9 Vegan Sandals Helping You Step Lightly This Summer
Summer is almost here, and you know what that means: barely-there footwear.
For summer sandals that also have a barely-there impact, we’ve rounded up our favorite vegan sandals to go with your new sustainable swimwear.
Besides, for a pair of shoes that we mostly use to get from the porch to the pool, there’s no reason to harm an animal.
And as Bhava shows us, we don’t have to. Instead, we can strap on sustainability produced vegan leather with their 100% vegan line.
Eating the Goober has a fun name—and their customizable women’s vegan sandals are just as fun.
If you’ve just typed in “vegan sandals UK” into your search bar, we can’t leave out one of London’s best luxury cruelty-free brands: Stella McCartney.
If you’re in a rush because that one flop flipped its way behind the sofa… check out the end of the article to see what made these sandals stand out.
*This post contains affiliate links
QUICK LINKS FOR MENS & WOMENS VEGAN SANDALS
1. BHAVA
About Bhava
In an attempt to avoid fast fashion’s many woes and support all living beings on Earth, Bhava believes animals don’t belong in fashion.
You won’t have to sift through product descriptions to find only vegan sandals because all of their vegan boots, ethical heels, wedges, eco friendly flats, and sandals are animal-free.
Every pair of durable vegan sandals for women goes through a test drive (walk?) on New York City streets to ensure they can withstand sidewalks, crosswalks, potholes, and inclement weather.
They offer vegan clog sandals, strappy sandals, strappy sandals with heels, and slides.
Bhava’s Ethical and Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Vegan leather is always animal-free, but it isn’t always sustainable. In Bhava’s case, it ticks both boxes.
Theirs is free of PVC, formaldehyde, chrome, AZO-dyes, phthalates, and aromatic amines. In fact, in Europe, it’s REACH certified as completely free from toxic chemicals.
Most sandals are paired with cork fabric, wood, eco Ultrasuede, natural rubber, and/or organic cotton.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Bhava partners with the first 100% female-owned-and-operated footwear workshop in India, which is where some of their shoes are made.
Most pairs, however, are made in Spain, which is also where many of their materials are sourced (or nearby in Portugal, in the case of their cork). This keeps their supply chain local.
Green business practices:
Bhava’s founder, Francisca, taught Ethical Fashion and Sustainable Design at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York—so she understands the practices that best support conscious design.
The use of non-leather and renewable fibers allows the brand to keep chemical and water use low.
Available: Bhava
2. EATING THE GOOBER
About Eating the Goober
Eating a Goober is an Athens-based purse, clothing, and footwear brand that’s named after a magic peanut that turns Goofy (the cartoon character) into a superhero.
What exactly does this have to do with vegan sandals?
Metaphorically, we can all eat magical peanuts (AKA make ethical and sustainable purchases) to turn ourselves into superheroes.
So get ready to eat (try on) one of the brand’s “Ethical Magic Sliders,” or the unique, customizable, and arguably best vegan sandals for women.
Did we mention they’re customizable? The upper parts are removable and can be swapped out with different designs featuring fancy, playful, and classic styles.
Infinite (er, 55 anyway) styles in one eco friendly sandal.
Eating the Goober’s Ethical and Sustainability Practices
Materials:
These vegan slide sandals won the Etsy Design Awards in the Earth-Friendly category because they’re made from natural, cruelty-free, sustainably sourced, and durable materials.
These include Piñatex (pineapple industry waste transformed into pineapple leather), cork, and rubber (both natural and from upcycled car tires).
Supply chain & labor practices:
These sandals are made by magical craftsmen local to Athens, Greece. Everyone is treated with respect and dignity and supported with fair compensation for their work.
Green business practices:
Multi-purpose goes a long way to creating a minimalist wardrobe.
Beyond that, these sandals are made with diverted landfill waste.
Every order placed on Etsy is shipped carbon neutral.
Available: Etsy
3. RAWGANIQUE
About Rawganique
As much as you would love the feeling of this next brand’s organic rugs under your bare feet, sometimes, you have to leave the homestead.
And while Rawganique may have started on one (an off-grid homestead, be exact), they’re here to suit your needs when you do leave the nest.
In addition to organic cotton and linen, this hemp clothing brand hemp-phatically embraces one of nature’s best plant fibers.
Their vegan hemp shoe range includes vegan gladiator sandals, flip flops, and slides, but also mocs, clogs, and indoor/outdoor slippers.
Rawganique’s Ethical and Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Most of Rawganique’s vegan shoes are made of 100% organic hemp fabric for both the uppers and footbeds paired with natural rubber soles.
A few feature organic linen too.
Some are natural (as in, unbleached and undyed) while others are colored using biodegradable eco-dyes.
None of their shoes are waterproof, so they recommend applying their natural waterproofing wax for durability.
Supply chain & labor practices:
All products are made “sweatshop-free” in this vegan shoe company’s very own atelier workshop in Europe, where they also source their hemp, keeping the supply chain small.
Green business practices:
To minimize waste, they turn their hemp scraps into product-protecting drawstring bags.
Having a 100% organic product line means Rawganique never uses harmful chemicals, like VOCs, PVC (or any plastic), latex, dioxins, and formaldehyde.
