When Roxanne Peake began looking for stylish and durable boots for her young son Dominic, she struggled to find anything that aligned with her values. That was when she decided to design her own.
After months of research, the “Petit Vagabond” was born. According to Peake’s company, Dominic & Dempsey, it’s the world’s first 100% vegan, sustainable, and organic leather-style boot for toddlers. It features organic cotton laces, a cotton canvas lining, and a 100% natural rubber crepe sole.
The company, which is based in Austin, Texas, says the boots are flexible, breathable, and sturdy. They have a “no-trip” feature designed to prevent falls.
While there are many polyurethane-based vegan leather alternatives on the market, Peake wasn’t happy with their environmental footprint and looked at other options when designing the “Petit Vagabond”. She ordered samples from vegan leather companies worldwide, eventually deciding on Mexican company DESSERTO’s organic, sustainably produced cactus leather.
DESSERTO first launched its cactus leather in August of 2020 after two years of research and development. Since then, it has also launched cactus leather boxing gloves and entered a distribution agreement with H&M.
“It was important that the material resemble leather because I love the look, feel, and durability of leather, but I also wanted to create something that aligned with our vegan lifestyle. DESSERTO cactus leather was by far my favourite in terms of sustainability, process, look, feel, and quality,” says Peake.
Dominic & Dempsey says it is now working on a Chelsea boot, the “Faire des Empreinte”, which will launch later this year.
