preempted by federal wildlife law. Animal rights groups hailed the decision for giving states the right to protect species even after the federal government decided that they were no longer in peril.

Preferred for its supple feel and light weight, kangaroo leather is the organic material of choice for players who aren’t crap. Calf-leather comes close, but unless it came with free veal…

For Adidas’ part, they say the ban won’t stand up in court. I, however, believe animal rights activists can be moved from their position once they see the kangaroo for what it really is: a threat to public safety.