Just thought id post this article I found...


Beckham in kangaroo threat
BANG
August 16, 2005


(BANG) - David Beckham is being targeted by animal rights activists for wearing kangaroo skin football boots.

The England soccer captain has tightened security at his British and Spanish homes to protect his family as terror groups have threatened to take revenge.

Animal rights group Viva! claims thousands of baby kangaroos are being slaughtered to make football boots, including Adidas' Predator range, which Beckham endorses.

The sportsman - who has three children with former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham - has also been warned that more extreme organisations could take action against him, including the Animal Liberation Front, notorious for firebomb attacks.

A Viva! spokesperson said: "Most people don't realise that many of the most popular boots are made from kangaroo leather.

"It's appalling that the kangaroo, an icon of Australia, is being treated so shamefully."

Beckham said he will consider the evidence supplied by Viva!, while manufacturers Adidas insist they are opposed to kangaroos being killed in "an inhumane or unnecessarily cruel manner."

what is that shit for real. i didnt think k leather was actual kangaroo.im not convinced either, i was confident it was just a name. anybody else think this or am i wrong.but thats terrible anyways. if they did anything to me and i was db id fucking go out and shoot every animal i see just to show those crazy "animals are humans" people where the fuck im coming from

HAHHA yes KNG leather is FROM kangaroos. but whats the difference that preds use k leather???? so do about 500000 other boots! besides how about croc skin, full grain leahter, calf skin leather, goat leather etc. they all die too!!! and kng leather is only used on SOCCER shoes. all those other types of leathers are used on EVERYTHING. i feel bad for beckham, this is really unfair. considering about 10000 brands use kng leather too!

yo man he should by some kangas and mate their bitch asses then kill em all and jack that leather. hahaha

god dam hippies! (In the words of Eric Cartman, South Park)

Ken

no no, beckham has been wearing syntethic version of his predator pulse dragons (just like what i have ), if u look at pics u could easily see that they're synthetic boots.

seriously, cut this shit out. Your obsenities are becoming ridicolous. Keep up the act and you'll notice and increase in your warning bar. Verbal warning mate

Yes, K-Leather is Kangaroo Leather. However, Kangaroo leather is not only used in soccer boots but a lot of other areas as well - cars, gloves, military, day to day shoes - lots. It has great physical properties that makes it one of the leading leathers.

There are a few groups lobbying against the use of Kangaroo (VIVA, PETA etc) - it's unfortunate because the general concept is that they are this totally cute little animal from down under that hop around nicely - the fact that most of them are quite aggressive is another matter (but obviously has no reference to why they are culled). They are also incorrect when they say baby kangaroos are slaughtered to make boots (leatherman correct me if I am wrong) but the leather/skin of Joey's don't contain any of the properties that allow the leather to be used. That is just the media/groups trying to add a bit more sensationalism.

The Kangaroo industry is also very closely controlled by the Australian gov and it is regarded as a sustainable and renewable product.

For more information I would check out the websites for Packer Leather & Pittards for information on K-Leather and likewise websites for Sadesa and Prime Tanning for Bovine (cow) info.

And b4 you ask Richard, I don't work for any of those mentioned places!

Well if you have them surely you can blatantly see that they are K leather. I mean its says it in big writing on the tags of you can't figure it out yourself.

Nah, i think the dragon model is/was synthetic. They sure look like it.


Ok, being from the land down under (and kinda a farmboy none the less!) i would like to make several points about the kangaroo.
1) They are not cute and cuddly. In general, unless they have been raised by humans, they are bastards of things. They are very agressive and have huge claws that they are quite willing and able to rip you to shreds with. In addition they are often over 6 ft tall n kinda scary up close unless you happen to be holding a powerful weapon of some kind.
2) There is no threat of roos being killed out. Where i live there are thousands that run wild and cause significant problems to conventional agriculture. Among the more, shall we say, redneck elements roo shooting is quite a hobby/pastime.
3) Yes the government controls the quotas of roos that can be exported or whatever and excessive culling is banned but general hunting of roos, especially in farming areas is very common.
4) While they are our national symbol and quite a majestic creature if thats your sort of thing they are still just animals and there are plenty of them.
5) I'm sure they'd love to know that their deaths are greatly benefiting the soccer playing breed of mankind by providing superior touch, fit, durability and control.

Yeah, last time this issue was raised someone pointed out that kangeroos are a pest anyway. Shame pigeons don't make good boots

And whoever said Beckham's Pulses are synthetic is right. The production model is K leather but the ones he wears (and the samples) were synthetic.

Yeah, I read somewhere that Kangaroos are the pests of the outbacks, too bad they dont have human skin boots, I know a few which could be considered pests and need to be eradicated.

But do you think human skin could be a good upper, its water resistant, flexible, soft, supple, smooth, could be grippy and with the right chemicles im sure they could last!

Wow im talking crazy here.