Available: Rawganique
4. STELLA MCCARTNEY
About Stella McCartney
From handbags to ethical shoes of all shapes and sizes, Stella McCartney can provide you with stella(r) animal-free accessories.
While their range isn’t entirely vegan (some products are ethical wool-based), Stella’s lifelong vegetarianism has certainly contributed to their focus on vegan offerings.
For cruelty free, luxury vegan leather sandals, the brand offers chunky sandals, funky-soled espadrilles, clog sandals, slide sandals, and heeled sandals.
Stella McCartney’s Ethical and Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Materials like rubber, sustainable wood viscose, organic cotton, jute, and recycled synthetics round out many of the materials found in the brand’s greenest pairs of sandals.
However, they do use synthetic fabrics like polyamide, polyester, and polyurethane (PU)—the latter being a common component of microfiber vegan suede.
Admittedly, it’s not our favorite material but it’s better than PVC (one of the worst types of plastic).
Supply chain & labor practices:
Most materials come from Italy, although they source from Portugal, China, India, Spain, and Hungary, too.
Committed to an ethical supply chain, Stella McCartney reports annually to the Ethical Trading Initiative to confirm that their manufacturing partners continue to adhere to standards regarding hours, working conditions, and prohibition of abuse or harassment.
Green business practices:
Stella McCartney has made great strides towards reducing their impact by measuring and reporting their carbon footprint as well as pollution, waste, and water use.
To embrace the circular economy, they’ve partnered with TheRealReal (an online clothes resale site) and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.
Community & charitable giving:
Over the years, Stella McCartney has partnered with and supported a range of organizations such as the ASPCA, Meat Free Monday, and Animals Asia.
Available: Stella McCartney
5. HANDMADE LOVE
About Handmade Love
Handmade Love is a woman-founded vegan shoe company that…hand-makes sandals from natural, plant-based materials.
In addition to affordable straw slides and flip flops, this Etsy shop’s entirely vegan line includes homewares such as cushion covers, wooden utensils and eco friendly dinnerware, rugs, and baskets.
Handmade Love’s Ethical and Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Handmade Love’s vegan shoes almost all feature 100% natural straw uppers (one pair of bamboo sandals are the exception).
Natural rubber is the foundation of the outsoles.
Supply chain & labor practices:
All products are handmade by a small team of three people in Uttar Pradesh, India, led by their fearless founder and maker Warina.
Available: Etsy
6. TEVA
About Teva
Teva is about expression and exploration and making better decisions.
Some of these decisions include incorporating animal-free and recycled materials in their vegan hiking sandals for men and women.
Strap on your Dorados, don your go-to sustainable outdoor clothing, and head for the hills. Or try one of their vegan boots made for hiking.
Not all Teva sandals are vegan so be sure to navigate to their vegan shoe styles.
Teva’s Ethical and Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Teva’s vegan sandals are made with traceable and verifiable REPREVE polyester, meaning you’ll be wearing ~four recycled plastic bottles.
Some pairs feature recycled polyester straps.
The footbed is made with “robust EVA made for all-day adventuring” blended with supportive nylon and high traction rubber.
Supply chain & labor practices:
In line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, Teva is committed to positively impacting the communities in which they work. They have industry-leading human rights practices designed to support their entire supply chain.
All manufacturing partners must adhere to a strict code of conduct that prohibits child labor, forced labor, and prison labor, and also enforces fair wage laws.
Green business practices:
Teva’s women’s and men’s vegan sandals should never end up in a landfill thanks to their TevaForever recycling program. Simply mail back your pair of well-loved Teva sandals to be responsibly recycled.
They recycle what they can at the production level and work to reduce water and energy consumption.
Their commitment to incorporate more responsible and sustainable materials is somewhat recent, so expect to see more progress here in the coming years.
Inclusivity:
Creating an inclusive culture is important for Teva and they are taking steps to empower their diverse employee community.
This year they received a perfect score in the Corporate Equality Index, the US’s leading survey to assess LGBTQ workplace equality.
Community & charitable giving:
Teva and their family of brands donate generously. Some recent recipients include the NAACP, the ACLU, and Black Lives Matter.
Available: Teva
7. INDOSOLE
About Indosole
Indosole was inspired by Bali.
While holidaying there, Indosole founder Kyle Parsons noticed that many of their sandals were made with upcycled motorbike tires. Seeing this as an excellent way to repurpose waste, he decided to bring recycled tire flip flops to a global customer base.
Their black vegan sandals (although they now come in several colors) are non-slip and ready for all-terrain use—without needing to squeeze into a pair of ethical boots.
They make recycled flip flops, slides, cross strapped sandals, and platform sandals for men, women, and kids.
Indosole’s Ethical and Sustainability Practices
Materials:
These utilize recycled motorbike tire soles and an equally impressive pair of straps.
Called ENVRO fiber, it’s animal-free, cruelty-free, plastic-free, low-impact, and waterproof. And it doesn’t require a significant amount of water during production.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Most of Indosole’s supply chain is located in Indonesia, including the local garages that provide the tires.
