9 Best Vegan Sandals On The Conscious & Cruelty-Free Catwalk
Looking for some vegan shoes to dawn with that vegan handbag?
Then step into some vegan sandals!
Most people assume they can only be sported as summer shoes, but who says you can’t wear sustainable socks and sandals down the conscious catwalk, too?
Arguably, not the best look, but it beats stuffing your favorite pair of shoes in a shoebox for half the year.
And, trust us, these sandals WILL be your favorite.
Without further ashoe, here are some of the best vegan summer shoes we vow to love every season, faux-ever.
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The Best Vegan Sandals & Flip Flops That Won’t Flop On The Planet
There’s no reason to wear leather when you can instead step into conscious fashion consumption without sacrificing style (or animal lives) a la Bhava’s vegan leather sandals.
VIVAIA’s affordable vegan sandals are created not with landfill-bound animal skins, but with landfill bound plastic. Renewable energy powered manufacturing makes them extra light on the planet.
You’d never guess the luxury vegan dress sandals from VEERAH were made with apple waste, but each elegant pair repurposes the waste of about 45 apples!
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 vegetarian sandals stand out.
The Full List Of Men’s & Women’s Vegan Sandals
- Bhava | Visit Store
- NAE | Visit Store
- Matt & Nat | Visit Store
- V. Gan | Visit Store
- VIVAIA | Visit Store
- Native Shoes | Visit Store
- VEERAH | Visit Store
- Rawganique | Visit Store
- Rothy’s | Visit Store
1. Bhava
About Bhava
Price Range: $95–$275
You won’t have to sift through Bhava’s product descriptions to find only vegan sandals because all of their boots, wedges, sustainable 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 flat sandals, strappy sandals with heels, and slides.
If you’re looking to literally elevate your style with vegan platform sandals, the LOLA Sandal and its gorgeous 3” wooden heel will help you reach new ethical heights.
Bhava’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Bhava’s vegan leather is both animal-free and eco-friendly.
It’s free of PVC, formaldehyde, chrome, AZO-dyes, phthalates, and aromatic amines, formally testified to by its European REACH certification.
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 of their women’s vegan sandals, 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).
Carbon commitments & green practices:
The use of non-leather and renewable fibers allows the brand to keep chemical and water use low.
2. NAE
About NAE
Price Range: $69–$135
A brand like NAE with the slogan “No Animal Exploitation” is obviously on point for animal free sandals.
This PETA-approved vegan shoe brand is based in Portugal and has an all vegan line that includes vegan wedge sandals, slides, boots, pumps, sneakers, and more.
If you love the looks of Birks but hate the leather, they use Piñatex to offer an alternative version of vegan Birkenstocks sandals.
NAE’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Piñatex pineapple leather, organic cotton, cork, recycled PET, recycled car tires, vegan leather (a microfiber blended with polyurethane that has OEKO-TEX certification), and vegan velvet are the main materials that might find themselves strapped to your foot
With a firm footbed made with natural rubber and cork, your search for vegan sandals with arch support just got easier.
Supply chain & labor practices:
All vegan leather sandals (women’s and men’s alike) are handmade by talented artisans in Portugal who are provided with a safe work environment and fair wages.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
NAE’s vegan leather is produced in a carbon-neutral manner, and they cut down water and chemical use whenever possible.
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.
3. Matt & Nat
About Matt & Natt:
Price Range: $22–$80
With affordable prices and timeless pieces, Matt & Natt makes vegan sandals women can happily die for (rather than animals.)
Slip-ons to slingbacks, flats to heels, they’ve got us sole-d on all styles.
While their designs feature different silhouettes, they all give off the same energy. Let’s just say, you wouldn’t be ashamed to be caught with them under your eco-friendly desk.
Their Cyndie vegan leather slides are the perfect go-to slip on for running errands, puttering around the house, and much more.
Matt & Nat’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
As with their sustainable belts, Matt & Nat has experimented with several recycled materials including nylons, cardboard, rubber, cork, and more. They are currently testing fruit skin leathers in their products.
For now, PU vegan leather, recycled windshield glass PVB make up the bulk of their sustainable materials.
While the recycled windshield glass is steadily replacing PVC, this toxic type of plastic is still used in some styles, so we recommend avoiding these.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Their collections are designed by a close-knit team in Montreal, Quebec.
Their factories are audited twice a year to ensure fair wages and safe working conditions, and one operates under SA8000 standards.
Community & charitable giving:
All profits from the HOPE Charity Bag are donated, in addition to their regular donations of returned or unwanted handbags to Dress For Success.
4. V. Gan
About V. Gan
Price Range: $13–$63
Step into the world of sustainable fashion with V. Gan’s vegan leather slides.