Love from NZ

Ken

Sorry to be going on here, and I know its off topic, but I can guarantee you the the dragon's are 100% Kangaroo. If they wern't, Beckham wouldn't be under threat from these people, would he?

aside from if kangaroos are nice animals or not, it is true that the export and cull is really very protected by the aust. gov. Australian Govnt Export Website

as already discussed in this other thread here on SPSP , this has huge effects to the supply and demand when you also consider the natural factors.

to be clear, the biggest difference between K and other kinds of leather, is that kangaroos are mostly naturally bred animals, while others like goat or cow are farmed. this means that the K population cannot really be controlled and is dependent on nature (like the weather) to reproduce in sufficient quant.

another thing I know that critics of K point out, is that K is primarily farmed only for the skin (i know you can get K steaks in aust, but by far very few compared to the # of hides tanned). Cow, or even goat skins are a by product of the meat or other industries.

R

Theyre crazy hippies. I dont think theyre right up with it about exactly what boots davey boy is rocking today.
How old is that article? Maybe thats why his are synth. Probably not though. The most famous soccer bitch in the wold isnt gonna let his game be affected by environmentalists. He'd rather ruin it himself by falling over whilst taking free kicks and penalties.

Yea thats pretty retarded, its not like beckham is doing the killing?

Nuh, cause its mates of mine!

Hahah

i think those animal lovers exadurate what does it matterss? A couple of kangaroos dead wont change the planet!! But if they kill to many kangaroos i would say they maybe have a point but now.....

Gotta love the kangaroo burgers! I'll just rectify that no kangaroo's are actually "farmed" - I think it was tried once but the behavior of the animal changed and removing them from their natural environment wasn't a success. Hence they all run free. Supply is definately effected by external factors such as droughts/Govn etc.

Reading in between the lines of your posts about K-Leather, do you think that the future of leather in sporting goods is going to be a different sub-straint? I know you are pushing your new Goat's skin and so do we start to think that Hummel will eventually move totally away from K? Or keep K as premium? Or even will synthetic became the desired best? As a boot designer/marketer/(?) Do you think that boot manufacturer's will all move to a more available product? Or, do you think that the more limited the supply of K becomes, the more sought after K boots will become? (The exclusivity theory).

Shite, sorry, look a lot of questions in there, but I hope you know what I am trying to ask!!

(answering "between the lines"):

For sure we at hummel are very proud of the new Pittards WR Premiership Goat Skin material we are now using. It is a very exciting material with great properties.

As I have mentioned many times before, we (and me) at hummel dont believe that 1 material is the best for everything. Different materials have different properties, and I think that as a designer it is my job to choose the best one for the job depending on the product and need.

The trick is to balance the needs of the consumer with the factors of the material.

At hummel, we are not "married" to one material type or material supplier. This I think is key. Rather, we try to find the best material available to put into our boots to give the player the most benefits as possible.

In terms of the future of K, it is very difficult for me to comment. Personally, I belive that the current situation of quality and price will force manufactuers to look for alternatives. The good news is that consumers are more ready now to accept these alternatives in search of ultimate quality and performance.

In my mind, it is a more important question to ask about "what do consumers/players really want?" vs. "do they want K?"




R

u're assuming because you've checked out the retail boots/pics.
the fact is that beckham himself wears synthetic version of the boots, so are the samples are synthetic too, and i've been wearing them b4 beckham launched them.

stop calling it KNG leather. KNG is nike's name for it's synthetic line. The proper name is k leather. Sorry, but I just had to say that because it was getting annoying.

You know what is even better is that hummel is coming out with a boot that has pony skin on it.

I think these people need to shut up and realise that these are ANIMALS and no matter what we do they will become extinct at some point whether we speed up the process or not. We aren't speeding it up by the way. It's people like this that really piss me off because they bitch about nonsense just because all of the other organizations took all the good world hunger agency names and can't think of one themselves. I think that the australian government could even be considered too uptight about the exports of there exotic fish, kangaroos, kolas, and other stuff environment related. Frankly and to put it bluntly, For every animal you don't eat or use a product of, I'm going to eat or us 10 more!

Death to all kangaroos!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Long live kangaroo leather boots!!!!!!!!!!1

I think that is junk because a lot of other people have kangaroo leather boots and i dont think its fair for just beckham to be penalized

where have these people been?

i mean everyone has been wearing the kangaroo leather boots for years! it hasn't just started now.

i don't mind it really but i suppose it's unfair on the animals.

but why blame becks? sure he promotes the boots but so do a million other players and are they guna blame everyone who owns a pair of these k leather boots? because that would be like blaming the world!

Uh, maybe its cause beckhams famous. You always pay out on famous people if you want publicity.
I think these people were also the ones who tried to shut down the australian wool industry cause some one decided tail docking, which is a decades old process and in the animals best intrest, was inhumane and should be banned. Stupid hippies. That said, if i start to see a lack of kangaroos i may change my mind, im patriotic if nothing else. Its not likely at all though. In the meantime lets enjoy the pleasure of k-leather boots!

i think this is also the reason why beckhams soon to be maroon abosolutes are synthetic too.

I think so too - I can see a wider range of products being available using different leathers but... I do feel that until something comes along and knocks K-leather off the top of the ladder of performance leathers I think the consumer will still desire it. People will still want the best so there will always be a deamnd for it. I also believe technologies will become increasingly important.

