11 Vegan Shoe Brands: Wear Your Heart On Your Sole
When people say, “If the shoe fits…” we’d like it to refer to something ethical—which is why we opt for vegan shoes.
We don’t need to sacrifice an animal just to have a cute pair of winter boots. And we’re not the only ones who think so.
If you’ve been wondering what shoe brands are vegan, we have good news.
The vegan footwear market is growing, so even if you feel like Cinderella looking for the animal-free equivalent of a glass slipper, these vegan-friendly shoe brands can help you before the clock strikes midnight.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. We may receive a small commission if you make a purchase through a brand link below. Learn more here.
The Best Vegan Shoes For Ethically Conscious Feet
One of the top women’s vegan shoe brands, Bhava’s durable, comfortable dress shoes have been test-driven in NYC (think: high-heeled running like you see on Sex and the City).
NAE is one of several women’s and men’s vegan shoe brands turning to unique vegan-friendly materials, like Piñatex and Steam Bioeco, a microfiber made with corn and recycled polyester.
Luxury vegan shoes are Stella McCartney’s specialty—including some made with a byproduct of the wine industry. Cheers to that!
To find out how we laced up with the best vegan shoe brands, stomp down to the end of the article.
The Full List Of Vegan-Friendly Shoe Brands
1. Bhava
About Bhava
Bhava doesn’t botha with leather.
As one of the top luxury vegan shoe brands, their shoes are made to protect the #1 victim of fast fashion: animals.
They also protect the other victims of the fashion industry—the planet, the workers, and us, right down to your ankles and feet. Their shoes are NYC street test-driven for durability and comfort.
Their line of women’s vegan dress shoes (boots, winter boots, flats, ethical heels, wedges, vegan sandals, and more) keeps your conscience clean while shattering glass ceilings.
Bhava’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Bhava’s list of materials is long but 100% animal-free, including eco-ultrasuede, cork, wood, rubber, and organic cotton.
Bhava’s vegan leather is free from aromatic amines, formaldehyde, PVC, phthalates, azo dyes, and chrome.
Supply chain & labor practices:
The vegan shoes for women are handmade in Bhava’s partner ateliers in Alicante, Spain, and Mumbai, India.
They personally vet the working conditions provided by manufacturing partners, which includes India’s first 100% female-owned footwear maker.
Green business practices:
Bhava is helping to clean up the footwear industry’s act by knowing where and how their shoes are made and using sustainable and organic materials.
Available: Bhava
2. NAE
About NAE
Combining environmental sustainability and vegan fashion, NAE (short for “No Animal Exploitation”) is obviously one of the best ethical vegan shoe brands.
In just over a decade, they’ve amassed a global following for their high-quality, PETA-approved vegan shoes.
The ethical shoe brand has several unisex options and many specific fits for both men and women: vegan work shoes, sneakers, heels, and sandals.
NAE’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
NAE makes use of natural, recycled, and synthetic materials, some of which are OEKO-TEX certified.
The most sustainable materials include Piñatex (made from upcycled pineapple leaves), organic cotton, cork, apple leather (a byproduct from the apple juice industry), recycled PET, a corn-rPET blend, and vegan leather (a mix of cotton, polyester, and sometimes-recycled nylon).
Also expect to find a few less-sustainable materials, like polyurethane (PU), PLA, and synthetic microfiber, but these are certainly avoidable.
Supply chain & labor practices:
NAE’s vegan hiking shoes, dress shoes, and everything in between are manufactured in fair work environments in Portugal or Spain.
Green business practices:
NAE’s manufacturing process is carbon-neutral with steps taken to minimize chemical and water requirements.
Inclusivity:
Inclusivity isn’t typically a vegan shoe brand focus, but we should mention again that NAE has a range of unisex sneakers and footwear taking one giant leap for gender-neutral fashion.
3. Stella McCartney
About Stella McCartney
Stella McCartney is one of the biggest brands making waves in the world of vegan sustainable fashion. Stella herself (yes, that Stella, the daughter of Paul McCartney) is a lifelong vegetarian.