Their comfortable molded foot beds are designed so that the shoe fits perfectly every time (a true Cinderella experience, minus the shoe falling off in the first place.)
All styles are offered in both men’s and women’s sizing, effectively making them one of the best vegan walking sandals in town for either gender.
Whether you opt for mule slip-ons, sparkle straps, or the classic and ultra versatile Cherry black vegan sandals, you’ll be strutting the stylish streets in no time.
V.Gan’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
V.Gan vegan sandals are free from PVC.
Rather, their cruelty-free collections are crafted with bio-based corn leather and recycled fabrics, like recycled plastic bottle linings and recycled PU insoles.
Materials are sourced from Spain, Portugal, and China.
Supply chain and labor practices:
The animal and human friendly company audits their factories regularly and ensures all people in the supply chain are paid a living wage.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
This Immaculate Vegan retail partner uses eco-friendly packaging that’s entirely free from glue and plastic.
5. VIVAIA
About VIVAIA
Price Range: $97–$119
Viva la vegan life with VIVAIA.
They take recycled plastic bottles (around six per pair) and craft them into super comfortable women’s vegan sandals—among plenty of other shoe styles.
We tested out the Mia Square-Toe Adjustable Sandal and despite it slim sole and low profile, the cushioned insole ensures it’s comfortable to wear all day long—and as for the comfort level of the stretch knit uppers, well, we could wear those all week long without needing to them off!
The Black Woven color spices up your standard vegan black sandals, or you can go really bold with colors like Green Grass Wave.
VIVAIAs Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
VIVAIA utilizes recycled and biobased materials, such as recycled polyester and rice husks.
They do use some traditional TPE and EVA foams, but many of their styles (the Mia sandals includes) instead utilize herbal foam insoles paired with carbon-free rubber outsoles
While they do offer one style of over-the-knee boots made of wool, the rest of their current styles are vegan.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Aside from being ethical vegetarian sandals, they’re ethically made, too, in a closely monitored factory in Dongguan, China.
The VIVAIA team visits regularly to keep tabs on worker treatment, fair wages, and safety of the workplace.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
This Chinese factory runs partially on renewable energy and tries to conserve energy through practices like only running machinery when necessary.
Their shoe boxes and shipping boxes are made of recycled cardboard.
Community & charitable giving:
VIVAIA regularly donates to organizations like Dress for Success, SOS Children’s Village, and UBCF Breast Cancer.
6. Native Shoes
About Native Shoes
Price Range: $30–$55
Take a stand against animal cruelty with Native Shoes’ vegan sandals.
Designed for wear from side walks to poolsides, these versatile sandals can be strutted on every surface.
This sustainable shoe brand offers three sandal styles total: Ellis Sugarlite, Frankie Sugarlite, and Spencer LX. The latter two are slip-ons while the former are vegan strappy sandals.
Anyone that knows us knows that we practically live in slides in the summer. After numerous duct tape repairs, our trusty old pair finally wore out, and we replaced them with Native’s Spencer LX vegan slides.
Now we’re sad we didn’t replace them sooner (sort of, because we still believe in wearing things as long as possible!). But the Spencer LX slides are oh-so comfortable, featuring a super contoured footbed molded from a light bio-foam that doesn’t make our feet sweat.
Native Shoes’ Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
The sustainable soles of their Sugarlight collection are made from proprietary sugar-cane-based EVA-blend materials. The upper material is a blend of satin PU and EVA.
Their other non-leather sandals are made exclusively from EVA.
All collections are fitted with an ultra-light rubber insert in the soles.
Supply chain and labor practices:
Native vegan sandals are crafted in factories in China and Vietnam. Said factories have rigorous ethical practices in place prohibiting forced labor, regulating fair wages, and monitoring working hours.
Green practices & carbon commitments:
The Native Remix Project is their flagship recycling initiative that recycles your pre-loved shoes and utilizes them in projects around the community in creating seating, playgrounds, flooring, insulation, and more.
Community & charitable giving:
They have forged partnerships with local Indigenous-led organizations working to create positive change, reconciliation, and youth opportunities in Vancouver.
7. VEERAH
Price Range: $278–$378
About VEERAH
When it comes to high-quality footwear, VEERAH’s luxury vegan sandals don’t fall flat (literally).
Their high-quality stiletto and block heel vegan dress sandals are more than worthy of pairing with your eco-friendly wedding dresses—the elegant open-toe Silver Starlight or Gold Goddess stilettos especially
The women-created shoes can be dressed up or down with fully removable jewel-like accessories including brooches, straps, and tassels.
VEERAH’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Their block-heeled sandals are adorned with bamboo leather, a sustainable material that’s naturally water-resistant and super soft.