The question is though "what is the best?". As I was trying to say in my previous posts, the biggest issue now is that consumers just believe that only K is best. This isnt necessarily true. As I haev mentioned, in many factors, goat or synthetic can outperform.

Especially considering the issues now with lower quality due to quota shortages, i think more and more consumers will not take for granted that K is "the best", also as new materials come on the market.

R

The fact is that Becks gets a new pair every match...that is why he is the target of VIVA!

-> funny:)

Look at that weomens shoes though, surely he trainers must have used some kind of synthetic leather, idiots. Anyway, there are enough kangaroos in the world, its not as if they are an endangered species of anything.

lets jump on the bangwagon guys!!

just cuz they're jealous of becks doesn't mean they have to try and get his fortune



getting a new pair every match is OD though.
I like my boots to break in first...

well, for a long time now I've been against the fact that Beckham wears a new pair every match, or two match's...cause that is pushing it especially if he's not the kind of player that goes in for hard tackles and such...there is where I agree that its a waste of natural resources, because its not like they can recycle dem boots!! so, beckham...unless I see split soles and holes in ur toes, dont waste leather for the serious players...like Zidane ...cause he's actually worth it

Yes, a new pair for each match is overkill. Whats the point? Figures, beckham is such a tosser.
Maybe everyone should let australia worry about its kangaroos. If we feel there is a danger to their survival we will do something about it, not the rest of the world. If that eventually means cutting off the supply of k then thats what we'll do (this wont be for ages, if ever- trust me). In the meantime, enjoy k leather but dont take it for granted like the stupid pros and stuff who have way more than nessecary.

I dunno, but to me it sounds like there IS a danger to their survial, and the government IS doing something about it!

hey crofy- how does that K steak taste anyhow? like chicken?

True, hadnt read that properly. I guess they are doing something. Gee, that would be a change.
I meant that judging by what i see around my place and my friends places there isnt a terminal lack of kangaroos. For sure the drought is hard on them but i guess it hasnt been as bad here as in some places. We are at about 1000m above sea level so we have one of the highest precipitation rates in sub-tropical Australia. We are always the last place in the state to go into official drought.

Ps Havn't actually eaten kangaroo. Its not really "lets throw some roo on the barbie and drink some fosters". We are a bit more civillised than that. And no one drinks fosters any more. I'm not even sure if they still sell it. Damn crocodile dundee. Anyways, even here kangaroo is more of a gourmet thing that you might be able to get at expensive resturants and whatevs. They tends to be pretty lean, so i dont know how much meant you could get off them.

yup hippies...makes me wana go out and buy k leather preds in size 20 and eat tiger and shark fin soup and start a forest fire and drive an suv....i could go on

I don't think there is a lack of kangaroos either - they seem to be culling them and those are the export figures only.

Apparently Kangaroo tastes quite nice. Crocodile tastes like chicken.

The ironic thing about that picture - the woman is wearing new balance shoes - New balance use K leather too. Makes me laugh.

in soccer or other sports?

those runnig shoes don't use k leather, i REALLY dount it. they are like all synthetic and mesh overlays mixed. anyways. actually my dad has tasted k burgers. he was in the marines and they were overeas, right out of australia. and they said they had hamburgers. u know americans we dig that SHIT! so everyone lined up, but they were actually ROO burgers. apparantly they were disgusting and everyone went hungry. thats what he tells me lol.

i think they just target DB because hes 1 of the biggest soccer players known, and who cares about Kangaroos, there are too many of em anyway

Ha, thats so australian. I bet the dudes serving were bullshitting. Bloody tourists. I seriously doubt that you could get roo burgers. Even considering the way our country treats american military personnel.

I was doing some googling today on Kangaroo Leather and came across this:

"The quota of kangaroos harvested is set completely independently from industry demand and indeed industry have historically only taken about half their allowable quota".

Sounds like supply won't be a problem.

haha, well crofty, this was past MY time at elast. well duh, hes my dad. haha. must have been like early, to mid 80s at MOST.

I highly doubt beck wears a new boot every match...bcs think how many matches hes played in his career??? wouldn't that be thousands??

well he does, or maybe he did. who knnows. the fact is hes done it and that IS something to be against, but overall as long as we don't go vrazy, our lil roo's will be just fine. plus we can keep track and make adjustments as needed. its not like we live in 1700s and we just kill an animal till there anre't any left. may i repeat? dang hippies!

do u think that he can use thes boots again? i doubt it ....







BTW Viva! does have a point... well they say that the biggest player (at that time) of the world, Ronaldo has a sintetic boot (vapour witch i don't like but many of u do...) so why does Becks needs animal skin boots...
Here it is (the only thing that they are right about): "There are modern, hi-tec synthetic fabrics available which Adidas could switch to right now. Ronaldo - arguably the best football player in the world - wears a boot which is made of 100 per cent synthetic materials. If boots made from synthetic materials are good enough for Ronaldo then Adidas has no excuse for not using them too! "

haha it says my name on beckhams boots! im famous.

Theres a quote from beckham on the pds review of the dragons where he says he wears a new pair every game. And yeah, the personalisation gives it away.

Whats he gonna do now he has three kids and only two boots?