We’re sole-d on recycled shoes and we’re talking tennies made of trash, boots out of bottles, and circular skate shoes. All of these and more are used by numerous brands to create on-point footwear to keep you in step (environmentally speaking).
Turns out, there are quite a few companies that make shoes from recycled plastic. So we researched and tested a bunch to find our favorite shoe brands who not only use recycled materials but also ethical labor and green business practices.
Our new Brand Rating System will take this further. This system includes 22 sustainability-related considerations that will be applied to brands, including things like climate action, circularity, chemical use, and more. Learn more about it here and look out for rated recycled shoe brands on the list below.
We independently research all featured brands and we ask them to confirm their claims. In many cases we personally review recommended products. This post contains affiliate links which means we may earn a commission if you buy something. Learn more here.
Our Top Picks: Shoes Made From Recycled Plastic & Recycled Materials
Thousand Fell not only make some of the best recycled plastic shoes (we’ve been wearing them for over a year now), but are one of the best recyclable shoe brands owing to their innovative zero waste take back system.
From apple industry scraps to recycled foam, Dooeys shows us just how versatile shoes made from recycled materials can be. We love wearing their house shoes which are a true do-it-all slip-on.
Ground yourself in sustainability with Grounded People’s shoes that are made from completely traceable recycled materials. We own a pair of their sneakers and love the minimalist, versatile aesthetic and comfy zero-drop design.
Index: Recycled Shoe Brands
- Cariuma Jump to brand
- Thousand Fell Jump to brand
- Dooeys Jump to brand
- VIVAIA Jump to brand
- Saola Jump to brand
- Native Shoes Jump to brand
- Icebug Jump to brand
- VEJA Jump to brand
- Grounded People Jump to brand
Cariuma
About Cariuma
Price Range: $79–$169
Cariuma embodies “old-school” in their retro-inspired styles of recycled plastic sneakers, like high-tops, low-tops, and slip-ons for men and women—like the OCA Low, a classic skate-style shoe.
Carimua’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
The majority of the plastic used for the uppers, laces, labels, and threads is recycled. Carimua’s recycled PET is GRS certified, so if you’re looking for a pair of shoes made from recycled plastic, these are certified to contain a minimum percentage of it.
Other materials include bamboo, natural rubber, GOTS-certified organic cotton, sugarcane, mamona oil, and vegetable tanned leather sourced from LWG-Gold certified suppliers. 65% of their products are vegan and they use bluesign®-approved chemicals for their dyes.
Supply chain & labor practices:
The Certified B Corp is working towards full traceability of its supply chain. It currently has 100% traceability of its Tier 1 suppliers, 85% of Tier 2 suppliers, and 59% of Tier 3. Their WRAP-certified manufacturing partner is audited against their comprehensive Code of Conduct. The average wage is 79% above the legal minimum wage.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Cariuma’s warehouse building is ISO 14001:2015 Certified and LEED Gold Certified for meeting high environmental standards. Their LWG-Gold leather suppliers use chrome and chemical-free tanning methods and reuse the water involved in the cleaning process.
Their recycled shoes will appropriately come boxed in recycled cardboard packaging and via carbon-neutral shipping.
My Personal Review of Cariuma Catiba Pros:
“I worn my paid of Catiba Pros for the last 3 years. While they’re built for skateboarding, they’re great for everyday urban adventures. Compared to Cariuma’s standard line, like the OCA Low, which is more of a retro-inspired casual sneaker, the Catiba Pro has added padding, better grip, and reinforced rubber protection. This added durability does come at the cost of weight, making these shoes a bit heavier and not my top choice for long walks or all-day activities, as they tend to make my feet a bit tired. Having said that their cork insole does provide nice cushioning.
But if you want robust sneakers with reinforced support (and cool suede accents), I’d say these are a good choice. My money’s on these having the longest lifespan out of all my sneakers.”
Review by Lyall Mabin, SJ’s Co-founder
Thousand Fell
About Thousand Fell
Price Range: $125–$135
Thousand Fell is all about turning old shoes into new shoes. The brand has created the first zero waste, closed-loop recyclable, and recycled sneaker to stomp on the 97% of sneakers that currently end up in landfills.
