In October, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill allowing the sale of kangaroo leather products in California. This overturned a law that banned kangaroo product sales that had been in effect since 1970 and will allow sales until 2011 when the California legislature will rethink the ban.

Adidas, a carrier of many kangaroo leather products, was the main force pushing the new bill. In 2003, Adidas was sued by an environmental corporation for ignoring the law banning kangaroo leather sales.

The governor made the correct decision. Kangaroo leather is an essential material for high-end soccer cleats and provides superior touch, feel and comfort for the player. Opponents of the bill argue that killing kangaroos for leather is animal cruelty, but is it any better than killing the cow that went into your lunchtime burger? Another problem with the previous law was that kangaroo leather products were only banned in California. This means that in the other 49 states, and around the world, kangaroo leather could be bought and sold commercially. This put California businesses at risk from out of state competition and tore many California soccer fanatics away from their beloved shoes.

Critics of kangaroo leather argue that the synthetic alternatives to provide sufficient touch and are better for the environment, but in the scheme of things, kangaroo leather products could be seen as a “greener” shoe. Synthetic materials are non-biodegradable and take centuries to decompose. Leather, however, is a renewable resource that decomposes in a matter of decades.

Kangaroos are also far from extinction. According to Australian government records, kangaroos are one of the most numerous large wild mammals on earth with a population of almost 60 million. In fact, to farmers and competing grazers, kangaroos can be seen as pests whose numbers need to be controlled.

It was foolish to ban kangaroo leather in the first place, given that kangaroos are in no way endangered, but in fact overpopulated. Schwarzenegger made the right choice to overturn this ban, but should also impose a tax on the sale of animal products. Such a tax could fund animal protection agencies to protect endangered animals around the world. This solution would allow soccer players to keep their beloved cleats and allow endangered species to survive.