Meanwhile, their stilettos sport bio-based apple leather that repurpose approximately 45 organic apples per pair.
All insoles to their sustainable heels are made from algae and linings are courtesy of organic cotton.
Supply chain and labor practices:
All sustainable sandals are crafted in small batches at a small-scale workshop in Taiwan.
As of this year, all suppliers must adhere to a Code of Conduct developed based on ILO standards.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Their heels might be big, but their environmental impact is small. Since their styles are designed for versatility, one pair can be used for several occasions #LessIsMore.
The included protective dust bag and reusable storage sack is made entirely from recycled plastic bottles.
Community & charitable giving:
At least 1% of revenue goes directly towards social impact causes and 10 hours per quarter are offered to employees for volunteering and self-improvement courses.
For every 100 customer feedback surveys, they sponsor a one-year scholarship for one female scholar in need.
8. Rawganique
About Rawganique
Price Range: $65–$109
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 an off-grid homestead, 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 for their vegan hemp sandals.
If you’re looking for the best vegan beach sandals, the Organic Hemp Thong is a sea-rious winner. Thanks to a removable wrap-around ankle strap, they can transform from vegan flip-flops to wear on the sand to vegan gladiator sandals to wear out to dinner.
Rawganique’s Ethical & 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.
Some 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.
Carbon commitments & green 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.
9. Rothy’s
About Rothy’s
Price Range: $139
We don’t need much per-suede-sion to purchase Rothy’s vegan slide sandals.
Though their Weekend Slides are only offered in three rustic, versatile colors, the quality makes up for the quantity.
Beach to bistro, these summer sandals are strong enough to brave even the wildest of travel itineraries—whether that be pacing the streets of Tokyo or lounging on the beach in Cancun.)
And since they are eco-friendly washing machine friendly, after exploring all you’ll have to do is toss them in the wash with some zero waste laundry detergent.
Rothy’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
The sustainable straps are knit with Rothy’s signature thread, a repurposed fabric spun from recycled plastic water bottles.
Natural, breathable hemp is blended in for extra softness and flexibility (plus hemp is naturally antimicrobial–AKA perfect for footwear!)
That’s combined with an algae-based foam footbed and tortoiseshell print outsoles (we’re talking print, not material, obviously.)
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.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Rothy’s factory is the world’s first shoe manufacturer to receive both LEED and TRUE platinum certifications. It’s also the first factory in China to achieve LEED Zero Waste Certification.
Their comfortable vegan sandals are also partially carbon-neutral, thanks to Rothy’s support for the Envira Amazonia Project.
So far, their products have repurposed over 550,000 pounds of ocean-bound plastic waste, and they ensure these recycled shoes never go to waste thanks to their in-store recycling program.
Rather than wasteful cut-and-sew production (which often wastes as much as 30% of the fabric), their innovative knit technology ensures minimal material waste.
Community & charitable giving:
They have donated thousands of vegan shoes to Dress for Success and thousands of dollars to the Plastic Pollution Coalition.
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How We Found The Best Vegan Sandals
Sustainable fashion brands can be hard to come by—especially when it comes to complicated footwear.
But these vegan sandal brands all passed with flying (and walking) colors. Here’s how:
Materials:
Vegan leather isn’t always the most eco-friendly choice, but these vegan shoes beg to differ.
For most, synthetic leather is either made in a way that minimizes water and chemical usage, out of waste byproducts, from renewable natural materials (like cork, jute, organic cotton, and pineapple leaves), or with very minimal toxic plastic (PU).
Many brands also made use of recycled plastic bottles, recycled nylon, and repurposed tires.
- Certifications: Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation, and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH), OEKO-TEX
Supply chain and labor practices:
At the end of the day, humans are animals too. Every species on this earth deserves to be treated with respect.
Between small supply chains, fair and supportive work conditions, and full transparency, those vegan strappy sandals never felt so (socially) good.
- Certifications: International Labor Organization (ILO)
Carbon commitments & green practices:
The brands are doing amazing things like buying from carbon offset programs to offset emissions, embracing practices of circularity, reducing petrochemical-powered energy reliance, and minimizing use of chemicals and water.
Community & charitable giving:
Many of these vegan sandal brands are giving kickbacks to projects and organizations fighting for a fairer and more sustainable world.
Final Thoughts On Sustainable Vegan Sandals
Why wear leather when you can wear plant-based leathers instead?
The switch to comfy vegan sandals will not only lower your carbon footprint, but save tons of lives while doing it.
With new vegan leather materials rolling out with such frequency, the number of vegetarian shoes on the market can only grow from here.
To ensure the industry keeps flipping in the right direction (and not flopping), share this article with your friends so we can all shop with companies striving for a better world.
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