Their sustainable sneakers made of recycled materials are vegan, stain-proof, water-resistant, and tested to last for 2.4 million steps and be “comfy AF”.
Thousand Fell’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
They may look like recycled leather shoes, but it’s actually recycled bottles that create the leather-like uppers, as well as mesh liners and laces. This upper has a quartz coating to repel liquid, which we’ve tested and can confirm it does repel liquids.
The outsoles are made from recycled rubber. Midsoles and insoles partially feature materials like castor beans, coconut husk, sugar cane, and palm leaf fibers (from food waste).
Supply chain & labor practices:
Thousand Fell’s recycled plastic shoes are made in a family-owned factory in Brazil using as many locally sourced materials as possible.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Send back your old kicks and receive $20 off your next order. TF will either refurbish and donate them or break them down to become new sneakers. Any materials TF can’t reuse are sent on to the upcycling partners.
The company offsets its carbon and water usage, and orders come in an organic tote bag and FSC-certified shoe box.
Community & charitable giving:
Any returns of their tennis shoes made from recycled plastic are refurbished and given to someone in need via their partnership with Sole4Soles. Thousand Fell is also a member of 1% for the Planet.
My Personal Review of Thousand Fells’ Slip-On & Lace-Up:
“Though I can’t speak for a 2.4 million step test (yet) after trying the Women’s Slip-On and Women’s Lace-Up, I can say that they live up to the brand’s claim of being “comfy AF”. What I’m most impressed about regarding the Slip-On style is how secure it fits. It isn’t like other slip-on skate shoes that sometimes slide off the heel when you least expect it. These ones fit like a glove but stretch comfortably around the foot. Likewise, the Lace-Ups fit soft and snug, with a bit more support than the Slip-ons, making them ideal for longer wear and greater mileage.”
Review by Amber McDaniel, SJ’s Head of Content
My Personal Review of Thousand Fells’ Slip-Ons:
“I tried the Men’s Slip-Ons and I have to say, I’m impressed. Despite my initial concerns about the all-white material, the shoes are super easy to keep clean with just a quick wipeover. But most impressive is how comfortable they are. They’re well-cushioned and hug the foot securely, without any annoying slipping around when I walk.”
Review by Christopher Ryan, SJ’s Menswear Tester
Dooeys
About Dooeys
Price Range: $130–$140
Recycled house shoes—in loafers, mules and sandals—are female-founded Dooeys‘ jam, each one designed to be comfortable, easy to slip on and off, and versatile enough to dress up or down for any occasion. We slipped into the open-back House Mules, and now you have a hard time convincing us to wear anything else.
Dooeys’ Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Dooeys’ recycled women’s shoes feature an upcycled apple scrap vegan leather upper, recycled rubber soles, recycled plastic bottle sherpa fleece lining, sugarcane midsoles, and a cork and recycled foam insole.
These cork insoles are so comfortable. Unlike other flat, hard cork insoles we’ve seen, these are contoured to fit the feet and provide cushioning right under the arch, so our feet never feel tired after standing in them for long periods of time.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Dooeys is committed to ethical production practices and works with factories in Portugal that meet high standards for labor and environmental practices.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Dooeys is committed to reducing their carbon footprint by using recycled and plant-based materials in their shoes, offering carbon-neutral shipping on every order, and minimizing production waste through small batch manufacturing.
My Personal Review of Dooey’s House Shoes:
“I tested out the House Mules, and what I love about these sustainable house shoes is that they can actually be used for much more than that. With a durable hard outsole and cork-moulded footbed, these surprisingly supportive minimalist indoor/ outdoor slides are also perfect for padding around the garden or even making a quick trip to the grocery store. They don’t even look like you’re wearing slippers due to the sleek, apple leather outer that really makes them look like any old pair of mules.”
Review by Amber McDaniel, SJ’s Head of Content
VIVAIA
About Vivaia
Price Range: $97–$199
Viva la Vivaia! This stylish brand’s range of shoes include heels, loafers, sandals, mules, sneakers, and boots—all machine and hand washable.
While primarily offering recycled women’s shoes, they do offer a small men’s sneaker line.
Vivaia’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
These shoes feature recycled plastic bottles collected from the oceans, recycled into a signature thread and used to knit the uppers. Each pair contains about six of them.
