Leather is still a byproduct of beef. As long as there is beef, there will be leather. There is no getting around this.

Whether the leather is used or thrown away, whether it's perfect or flawed is of minor importance.

if you eat mor chikkn and less beef then we won't have beef leather forever, so it's good to start thinking about these things.

and the world really should stop eating beef

Even if it's a byproduct it's still more expensive than this, and good leather even more so.

There actually is a lot of importance to whether leather is flawed...you ever seen dress shoes with a big barb wire scar on them? or a leather couch covered with insect bite marks?