While they still use ethically sourced wool in some products, they’re one of the best vegan shoe brands in the UK with plenty of vegan options.
If you’re looking for luxury vegan women’s shoe brands, you’ll want to wiggle your toes into one of Stella’s unique and runway-ready pairs of vegan sneakers, eco-friendly rain boots, flats, vegan sandals, heels, and wedges.
Don’t forget the matching vegan handbag.
Stella McCartney’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
The best Stella McCartney vegan shoes are those that make use of sustainably grown wood (viscose), organic cotton, and/or recycled nylon.
Many feature a production offcut lining, plant-based insock, and soles made from recycled rubber or recycled TPU. Some are made with plant-based grape leather, made of a byproduct of the wine industry.
Many vegetarian shoes are made with Eco Alter Mat, an animal-free leather. We’ll reach out to find out exactly what this is.
Supply chain & labor practices:
The luxury vegan shoes are mostly made in Italy, where 85% of material production and direct suppliers are located.
They predominantly work with small workshops where workers receive respect, dignity, and fair wages. As a member of the Ethical Trading Initiative, their partners support ILO standards of workers’ rights.
Green business practices:
The cruelty-free leather is free of solvents and produced in a way that minimizes water and energy requirements.
They have an audit system (called EP&L) that measures their emissions, water use, land use, waste, and water and air pollution—helping them implement more sustainable practices to reduce their impact year after year.
To make the circular economy a reality, they’ve partnered with organizations like the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and The RealReal online consignment shop.
Inclusivity:
Stella McCartney is another luxury vegan shoe brand embracing a genderless direction with its unisex vegan shoes.
Community & Charitable Giving:
Stella McCartney supports a range of charities, including Animals Asia, ASPCA, Meat Free Monday, and more.
Available: Stella McCartney
4. Rothy’s
About Rothy’s
Among US-based vegan shoe brands, Rothy’s is putting the planet and people first through the use of eco-friendly and recycled materials, 3D knitting, and durable shoes designed to look as good as they feel.
They keep it simple for women and men with vegan sneakers and sustainable flats.
They’re one of the vegan-friendly shoe brands that aren’t exclusively vegan and use some animal-based materials. Keep an eye out for their merino wool boots and slippers.
Rothy’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Recycled materials are the go-to for Rothy’s. About 10 plastic bottles go into the shoe uppers of their flats, and 14 in their Chelsea-style sneakers (a sportier style of vegan boots).
The outsoles are made with non-toxic rubber, bio-based TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane), or luxe vegan leather (we’ll be inquiring as to the exact materials used for this).
These sit below a castor bean footbed or Strobel boards made out of algae-based foam.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Rothy’s responsible manufacturing happens in one brand-owned factory in Dongguan, China.
All design takes place in San Francisco.
Green business practices:
Rothy’s sustainable factory workshop recently achieved LEED Gold Certifications and its offices achieved LEED platinum (read: they’re operating with green building practices).
By using precision knitting methods, they’re able to cut out 30% of the waste associated with traditional production.
All of Rothy’s vegan walking shoes are sent in recycled/recyclable eco-friendly materials.
Well-loved Rothy’s can be dropped off at one of their retail stores to be recycled. You’ll get a $30 store credit for doing so.
Inclusivity:
Rothy’s executive team comprises 61% women. All retail employees working 20+ hours receive full benefits.
Available: Rothy’s
5. Native Shoes
About Native Shoes
Encouraging us to Live Lightly™, Native Shoes is all about products that create a happier, lighter, healthier world.
In addition to being one of the best vegan shoe brands for women and men, they also have an impressive selection for kids.
Compared to the footprint of 10-20 kg CO2e found in most shoes, Native’s vegan sandals, boots, flats, mules, casual shoes, and slip-ons are much lighter, at around 4 kg CO2e.
Native Shoes’ Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
25% of Native’s PETA-approved vegan shoes are made with a sugarcane-derived Sugarlite upper that’s paired with injection-molded bio-based EVA.
Some incorporate re-purposed algae or recycled PET in the upper, while others use solvent-free vegan suede or corn-based PU (we’ll inquire about the chemicals involved in the water-resistant coating).