Other materials include an herbal PU foam insole, carbon-free rubber outsole, and natural latex rubber or recyclable TPE yoga mat midsoles. Some contain wool but many vegan styles are available.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Shoes are made at a regularly audited facility in China, ensuring fair and healthy conditions.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Their factory is partly powered by renewable energy and a low-waste production process reduces production waste by over 30%. Packing boxes are made from 100% recycled cardboard.
My Personal Review of VIVAIA’s Melody Slingback Heels:
“I’ve always loved the elegant look of slingbacks, but I’ve never been a fan of heels—until now. The Melody Slingbacks are the perfect balance, offering the chic, classy look of heels in a comfortable, low-rise design that doesn’t make me worry about rolling my ankle with every step. And, just like all the other VIVAIA shoes I’ve tried, the recycled stretch knit uppers are incredibly soft and gentle on my feet.”
Reviews by Amber McDaniel, SJ’s Head of Content
Saola
About SAOLA
Price Range: $45–$120
Named after an endangered bovine species, French brand SAOLA does their part for the planet. Designs include machine washable lace-ups, slip-ons, and sandals in various colors.
If you’re tired of the same old sneaker style, check out the Alta Vibram shoes, which combine ultra sticky Vibram 90% recycled Ecostep soles with fully recycled linings and partially recycled uppers (the rest being organic cotton). We love the look of the granite speckled midsoles—and love even more that it’s thanks to 25$ recycled EVA foam.
SAOLA’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Offering shoes made out of recycled plastic bottles, each set of SAOLAs feature 3-7 bottles that have been turned into GRS-certified rPET.
The insoles are made with recycled algae foam from BLOOM Foam, midsoles from partially recycled EVA, and any Vibram outsoles feature 90% recycled rubber. They use organic cotton for their laces and natural cork insoles.
Supply chain & labor practices:
SAOLA works with a well-established and reputable factory in Vietnam (near where most materials are sourced) that has high social and environmental standards in place. Regular visits are carried out by their local agent.
Native Shoes
About Native Shoes
Price Range: $32–$110
Live Lightly™ with Canada’s Native Shoes. Their shoes made with recycled materials aren’t just light on impact but are physically lightweight, too, making them the perfect slip-on-and-go shoe.
As a PETA-approved vegan shoe brand, no materials consist of animal byproducts—even though the adventurous-looking Fitzsimmons Citylite Bloom boots will have you feeling ready to go on an African safari.
Native Shoes’ Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Many Native Shoes use either an Injection Molded Bio-based EVA foam or recycled PET upper. Others feature upcycled algae foam, solvent-free vegan suede or corn-based PU, sugarcane, organic cotton, and cork.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Native Shoes ensures that its supply chain and labor practices are ethical and fair across its factories in Vietnam and China.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Native Shoes has implemented a number of initiatives, such as using renewable energy, conserving water in manufacturing methods, and implementing sustainable transportation practices.
The Remix Project allows customers to send their well-loved shoes back to this recyclable shoe brand for recycling into future shoes, playground flooring, insulation, or seating.
My Personal Review of Native |Shoes’ Fitzsimmons Citylite Bloom:
“I love Native Shoes’ lace-up ankle boots! They’re way more comfy than the stiff, sweaty rubber boots I used to wear. They mix fun, bold colors with solid performance, and the laces help them fit much more snugly than slip-on wellies. My feet don’t sweat nearly as much in these compared to rubber boots, but they’re still plenty warm, thanks to the neoprene sock liner. Plus, the extra padding around the heel makes them so comfy that I can wear them all day without worrying about blisters.”
Review by Amber McDaniel, SJ’s Head of Content
Icebug
About Icebug
Price Range: $139–$239
Icebug is a Swedish shoe company that produces a range of footwear for outdoor activities—namely sustainable hiking boots and trail running shoes, including some with studs for winter traction.
Their collection is extensive but if you’re looking for an excellent all-around sneaker, you can’t go wrong with the Eli RB9X. Made from mostly recycled materials (including a removable recycled foam insole), these breathable and durable shoes are popular for their comfort and performance alike.
Icebug’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
RWS wool, BLOOM™ algae foam, LWG Gold leather, and natural rubber are present in many shoes in some capacity or another. However, recycled polyester and recycled wool (sourced from another Swedish clothing company) make regular appearances in their women’s and men’s recycled shoes.
