Are you feeling flat about the fashion industry? Us, too, so join us on our quest to avoid fast fashion by starting at the bottom—literally—with sustainable flats.
A good pair of flats is a minimalist wardrobe staple for just about everyone, but for us, “good” refers to not only cute and comfortable, durable flats but also eco-friendly ones.
And that’s what we’re curated here, a list of options that are made by brands that not only use low-impact materials but also ethical labor and transparent supply chains.
To ensure our content isn’t falling flat, we’re rolling out a new Brand Rating System soon which will extend what we look for to a range of sustainability-related criteria, like climate impact, chemical use, and green business practices. You can read more about it in our explainer.
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. We explain this further in our Terms of Use.
Our Fave Ethically Made Flats
VIVAIA stomps on harmful fashion industry standards with its collection of women’s flats made from biobased and recycled fibers. Having tested several of their versatile styles, we’re super impressed with how comfortable they are for all-day (or all-night) wear.
If you’re alright with sustainably tanned byproduct leather, neutral flats are Nisolo’s forte in footwear. These cute ethical flats come in ultra-classic styles for any occasion, including the Huarache Sandals that we’ve tested and love.
Rothy’s recycled flats are also some of our personal favorites for their ultra stretchy 100% recycled knit uppers and all-around comfortable fit that’s snug without being constricting.
Index: Eco-Friendly Flats
- Nisolo Jump to brand
- VIVAIA Jump to brand
- Rothy's Jump to brand
- Allbirds Jump to brand
- Bhava Jump to brand
- NAE Jump to brand
- Veerah Jump to brand
- ABLE Jump to brand
- Darzah Jump to brand
Nisolo
About Nisolo
Price Range: $100–$200
Nisolo is a driving force for more sustainable practices in the fashion industry, helping to bring about the Lowest Wage Challenge and achieving climate neutrality across their catalog.
If you’re like us and think it’s time to remind the world that granny flats aren’t just for the elderly, check out the Huarache Sandals.
Nisolo’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Like their sustainable bags, Nisolo’s durable, flats for women are mostly made from LWG leather obtained as a byproduct of the meat industry. While we know leather isn’t for all ethical inclinations, its main advantage is that it makes for some of the most durable flats around.
Supply chain & labor practices:
A Certified B Corp, Nisolo is committed to ongoing audits from farm to factory and is transparent about its findings.
Workers are paid a living wage, and those in their Peruvian factory also have access to educational programs ranging from technical skills to nutrition and yoga classes. Nisolo collaborates directly with independent artisans in Nairobi, Kenya, applying the same fair work principles.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Aside from its climate neutrality, Nisolo contributes a portion of the profit from each product it sells to help protect the forests of the Amazon Basin. Using leather, repairable designs, and ultra-classic styles both promotes a minimalist approach to footwear and helps wearers extend the life of shoes easily.
My Personal Review of Nisolo’s Huarache Sandals:
“After eyeing Huarache sandals for what feels like forever, I finally got my hands on a pair. I love that I can easily dress them up or down and they quickly turned into my go-to summer shoes. Keep in mind, they are pure leather, so they do require a bit of breaking in to stretch the uppers into that soft, flexible leather feel your feet will love.”
Review by Amber McDaniel, SJ’s Head of Content
VIVAIA
About VIVAIA
Price Range: $97–$139
Viva(ia) la vida sostenible with VIVAIA.
With a soft and stretchy recycled knit upper, all pairs are functional and extremely comfortable (we should know since we’ve tested four different styles).
VIVAIA’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
VIVAIA primarily uses biobased and recycled fibers, including recycled PET, TPE, EVA foams, herbal foam, ABS, rice husks, recycled faux fur, and carbon-free natural rubber.
Supply chain & labor practices:
VIVAIA’s footwear is crafted in Dongguan, China, in a factory powered by renewable energy. The brand routinely visits its partners to ensure ethical and quality standards are met.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Everything is shipped in FSC-certified cardboard made from 90% recycled materials, including 100% recycled shoe fillers.
My Personal Review of VIVAIA’s Square-Toe Mary Jane:
“Out of the several VIVAIA styles I’ve tested, I especially love the Square-Toe Mary-Jane for their styling versatility. The midfoot strap, delicate silver adjustment buckle, and closed-toe design keep me looking both flirty and professional, while the breathable knit uppers keep my feet cool and comfortable, even when worn all day in the summer.”