We’d avoid those made with microfleece, synthetic PU, and fossil fuel-based EVA.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Factories in Vietnam and China make all of the shoes. Both adhere to ethical practices like the prohibition of forced labor, monitoring of working hours, and regulation of wages.
Green business practices:
With science-based targets to reduce their environmental impact, they’re moving to use more renewable energy.
Once worn out, figuring out what to do with old shoes from Native is simple.
Not only are Native vegan shoes hand washable, but the Native Shoes Remix™ recycling initiative takes well-loved Native soles and gives them a new life as playground flooring, insulation, seating, or donations to international partners.
Inclusivity:
Although not an Indigenous-led company, their name honors their HQ location on the stolen territory of Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations.
Available: Native Shoes
6. Rawganique
About Rawganique
The best vegan shoes are those that use totally natural and organic materials, which is why we’d slip on those from Rawganique any day.
The off-grid-homesteader-founded company is one of the few makers of vegan shoes that trade recycled materials and synthetic fibers for those from the earth.
This makes their comfortable vegan shoes, boots, and slippers animal-friendly, non-toxic, breathable, biodegradable, and carba mix-free.
Rawganique’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Organic hemp is the main material in Rawganique’s vegan shoes. Other vegan materials include linen and cotton.
They all have a natural rubber, hemp, or organic cotton sole. Waterproofing is thanks to natural wax.
There is no glue, latex, dyes, or elastic in any of the vegan shoes. Low-impact, biodegradable, fiber-reactive dyes are used.
Supply chain & labor practices:
The materials are grown and naturally processed in Europe and the USA.
They’re turned into vegan shoes in Rawganique’s own sweatshop-free atelier in Europe through handmade by third-generation shoemakers.
Green business practices:
Having a small, transparent supply chain isn’t just good for ethics, it also helps Rawganique minimize its impact.
They know exactly what goes into making each product, so they can be sure it’s not toxic chemicals like PFOA, PFAS, dioxins, plastic, and formaldehyde.
Community & Charitable Giving:
When they’re not selling vegan bags, shoes, clothes, and household goods, the Rawganique founders are growing raw organic foods on their Denman Island homestead.
Available: Rawganique
7. 8000Kicks
About 8000Kicks
As a maker of ethical sneakers using ultra-sustainable hemp fabric, there are—dare we say—8000 reasons to love 8000Kicks.
They’re waging war on plastics with their durable, sustainable, and natural materials. As far as eco-friendly vegan shoe brands go, they’re setting the bar pretty high. (Shoes made from cannabis’ sober cousin won’t have the same impact.)
8000Kicks keeps it simple with two styles (for now) of hemp shoes:—the Explorer V2 and the Seeker—available for both men and women.
8000Kicks’ Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Hemp is at the top of the list for vegan shoe materials.
Not only are these casual shoes made of strong hemp fiber uppers and the world’s first hemp insole, but they have soles made out of either recycled rubber or algal blooms.
These blooms can end up destroying marine ecosystems so turning them into biodegradable foam negates double the damage.
Not to mention, products made from hemp fabric retain its beneficial properties, making them antimicrobial, flexible, durable, dust-proof, anti-bacterial, and splash-proof (especially when paired with a PFC-free water repellant).
They’re OEKO-TEX certified, too.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Factories in China and Portugal stitch together the vegan shoes. Details like specific manufacturing locations for products and average salaries are shared in 8000Kicks’ FAQs.
Because hemp grows well in China, this allows 800Kicks to keep their supply chain smaller and pay better salaries than countries like Bangladesh and Cambodia.
Both factories are regularly inspected to ensure they meet ethical conditions (read: about as close to fair trade footwear as you can get).
Green business practices:
8000Kicks works with factories that use renewable energy to power a portion of their production. With Bloom certification, you can rest assured that your vegan shoes are associated with clean air and water.
With locations in both the UK and the USA, they try to ship domestically to minimize shipping emissions—helping anyone looking for vegan shoe brands in the USA.
Available: 8000Kicks
8. Matt & Nat
About Matt & Nat
Known for their premium vegan bags, purses, and accessories, Matt & Nat is also one of the most popular vegan leather shoe brands.