They prioritize bluesign®-approved or OEKO-TEX certified materials.
Supply chain & labor practices:
This Certified B Corp is committed to ethical labor practices and works closely with their suppliers and factories in Vietnam and China to ensure workers are treated fairly and paid a living wage.
They’re also a member of the Fair Wear Foundation, which promotes fair labor conditions in the fashion industry and holds supply chain entities to its code of conduct. Scan the QR code on each product tag and Follow the Footprints to learn all about its production journey and impact.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Icebug is committed to reducing their carbon footprint by half. The company uses renewable energy sources and has implemented a number of green practices in their manufacturing process, such as using water-based adhesives, reducing waste, and promoting product longevity by offering replacement parts.
VEJA
About VEJA
Price Range: $70–$120
VEJA is a French footwear brand whose mission is to use plastic bottles to make sneakers that are both stylish and sustainable. Whether you need a more active design or a casual skate shoe, VEJA offers various styles of recycled plastic bottle shoes for women, men, and kids.
One of their most sustainable styles is the Alveomesh Sneaker, it’s a mostly-recycled model thanks to a recycled polyester upper and lining and a rubber and recycled rice waste outsole.
VEJA’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
One of the key materials used in VEJA’s sneakers is B-mesh, a fabric made entirely from recycled plastic bottles. Other recycled upper materials include organic cotton and rPET Hexamesh and corn-based vegan leather.
The company also uses organic cotton for the canvas and laces, Amazonian rubber for the soles, and castor bean or sugar cane midsoles and inserts.
Not all are vegan and many styles contain LWG and REACH-certified leather tanned via vegetable or chrome-free methods.
Supply chain & labor practices:
VEJA’s sneakers are designed in Paris and ethically made in Porto Alegre, Brazil. In fact, all manufacturing and sourcing takes place in Brazil, except for their Peruvian cotton sourcing.
As a Certified B Corp, they ensure their factory workers are paid fair wages and work in safe and healthy conditions. They also support their small-scale farming partners by purchasing raw materials at double the market price.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
VEJA uses renewable energy sources in their factories and has implemented a closed-loop water system to reduce water waste. They also keep an emissions report of Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions, so they can continue to make improvements to lower them, mostly through their material choices. For example, they aim to use 100% organic cotton in their sneakers by 2025.
Send your old VEJA shoes back for repair or recycling.
Grounded People
About Grounded People
Price Range: $179–$189
Despite their name, Grounded People offers people a way to get ethically high with their small but essential collection of classic low and high-top sneakers. Not only are their shoes made from recycled materials in every way, but they’re designed to fit anyone and everyone, thanks to versatile, unisex styles.
The CAMPINAS low-rise shoes are the perfect blend of retro punk and modern, making them an all-around effortless wear. The zero-drop design provides an ergonomic fit that’s as close to natural grounding as you can get while still wearing sneakers.
Grounded People’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Grounded People uses only recycled materials in the production of their shoes. They use recycled cotton for the upper part of the shoe, natural rubber for the sole, recycled metal eyelets, and recycled car tires for the outsole.
Supply chain & labor practices:
They work with a small team of artisans who handcraft each shoe across South America. Their shoes are specially made in Brazil, in the world’s first 100% vegan factory.
The brand ensures that their suppliers and partners adhere to ethical labor practices and that workers are paid fair wages. You can track each product’s journey via their partnership with Retraced, available in each product page.
Community & charitable giving:
When checking out, you get to pick your laces, each color of which sees a portion of your purchase donated to a specific organization, thanks to the L.A.C.E.S program. They’re also committed to supporting local communities by sourcing materials and labor locally whenever possible.
My Personal Review of Grounded People’s Campinas Sneakers:
“I love the minimalist design of the Campinas sneakers, which makes them super versatile—I can wear them with pretty much anything. They’re comfy all day long, thanks to the zero-drop. I actually wore them to a concert recently where I had floor tickets, and by the end of the day, my feet were the least sore part of me despite dancing non-stop. Plus, they seem really durable so I reckon I will be wearing them for a long time yet.”
Review by Amber McDaniel, SJ’s Head of Content
