Japanese sportswear brand ASICS has announced it will phase out the use of kangaroo leather in its products by the end of 2025, following the successful development of high-performance alternatives.
The decision was shared in an email to advocacy groups Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy.
“We would like to share with you that, as we have successfully developed high-performance alternatives to kangaroo leather, we are moving toward ending the production of products using kangaroo leather by the end of 2025. We place great importance on ethical sourcing, while continually striving to enhance the functionality and quality of our products,” wrote a staffer from ASICS’ sustainability department.
Animal protection groups have welcomed the announcement, which comes just days after Adidas confirmed it had already stopped sourcing kangaroo leather months earlier. The nearly back-to-back decisions by the two major sporting goods brands mark a significant shift in the global supply chain for kangaroo leather.
“With the rapid-fire announcements from ASICS and Adidas, we’re witnessing the dismantling of a supply chain built on bloodshed and the orphaning of kangaroo joeys. The foreign markets for kangaroo skins are collapsing, and that can only mean good news for the iconic marsupials of Australia,” said Wayne Pacelle, president of the Center for a Humane Economy.
Kangaroo leather, long prized for its durability and lightness in soccer cleats, has become the target of a growing international campaign due to its ethical and environmental implications.
Each year, around 2 million kangaroos, often including mothers and their joeys, are killed for their skin. Orphaned joeys are either killed or left to die, raising serious animal welfare concerns.
Since the Center for a Humane Economy launched its Kangaroos Are Not Shoes campaign in 2020, the number of kangaroos killed annually has dropped from 2 million to 1.3 million, with further declines expected as more companies abandon the trade.
“ASICS has acknowledged a fundamental truth: the commercial slaughter of wild kangaroos for their skins is neither ethical nor morally defensible. ASICS’s innovative materials outperform kangaroo leather, removing any justification for continuing this inhumane trade,” said Jennifer Skiff, Director of International Programs at the Center and leader of the campaign.
Adidas’ decision came after persistent pressure from animal rights groups like In Defense of Animals (IDA), whose supporters sent 15,451 emails and placed numerous calls to CEO Bjørn Gulden.
At the company’s annual general meeting in Fürth on May 15, Gulden confirmed to Pacelle that Adidas had already stopped using kangaroo leather, joining Nike, Puma, New Balance, Diadora, and UK-based Sokito in moving away from the controversial material.
“For years, we have urged Adidas and other companies to end the use of kangaroo leather, and today, thanks to the voices of our supporters and allies, that day has finally come,” said Marilyn Kroplick, President and CEO of IDA.
“Today’s victory is part of a larger movement. People are demanding cruelty-free, sustainable options, and the fashion industry is finally listening. Adidas’ decision demonstrates that compassion and innovation can coexist,” she added.
With ASICS now on board, attention turns to Mizuno, the last major brand still using kangaroo leather. Advocates hope the momentum will push the company to adopt similar humane policies.
“ASICS is setting an ethical standard other Japanese companies should follow. I hope Mizuno will be next,” said Victoria Garafola, the Center’s representative in Japan.
Meanwhile, Animal Wellness Action continues to support the Kangaroo Protection Act, a US congressional bill that would ban the import and sale of kangaroo-based products.
The group is engaging in grassroots activism and public education to end America’s role in what it describes as the world’s largest land-based commercial wildlife slaughter.