Four years after kangaroo-skin soccer shoes lingered on the margins of the world’s biggest soccer tournament, the material has effectively disappeared from elite play following a global campaign that persuaded every major athletic shoe brand to abandon the wildlife trade. WASHINGTON, D.C. — Lionel Messi of Argentina, Kylian Mbappé of France, Erling Haaland of Norway, … Read more
Kangaroos Are Not Shoes
Shoes made from the marsupials are an endangered species in major U.S. venues hosting matches featuring the world’s elite soccer stars At its start, the 2026 FIFA World Cup featured 48 national teams and 1,248 players on the official tournament rosters. With the quarterfinals now set after Belgium’s lopsided win over the United States last … Read more
Press Release Ill-timed bill comes just months after the biggest athletic shoe brands, including Nike, New Balance, and Adidas, halt their sourcing of kangaroo skins for soccer shoes SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The California Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee dismissed a desperate, ill-considered legislative gambit to repeal California’s long-standing, court-tested prohibition on the import, sale, and … Read more
Landmark corporate shift follows yearslong animal welfare campaign; advocates now push for federal ban on kangaroo imports WASHINGTON, D.C – The Center for a Humane Economy and Animal Wellness Action today announced a landmark achievement in animal welfare advocacy: as of Jan. 1, 2026, Adidas, New Balance, and ASICS have officially ceased using kangaroo leather in … Read more
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy will host a free, one-night-only online screening and discussion of the documentary, Thursday, Sept. 25, 8–9:30 p.m., as part of their ongoing campaign to end the commercial killing of kangaroos for their skins. The exclusive event comes as global athletic-wear giants—including Adidas, Nike, New … Read more
New Film “Chasing Roo” Provides Undeniable Proof Commercial Kangaroo Kill is Inhumane WASHINGTON, D.C. — The just-released “Chasing Roo,” a documentary from acclaimed filmmaker Skye Fitzgerald, provides incontrovertible evidence that Australia’s commercial kangaroo killing industry systematically fails to follow the most minimal humane standards, directly contradicting Australian government claims made to U.S. lawmakers and other key stakeholders … Read more
U.S. Senators Duckworth and Booker, seeing momentum, introduce Kangaroo Protection Act to halt any imports or domestic trade in kangaroo parts You can listen to an AI-generated reading of this story here: I’ve alerted you to a drumbeat of announcements from major global athletic wear brands severing ties to the kangaroo-killing industry in Australia. Yet … Read more
U.S. Senators join Umbro in saying “no” to the trade in kangaroo parts, aligning with Nike, New Balance, Puma, adidas, and other athletic shoe retailers on their sourcing practices WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Center for a Humane Economy and Animal Wellness Action applauded U.S. Senators. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., and Cory Booker, D-N.J., for introducing the Kangaroo Protection … Read more
Confirmation caps shift among global sportswear brands to exit the wildlife-skin trade OSAKA, Japan — Mizuno Corporation has confirmed in correspondence with the Center for a Humane Economy that it will end its use of kangaroo leather in its athletic footwear, corroborating a report from the Financial Times that the company has become the latest global brand to … Read more
We’ve set off a corporate stampede away from kangaroo skins as soccer shoe casing You can listen to an AI-generated reading of this story here: During the last three weeks, we’ve seen a rush of announcements from leaders of three big brands in the athletic shoe industry — Adidas first and then ASICS and Mizuno. … Read more