Substitute Textile Preferences for Eco-Friendly Leather Goods: Focusing on Shoes and Bags

Abstract

In the 21^st century, the demand for eco-friendly leather, such as eco-leather and vegan leather, is steadily increasing. This study examines the influence of eco-friendliness on consumers’ purchasing intentions and the possibility of eco-friendly changes in the fashion accessory market, which is dominated by leather material and leather substitutes. This study administered a questionnaire survey to 227 males and females between 20 and 60 years of age in Korea. With a 5-point Likert scale, data were collected on evaluation criteria when purchasing shoes and bags and purchasing intention of various leather substitute materials according to the democratic variables. The eco-friendliness attitude was divided into eco-consciousness and green behavior. As the eco-friendly attitude increased, most purchasing standards increased, but the purchasing criteria, such as trends, brands, and prices, did not correlate with the eco-friendly attitude. The eco-consciousness of a consumer had a high correlation with the design evaluation criteria, while the green behavior of the consumer aligned with durability and comfort criteria when purchasing a bag. There was a preference for recycled leather, vegetable leather, synthetic leather, and chemical leather, and the fabric type was ranked as natural fiber, biodegradable fiber, and synthetic fiber. Consumers with both green behavior and eco-consciousness are more likely to purchase biodegradable textiles and vegetable leather for the material of shoes and bags.