To go along with their sustainable raincoats, they have inclement weather models like boots and waterproof shoes.
Or shop more fashion-forward women’s sneakers, flats, vegan heels, sandals, skate shoes, mules, and running shoes. There’s also a smaller selection for men.
Everything is PETA-certified vegan and cruelty-free.
Matt & Nat’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
All styles are “crafted with 100% sustainable materials & ethical practices,” which means mostly recycled materials, although the exact materials aren’t always specified.
The vegan waterproof boots are made with waterproof recycled PVC, though the brand is currently trying to phase out this unsustainable type of plastic.
The best vegan shoes are made with 100% recycled PVB, (polyvinyl butyral), a PVC alternative soured from old car windshield glass resin.
Some virgin PU and PVC also appear to be in use—we’d definitely steer clear of the latter until Matt & Nat achieves their goal of removing it.
Supply chain & labor practices:
The Matt & Nat CEO personally visits their SA8000-compliant partner factories 2-3 times a year, in addition to local managers who monitor it on a more frequent basis.
Audits are conducted to ensure that fair trade wages and a clean workspace are provided and that no child labor is used.
Green business practices:
Using 100% recycled plastic bottles in their bag linings has helped Matt & Nat recycle more than 9 million plastic bottles every year.
Available: Matt & Nat
9. Golden Goose
About Golden Goose
No more duck-duck-goose to find the top vegan shoe brands.
Golden Goose—maker of the world’s first bio-based sneaker—is one of the most innovative vegan-friendly shoe brands. Choose between high-top and low-cut vegan sneakers, running shoes, and more.
These unisex shoes are currently available in a small selection of minimalist, stylish designs and we’re excited to see the collection grow.
Just know they aren’t exclusively a vegan shoe brand so pay careful attention to materials to avoid leather shoes.
Golden Goose’s Ethical and Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Instead of petroleum-based vegan leather, strut your stuff in shoes made with a bio-based vegan upper sourced from non-food plants.
The Yatay Model 1B also features a soft viscose lining sourced from 100% sustainable plantations, recycled cotton and polyester laces, and a sole made from biodegradable rubber.
The sneakers in their Vegan Collection feature the same Yatay B bio-based upper and recycled polyester laces.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Golden Goose partners with master shoemakers in Italy who handcraft each pair using traditional techniques married with modern technology.
Green business practices:
Golden Goose shoes are designed to be highly durable.
A unique code is heat-stamped into each left heel for accessing their sustainability initiatives. Find out more about these in their latest sustainability report.
Shoes are packaged in a recyclable cardboard box.
Available: Golden Goose
10. Bahatika
About Bahatika
Bahatika is a German-based company and one of the best vegan shoe brands for men—with plenty of options for women, too.
Styles include vegan sneakers, sandals, boots, heels, flats, and other “elegant” options.
Bahatika’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Bahatika uses several sustainable materials, including eco-microfiber, vegan eco-leather made from corn, cork, and natural rubber.
Water-based eco-friendly adhesives are also used and most pairs of vegan sandals are 100% free of toxic substances.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Many materials are sourced in Italy before being handmade in Spain under fair working conditions.
Green business practices:
Where available, Bahatika uses DHL Green courier services to minimize its shipping footprint.
Community & Charitable Giving:
Thanks to One Tree Planted, every purchase fights deforestation.
Available: Bahatika
11. Will’s Vegan Store
About Will’s Vegan Store
#MakeAPositiveChoice with Will’s Vegan Store.
The PETA-approved vegan company has been supplying animal-free essentials long before vegan shoe brand lists were even a thing.
The London-based and award-winning cruelty-free footwear brand has some of the best vegan shoes: water-resistant Chelsea boots, vegan hiking shoes, winter boots, and vegan work boots.
Will’s Vegan Store’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Everything down to the glue in Will’s vegan shoes is backed by REACH, ECO Label, and OEKO-TEX certifications.
For uppers, they use two main materials: Italian vegan bio-based leather made from cereal crops grown in northern Europe or eco suede, made from 100% PU.
