Step to this: A whopping 23 billion pairs of shoes are made every year, with 22 billion pairs landfilled. Add the growing global “sneakerhead” culture of covetous collecting and consumption and it’s easy to see why we need sustainable men’s shoes stat.
So, to find the top men’s shoe brands, we waded through impact reports, materials, sourcing, manufacturing, and general green practices.
Our new Brand Rating System takes this much further, assessing brands across 22 key criteria, including their climate action and chemical use. To learn more, check out our detailed explainer and look out for rated men’s shoe brands on the list below who are taking transparency to the next level.
For sneakers specifically, see our guide on sustainable sneakers.
Top Picks For Sustainable & Ethical Men’s Shoe Brands
8000Kicks offers ethically made durable shoes from hemp and other more sustainable materials. 8000Kicks has been comprehensively rated and reviewed by us – find the full rating here.
Thousand Fell has tested their sustainable shoes for men up to 2.4 million steps (of which we’ve contributed many a mile), ensuring an extended and durable life.
For slow fashion sneakers that are ethically made-to-order, we’ve given Made+ the thumbs (toes?) up. The stretchy and breathable knitted uppers are made from 100% recycled REPREVE yarn, and we found them comfortable to wear straight out of the box.
Index: Ethical Men's Shoe Brands
- 8000Kicks Jump to section
- Thousand Fell Jump to section
- Allbirds Jump to section
- Cariuma Jump to section
- Made+ Jump to section
- Kane Jump to section
- Will's Vegan Store Jump to section
- Nothing New Jump to section
8000Kicks
Compostable
All or some products are compostable, either in an industrial facility or at home
Ethical Sourcing
Raw materials have been sourced ethically with people and planet in mind.
Organic
Products are made from organic materials.
Recycled materials
Some or all products are made with recycled materials
Repairs Offered
Product can be easily repaired directly by the brand.
Thoughtful packaging
Product packaging has been designed and created with the end of life outcome in mind and can be easily recycled or composted.
Upcycled
Products have been upcycled from an unusable or undesirable form into new products.
Vegan
This brand does not use any animal products or by-products in their products
OEKO-TEX 100
PETA
8000Kicks has been rated by Sustainable Jungle. Find the full rating here.
8000Kicks offer sustainable sneakers for men, as well as boots and slip-ons.
Their shoes are made of at least 55% hemp along with organic cotton recycled polyester and a small amount of virgin synthetics. Soles are made from Bloom Foam algae.
The two main factories in China and Portugal are audited directly by the brand and are OEKO-TEX certified.
8000Kicks measures the carbon footprint of their shoes and has worked with factories to increase renewable energy use.
My Personal Review of 8000Kicks’ Explorer V2:
“I’ve worn the Explorer V2 Allblack for 3 years now ad naseum. Honestly, I have a bad habit for not taking them off. They’re an everday wear workhorse. Definitely one of the most durable and robust kicks I’ve ever owned. I’ve taken them on 5mile runs and even some shorter hikes. The soles are starting to show signs of age but the uppers are still 100% functional. They’re also roomy-comfy but not too wide (I have narrow feet). I’d say slightly larger than true to size. I wasn’t really interested in the waterproofing but it’s actually really helpful, especially in my wet climate, I don’t have to worry about putting on boots if I’m nipping out in a bit of rain. I also appreciate the allblack colorway, as it makes it hard to see dirt, and mine are very dirty!”
Review by Lyall Mabin, SJ’s Co-founder
Thousand Fell
Thousand Fell has not been rated.
Price Range: $125–$135
Made in Brazil and designed in NYC, Thousand Fell’s team first met in China, where they bonded over our current broken system of consumption—from material sourcing, product design, manufacturing and delivery to the waste when products are worn out.
In response, the Textile Exchange member, 1% For the Planet member, and B Corp Certified-pending brand creates recyclable shoes—in fact, being the first to create a completely closed-loop shoe thanks to a Supercircle-powered recycling program. Once they hit the tested 2.4 millions steps, all eco-friendly men’s shoes can be sent back for donation, taken apart to reuse certain materials, or biodegrade.
Both their lace and slip-on styles feature minimalist structural and sustainable details made from coconut, sugarcane, and palm, stain-proof and water-resistant quartz coating, aloe vera-coated lining, recycled rubber insole, and a durable and breathable recycled upper.
My Personal Review of Thousand Fells’ Slip-Ons:
“After testing Thousand Fell’s slip-ons, I was impressed by how comfortable and cushioned they felt, despite their clean and minimalist appearance that makes them easy to pair with just about any outfit in a minimalist men’s wardrobe. The all-white had me a little hesitant at first, but the slick texture easily wipes clean so I can keep them looking bright and polished.
