Real leather comes from animals who have suffered horribly.
PETA's recent investigation into the skin trade in India uncovered shocking abuses. Because it is illegal to kill cows in India, corrupt skin-traders use bribes to smuggle the animals across state borders at night. The cows and calves, who often collapse while being marched for days to slaughterhouses, have their eyes smeared with chili peppers and their tails broken in an effort to keep them moving. Animal suffering is a turn off.