All shoes have a natural and recycled rubber outsole and insoles made from recycled plastic (PU or TR). They’re incorporating more linings made from TENCEL® and organic cotton.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Will’s works with manufacturing partners in Italy and Portugal, where stringent EU laws protect workers with regard to employment, discrimination, health, and safety.
All workers involved receive maternity and parental leave, compensation for victims of discrimination, fair and equal pay, and more.
Green business practices:
Everything—from material manufacturing to shipping is certified carbon-neutral and plastic-free. Some of their manufacturing partners use renewable energy to reduce carbon emissions.
There is also the option to recycle your pre-loved Will’s vegan shoes for a small fee.
Available: Will’s Vegan Store
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Why Buy Vegan Shoes?
With more than a billion animals slaughtered every year for leather, vegan shoes protect the #1 victim of fashion: animals.
While some leather is sourced as a byproduct of the meat industry, the cattle industry is adding fuel to the climate change fire with methane gas production.
The tanning process is another cow-sized issue as it relies on some 250 different chemicals. We’re talking arsenic, cyanide, and chromium.
All those chemicals make their way into the environment, into the tannery workers (who have been shown to suffer from respiratory problems and cancer), and even into us as wearers.
Last but not least, leather (arguably even ethical leather) is simply not a sustainable fabric because, despite technically being a natural fabric, it takes hundreds of years to biodegrade (and can’t safely biodegrade if it’s been processed via chemical means).
Vegan-friendly shoes sound a lot friendlier now, don’t they?
How We Chose These Vegan Footwear Brands
At the heart (or rather heel) of sustainable and ethical fashion is the concept that fashion shouldn’t come at the cost of any creature’s welfare.
And footwear in particular is rife with animal products (looking at you, leather shoes).
Instead, we looked for vegan versions and cruelty-free shoes that ticked the following:
Materials:
Vegan dress shoes aren’t so dressy when the animal-free materials have big (environmental) impacts.
Instead of petroleum-based vegan leather, we prioritized brands using bio-based materials (like corn) and vegetable-based coating oils. You’ll find brands using similar materials in vegan handbags and purses.
We did consider some plastic-based leathers, but only those made of the more eco-friendly PU, EVA, or PVB rather than PVC.
Other foot-forward-faves include hemp, cork fabric, natural rubber, apple leather, sustainably-sourced viscose (wood pulp), organic cotton, Piñatex, and recycled materials: algal bloom foam, PET (made from plastic water bottles or ocean waste), nylon (ECONYL), and TPU.
- Certifications: People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), OEKO-TEX, USDA Biopreferred Product, REACH, ECO Label
Supply chain and labor practices:
Cruelty-free extends beyond materials; it applies to how workers are treated, too.
We trip over transparency and traceability, especially when a brand knows where and how its shoes are produced. This means local supply chains, salary details, and regular audits.
- Certifications: ETI, International Labour Organization (ILO), Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), SA8000
Green business practices:
Green is the new black leather, so we look for additional green efforts like carbon offset programs, practices to minimize water/chemical consumption, and sustainable packaging.
Innovative practices to reduce their carbon footprint and waste or recycle old shoes are the shoelace bows on top.
Community & charitable giving:
Taking a step towards a better future, some brands that give back are going the extra mile in their vegan boots by donating to charities, planting trees, and even partnering with nonprofits to clean up the oceans.
Final Thoughts On The Best Vegan Shoes
Casual shoes were made for walking—not ending an animal’s life or destroying our planet.
Thankfully, the best vegan shoes do neither.
But what they can do is eliminate animal cruelty, minimize GHG emissions, protect workers from dangerous chemicals, and make use of natural and renewable materials.
Ready to stomp down on the unsustainable footwear industry?
Share this article with your animal and planet-loving besties so they too can boot up with one of these ethical vegan shoe companies.
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Where can I buy the flip flop and calf cover boot like? What are the name of them?
Hi Jeanne, apologies, I’m not sure what you mean – are you referring to an image in this article? Perhaps helpful: this list of vegan sandals, flip flops and this one of boots?