10 Best Vegan Shoe Brands Using Sustainable Materials
The Good Trade editors endorse products we’ve personally researched, tested, and genuinely love. Learn more about our methodology and business model here.
Each year, the global leather industry uses products from over a billion animals to produce fashion goods. The production of leather goods also frequently involves the use of cheap labor, increased waste, and a higher carbon footprint. But it doesn’t have to be this way.
We’ve found nine shoe brands that are either exclusively cruelty-free or offer vegan options. These brands are minimizing their environmental impact, creating fair wage jobs, and finding sustainable alternatives, all while producing affordable, fashionable, and comfortable vegan shoes for any occasion.
Best Overall | Best Vegan Leather | Most Affordable
1. Bhava
Best For | Heels & sandals
Ethics | Vegan, organic & sustainable materials, ethically made
Price Range | $195–$345
Bhava aims to create thoughtfully designed shoes using organic and sustainable alternatives such as vegan leather, cork, and organic cotton. Based out of NYC, it also recognizes the importance of comfortable shoes for the modern woman on the go, and its line of durable vegan shoes can withstand even the longest of days. With unique styles and timeless colors, we’re big fans of the heels & sandals. Conscious beautiful footwear, without the cruelty? Yes, please!
2. Matt & Nat
Best For | Everyday heels & sandals
Ethics | Vegan, fair wages, eco-friendly materials
Price Range | $90–$250
Matt & Nat believes in living beautifully and mindfully, crafting vegan shoes with synthetic leathers made from recycled windshield glass resin, recycled plastic bottles, and cork. The results are cruelty-free shoes that will live in your wardrobe for years to come. We love the wide range of vegan shoes, from comfortable everyday heels to vegan sneakers you can wear all around town. We admire Matt & Nat’s commitment to transparent, ethical practices.
3. SeaVees
Best For | Waterproof clogs
Ethics | Vegan, recycled natural rubber, strict ethical labor standards, gives back to The Ecology Center, 1% for the planet
Price Range | $80
For a brand crafting vegan shoes in small batches, look no further than SeaVees and their recently launched natural rubber clog inspired by foragers, growers, makers, and foodies. Made from recycled rubber with a feel-good soft knit lining, these clogs are waterproof and perfect for enjoying nature. We especially love that the brand donates 10 percent of sales from this style to The Ecology Center, a Regenerative Organic Certified™ farm and education center that serves as a hub for Southern California’s ecological movement. In addition to the clogs, SeaVees makes vegan sneakers, boots, and slippers for men, women, and children.
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4. Rothy’s
Best For | Machine-washable shoes
Ethics | Vegan, recycled & sustainable materials, ethically made
Price Range | $119–$249
Rothy’s believes in doing things a better way. Using recycled plastic, natural rubber, and algae-based foam, these sustainable shoes have the lightest footprint around; carbon footprint, that is. Plus, they’re fully machine-washable! Rothy’s is on a mission to be zero-waste, setting ambitious sustainability goals that embody what it means to be cruelty- and waste-free.
5. Thousand Fell
Best For | Classic sneakers
Ethics | Vegan, responsibly sourced materials, 1% for the Planet, recycling program, gives back
Price Range | $125–$135 (+$20 recycling deposit)
Thousand Fell is a vegan sneaker brand so committed to eliminating fashion waste they started a recycling buy-back program called SuperCircle. This experiential recycling program pays the customer to participate in their circular economy, with the goal that every pair of Thousand Fell shoes is recycled and reused in their supply chain. Their thoughtful designs include bioleather fabric that resists water and stains, keeping your toes dry, stylish and ultra comfy on the recycled yoga mat insole.
6. Native
Best For | Water-friendly shoes
Ethics | PETA-certified vegan, recyclable, fair trade, ethically made
Price Range | $25-$110
Native keeps it cruelty-free across the board, from infant sandals to adult hiking boots, using neither hair nor hide in their comfy, stylish shoes. These recyclable shoes are made with care, as the company continues to examine their carbon footprint and raise their own standards of eco-friendly practices. The brand’s Native Shoes Remix™ Project recycles well-loved shoes into community-centered programs, like playground construction. We love the waterproof Jefferson style made from their Bloom material, which is derived from repurposed algae biomass, an innovative plastic alternative.
7. Ahimsa
Best For | Men’s dress shoes
Ethics | Vegan, fair wages, eco-friendly materials
Price Range | $99–$249
With the only 100 percent vegan shoe factory in the world, Ahimsa believes in manufacturing its shoes sustainably while respecting all forms of life. The stunning shoes are beautifully detailed and with deeply rich colors, such as espresso and cognac. Each one of its shoes also comes with the message, “Handmade with love, in Brazil”—what more could you ask for?
8. Keep
Best For | Non-slip styles
Ethics | Vegan shoes, fair wages, ethically made, natural & sustainable materials
Price Range | $65–$120
If we had to summarize Keep in a few words, we’d say “vegan shoes with personality.” Keep’s collection of low, mid, and hi-top shoes are exquisitely crafted from artisans across Guatemala, Japan, and North America, using sustainable practices. From Complex to Refinery29, everyone is loving Keep’s clean designs and bold patterns, and we could not agree more. (PS: For our uniformed pros, Keep also offers a uniform program!)
9. Stella McCartney
Best For | Designer styles
Ethics | Vegan, cruelty-free, ethically made
Price Range | $325–$1,495
Stella McCartney is where luxury meets sustainability. We love its mission statement and ethics that treat people, planet, and animals equally. The brand is always fur-free, uses recycled materials, and is constantly striving to reduce the impact they have on the environment. If you’re in the market for luxury vegan footwear, call off the search: From their iconic platforms to recyclable trainers, you really can’t go wrong.
10. Flamingos Life
Best For | Retro style sneakers
Ethics | Vegan, plant-based materials, family-run production centers in Portugal and Spain, gives back to multiple environmental initiatives
Price Range | $180–$240
Spanish brand Flamingos Life is serious about their plant-based footwear. This vegan company uses corn, bamboo, hemp, organic cotton, and sustainably extracted rubber from the Hevea brasiliensis tree to make their products. Their goal is to create a biodegradable shoe! Each sneaker has a project connected to it, such as building water wells in Uganda, working with reforestation projects in Madagascar and Mozambique, and making monthly donations for marine litter collection with Waste Free Ocieans. We love a brand that puts their money where their mouth is, and Flamingos Life is the real deal!
Featured image is from Bhava
