Hurrying from one end of the downtown Nordstrom’s shoe floor the other day, I paused before a chest-high table of what looked to be a collection of sexed-up Marni heels.

Huh, I was thinking. Looks like someone hijacked Consuelo Castiglioni and gave her a dose of Tamara Mellon.

And then I realized what I was seeing.

I went a year or so without buying leather, and during that time I (of course) began craving shoes more than I ever had. I think it was Neely at A Mano who suggested I check out Olsen Haus, a line of animal-free, fashion-forward footwear by an environmental activist with a resume that includes Calvin Klein and Nine West.

You might recall reading about Chocolate Shoe Box during Kelly Robinson’s Meet the Shopkeeper days; the Phinney shop stocks vegan ballet flats and dairy-free truffles (hey, it’s not all that crazy to imagine the shopper who wants both in a single afternoon). And several styles within the Osborn Design* camp are leather-free. It’s not as if non-leather, style savvy footwear is unheard of, of course, but this is evidence that it’s a growing market. And you should know that the flagship Nordstrom’s edit of Olsen Haus is deeper than what’s available online, so if you’re interested, go in person and feel the fake suede for yourself.