Reviews by Amber McDaniel, SJ’s Head of Content
Rothy's
About Rothy’s
Price Range: $129–$169
San Francisco-based Rothy’s crafts knitted flats from recycled bottles—to the tune of having kept 600,000 pounds of them out of landfills and oceans.
Almost as impressive is their huge range of colors and styles, all of which are fully machine washable. You’ll find everything from pointed-toe power shoes to all-around styles like the Braid Driver.
Rothy’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Most uppers of Rothy’s recycled flats are made from plastic bottles (about 21 per pair), coupled with a biodegradable algae-based foam footbed, strobel board and 30% biobased and natural rubber insoles.
Outsoles either consist of 35% renewable and natural materials and minerals, or a blend of natural rubber and sand.
Supply chain & labor practices:
While Rothy’s flats are designed in San Francisco, the rest is taken care of in the factory they own in Dongguan, China.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Their factory recently achieved TRUE Platinum certification for zero waste practices by diverting all solid waste from landfill and incineration. Rothy is now the world’s first sustainable shoe brand to receive LEED Gold and TRUE Zero Waste Platinum certification.
Emissions are reduced through progressive 3D printing and handcrafting, and we can confirm that they use all plastic-free packaging.
My Personal Review of Rothy’s The Braid Driver:
“The Braid Driver has quickly become my go-to shoe for everything from running out to the garden to gather some goodies for lunch to running errands. They fit snuggly (but not too tightly!) to stay on the feet and feature a grippy and non-slip nubbed outsole that gives me plenty of confidence on slippery terrain. I also appreciate that they are Rothy’s most sustainable outsole, featuring a combo of just natural rubber and sand.”
Review by Amber McDaniel, SJ’s Head of Content
Allbirds
About Allbirds
Price Range: $100–$105
Made from renewable materials, Allbirds’ are undoubtedly some of our favorite sustainable ballet flats that blend simple, classic styles with cutting edge material innovation.
The Tree Breezers’ flexible texture and supportive insole will give you more support than your typical flats, so if you’re prone to achy feet, these won’t disappoint.
Allbirds’ Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
The uppers of the Tree Breezers are made from a highly breathable eucalyptus tree fiber knit, sourced from FSC® Certified forests. The outsole is created from sugarcane-based carbon-negative eco EVA foam.
The only non-vegan component is the insole made from cushioning ZQ Merino wool and castor bean oil. This same wool makes up uppers of their Wool Breezers, too.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Behind everything Allbirds does is a set of requirements to which each of its suppliers and partners must adhere. Ensuring all workers are well treated and paid fair wages and benefits is a central component of this code, including for sub-suppliers.
Mutual transparency is encouraged, and factories are subject to onsite audits by an independent, third-party social assessment firm.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Focused on reducing their environmental footprint and energy consumption, Allbirds supports regenerative agriculture with their raw materials, and offset the carbon they emit.
Bhava
About Bhava
Price Range: $195–$255
Bhava’s founder, Francisca, lectured on Ethical Fashion and Sustainable Design at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York.
It’s no surprise that this vegan shoe brand is committed to boots, heels, sandals, and chic flats made without animal products. Every pair is taken for a punishing ‘test trudge’ on New York City’s streets, so you can confidently buy styles like luxuriously comfortable Sunday Soft Loafer knowing they’re durable and supportive, whether you have high or low arches.
Bhava’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Bhava’s REACH-certified vegan leather flats are free of PVC, AZO dyes, chrome, formaldehyde, aromatic amines, and phthalates. Many also utilize a combination of wood, cork, organic cotton, eco Ultrasuede, and natural rubber.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Bhava manufactures its eco flats in Spain and India. Their partner in India is the first 100% female-owned-and-run footwear workshop. The bulk of their materials are sourced in Spain or nearby Portugal, in the case of cork.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Bhava’s commitment to longevity by equipping all of their shoes with repairable soles gets a big high five (er, low five?) from us.
NAE
About NAE
Price Range: $108–$156
Portugal-based footwear brand NAE keeps it simple, “No Animal Exploitation.” They have a vast selection of PETA-approved flats, sandals, slides, sneakers, wedges, heels, and pumps. The Ankle Strap Ballerina Flat is a fan-favorite because of its secure ankle strap , breathable open-foot design, and protective closed toe.