The Certified B Corp is certainly one of the good guys when it comes to supporting local artisans with gainful employment, safe working environments, and fair pay.
Community & charitable giving:
Flip flop your way to a future for all, thanks to Indosole’s contributions to Good Humans.
They define those as anyone and everyone who “spreads positivity, lives responsibly, takes care of our natural environment, and inspires others to pursue their interests and passions to the fullest.”
Available: Indosole
8. NAE
About NAE
A brand like NAE with the slogan “No Animal Exploitation” is obviously on point for animal free sandals.
This PETA-approved footwear brand is based in Portugal and has an all vegan line that includes slides, wedges, vegan boots, pumps, sneakers, and sandals in many different styles for both men and women.
They also have a selection of vegan purses for a full animal-free way to accessorize.
NAE’s Ethical and Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Pinatex pineapple leather, organic cotton, cork, recycled PET, recycled car tires, vegan leather (OEKO-TEX certified microfiber blended with polyurethane), and vegan velvet are the main materials that might find themselves strapped to your foot.
Looking for vegan sandals with arch support?
That’s possible with NAE, all thanks to a firm footbed made with natural rubber and cork.
Supply chain & labor practices:
All vegan sandals are beautifully handmade by talented artisans in Portugal who are provided with a safe work environment and fair wages.
Green business practices:
NAE’s vegan leather is produced in a carbon-neutral manner and they cut down water and chemical use whenever possible.
Inclusivity:
Thanks to brands like NAE, gender neutral clothes and shoes are catching on in the world of fashion
Community & charitable giving:
The brand’s recycled PET comes from their partnership with the ReMove Project, which gathers ocean plastic waste to be transformed into products.
NAE also regularly supports PETA by donating a portion of sales from certain styles.
Available: NAE
9. ROTHY’S
About Rothy’s
Rothy’s likes to do things a little differently.
They are well on their way to making ethical vegan shoes using a closed-loop production model (coming soon in 2023). They own and operate their very own factory in China. They also use 3D technology to minimize waste without compromising on comfort.
All of their vegan shoes are machine-washable.
They make vegan sandals for women only, in styles that include The Knot, The Flip Flop, and The Wrap Sandal.
Rothy’s Ethical and Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Repurposed plastic water bottles are transformed into Rothy’s signature thread. So far, they’ve kept more than 78,000,000 bottles out of landfills and oceans.
That’s combined with an algae-based foam footbed (in the case of the flip flops), or plant-based materials and vegan leather outsoles.
Supply chain & labor practices:
They design each vegan shoe in San Francisco, then take care of everything else in their own factory in Dongguan, China.
Green business practices:
In addition to minimizing waste and using recycled materials (including the packing materials), these comfortable vegan sandals are partially carbon neutral, thanks to Rothy’s support for The Envira Amazonia Project.
Their 3D printing and handcrafting techniques are progressive and they’re aiming for full circularity.
Available: Rothy’s
HOW WE FOUND THE BEST VEGAN SANDALS
Ethical and sustainable fashion can be hard to come by—especially when only vegan materials are used. But these vegan shoe brands (or at least brands with vegan shoe options) all passed with flying colors.
Here’s how:
Materials:
Vegan leather isn’t always the most eco-friendly choice, but these vegan shoes beg to differ.
For most, their vegan leather is either made in a way that minimizes water and chemical usage, out of wasted byproducts, from renewable natural materials (like cork, jute, and organic cotton), or with very minimal toxic plastic (PU).
Additionally, we saw several brands making use of recycled plastic bottles, recycled nylon, and repurposed tires.
Contrary to popular belief, we don’t need to wear leather to achieve durability. Pineapple leather similarly gets more durable over time.
- Certifications: REACH, OEKO-TEX® 100
Supply chain and labor practices:
Being one of the fashion good guys doesn’t simply mean refusing to wear leather. It also means ensuring the people involved in making it are treated in a cruelty free manner too.
Between small supply chains, fair and supportive work conditions, and full transparency, those vegan strappy sandals never felt so (socially) good.
- Certifications: Ethical Trading Initiative, Certified B Corp
Green business practices:
Not only are these brands saving animals and our planet by using recycled and renewable materials, but they’re also doing things like purchasing some of the best carbon offsets to offset omissions, embracing practices of circularity, and minimizing their use of chemicals and water.
Inclusivity:
While size inclusivity isn’t nearly so much of an issue for shoes as it is with the rest of the fashion industry, we did give kicks to brands dabbling in gender-neutral footwear and making sure their staff was fully inclusive and representative.
Community & charitable giving:
We don’t know what it’s like to walk in someone else’s shoes, but many of these vegan sandal brands are helping to make that walk a little bit easier by giving kickbacks to projects and organizations fighting for a fairer and more sustainable world.
FINAL THOUGHTS ON VEGAN SANDALS
Who would have thought that standing for a world where all beings are valued would require nothing more than slipping on a pair of comfortable vegan sandals?
With new vegan leather materials rolling out with such frequency, the number of vegan sandal brands can only grow.
To ensure the industry keeps flipping in the right direction (and not flopping), share this article with your friends so we can all support companies striving for a better world.