NAE’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
NAE uses a vast array of materials, including Piñatex pineapple leather, cork, recycled PET, organic cotton, and PU vegan leather
They combine these options with OEKO-TEX-certified polyurethane linings, recycled laces, cork leather footbeds, natural rubber, and recycled car tires.
Supply chain & labor practices:
The Portuguese brand partners with four factories in North Portugal and two in Spain. NAE ensures these factories meet their conduct, safety, and treatment standards.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
NAE produces all shoes using carbon-neutral processes that limit resource usage.
Community & charitable giving:
NAE partners with the ReMove Project to source ocean plastic waste and transform it into recycled PET.
Veerah
About VEERAH
Price Range: $248–$278
We flat-out love the timeless appeal of VEERAH’s luxury vegan flats. The Vicky Flat is one of their bestsellers, featuring PVC-free vegan nappa leather, organic cotton sock lining, and an algae-based insole foam for supreme comfort.
VEERAH’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
All of VEERAH’s footwear is 100% cruelty-free, featuring unique vegan fabrics like apple leather, resin-coated rubber, recycled plastic, polyurethane, algae foam, and bamboo leather.
Supply chain & labor practices:
VEERAH works with vetted, small-scale partners in New Taipei City of Taiwan and Guangdong Province of China. The woman-led design team makes all suppliers adhere to a Code of Conduct following ILO criteria.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
VEERAH aims to achieve 100% recyclable packaging, with 85% of its current materials made from post-consumer materials. 71% of the material is recyclable and reusable. They also use dust bags made from recycled plastic bottles.
ABLE
About ABLE
Price Range: $115
ABLE is all about empowering women—both who make their products and wear them.
ABLE started with scarves made by ex-sex workers in Ethiopia and now markets an impressive range of clothing and accessories.
For summer-ready flats that also suit your sandal needs, bid goodbye to Birks and say hello to the Whitney Sandal. It’s a classic slide sandal with adjustable strap so feet of all widths can find the perfect fit.
ABLE’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
ABLE sources its leather as a byproduct from the meat industry, processed in tanneries in Portugal and Brazil. They also use microsuede, TPR, and cotton.
Supply chain & labor practices:
ABLE’s ethical claim to fame is its stance on fair labor, having been the first fashion brand to reveal its lowest wages, also providing benefits like full health insurance, company stock options, and maternity leave.
They back this up with transparent practices across factories in the USA, Portugal, Ethiopia, Brazil, India, Mexico, and China.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Their tannery partners are all members of the Leather Working Group (LWG) and use recycled water in a closed-loop system. They’re also moving towards 100% recyclable and FSC-certified packaging and are in the process of swapping poly bags for cloth dust bags.
Darzah
About Darzah
Price Range: $189–$205
Darzah is a non-profit created to empower women in Palestine’s West Bank.
Darzah’s Yasmin is particularly eye-catching thanks to its gorgeous tatreez pattern, an ancient form of Palestinian embroidery passed down from mother to daughter for over 3,000 years. Reviewers love that they get comfier with every wear and come with a convenient cotton storage bag.
Darzah’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
80% of the leather for their products is tanned using vegetable-based tanning agents. The rest is tanned with 3rd-level non-poisonous Chrome or Zarnikh at the first level of tanning (hair removal) only.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Darzah is Fair Trade Federation certified and employs a talented team of artisans.
All animal hides are sourced as byproducts from local butchers, and the finished leather comes from family-owned processors on the West Bank of Palestine, which comply with international sustainability standards.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
For the 20% of leather tanned with non-vegetable agents, all metalloids are separated from groundwater and stored in a special container until they can be responsibly disposed of following Israeli law.
Hailey is a full-time world traveler and a part-time content writer with a Bachelor’s Degree in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation from the University of Florida. She loves exploring the world by participating in local sustainability projects. Her project highlights include volunteering at a farm animal sanctuary in Hawaii, a butterfly biodiversity garden in Laos, and an ethical elephant sanctuary in Thailand. All experiences which have further developed her passion for universal animal welfare and advocacy. In her free time you might find her cuddling stray animals, hand crafting, café hopping, and literally hugging trees.