“I also love the convenience of slipping them on, yet once on, the shoes fit snugly and don’t slip and slide on the heels with each step, reducing overall wear on both the heel cups and my heels themselves.”
Review by Christopher Ryan, SJ’s Menswear Tester
Allbirds
Allbirds has not been rated.
Price Range: $90–$145
Take flight with Climate Neutral certified Allbirds, one of today’s most recognizable sustainable men’s shoe brands.
The New Zealand-based Certified B Corp offers a range of basics and shoes—including slippers, slip-ons, tennis shoes, running shoes, hiking shoes, and high-tops—while continuously improving their trek towards net-zero carbon despite their now global shipping and fanbase.
Using the Higg Facility, Allbirds tracks the water, wastewater, and environmental commitments of their Tier 1 factories and Tier2 suppliers. Their Vietnam factory is also LEED-certified, while their China-based factory is WRAP certified.
All shoes are made from either ZQ-certified ethical merino wool uppers (some of which is regenerative, and they’re aiming for it all to be) or FSC-certified TENCEL™ lyocell uppers, SweetFoam™ midsoles derive from sustainably-sourced sugarcane, laces come from recycled plastic bottles, and insoles are partially derived from castor bean oil. Plus, they’re working on a new M0.0NSHOT net zero shoe and offer a second hand resell program called ReRun. Additionally, returned shoes are donated to Soles4Souls.
My Personal Review of Allbirds’ Tree Runner:
“I started wearing these sneakers years ago and love them to this day. They’re super breathable, performance minded, and overall quite durable. We did find the running shoes did get squeaky quicker than should be reasonable, but functionally, they’ve held up well over lots of use.”
Review by Lyall Mabin, SJ’s Co-founder
Cariuma
Cariuma has not been rated.
Price Range: $85–$170
Cariuma are making major sustainability strides with their range of sneakers that runners, skateboarders, and casual wearers alike love for their comfort and green conscience.
The Brazilian Certified B Corp—but shipping from warehouses in the USA—has a widespread application of sustainable practices like WRAP-gold certified factories and ILO wage standards, the brand’s shoes themselves feature sustainable materials like OEKO-TEX-certified bamboo, GOTS-certified organic cotton, BCI cotton, natural rubber, plus Brazilian sugarcane, mamona oil (an organic plant-based alternative to petroleum), and sustainable cork for their uber-comfy insoles.
Their vegan line (which makes up 65% of their shoe range) uses GRS-certified rPET from recycled plastic bottles for the labels, laces, and uppers. Of those, the Off-White Canvas OCA Pro sneakers is an LA street style favorite thanks to its versatility, sleek design, and feel-good effects of ethical production.
My Personal Review of Cariuma Catiba Pros:
“Both Joy and I own a couple of pairs of the Catiba Pro Low and Highs (black on white and white on black). While they are legit skate shoes they can be worn for everyday urban trekking, no problem. The difference between these and their regular line like the OCA Low (their retro-inspired everyday sneaker) is that they have added padding, grip and rubber protection (they are designed for actual skaters). This does tend to make the shoe a fair bit heavier than other sneakers and these wouldn’t be our first choice for longer walks or say a whole day of activities, as I found my feet got a bit tired. But for really robust (especially in the toe box, heel and the sides of the heels) and aesthetically old-school kicks (love the suede), these are a gem. Both pairs also still have loads of grip on the soles after about 3 years of on and off use (and in my case, with a bit of skateboarding too). We expect them to probably have the best longevity out of all options on this list.”
Review by Lyall Mabin, SJ’s Co-founder
Made+
Made+ has not been rated.
Price Range: $150–$200
Made+ was founded by industry veterans of Nike, Under Armour, Skechers, and New Balance. Slow fashion is the focus. All of their sneaker models are completely made-to-order.
The are made with 100% recycled REPREVE® yarn from at least 6 plastic bottles, offering a planet positive, lightweight, and breathable fit for more playing / less breaking in. Some also feature recycled Michelin tires in the soles.
My Personal Review of Made+’s skiff 2:
“I was given the chance to test out a pair of their newest skiff2 design, and from first try-on, was in love with the stretchy comfort of the breathable, knitted upper. Rather than have a bunch of different separate components, I love how the insole and cushioning are all bundled into one 3D-printed piece that can be removed and replaced if it starts to break down while the rest of the shoe is still in wearable condition. Plus, it’s super cushy and comfortable.
“The only thing I might add is a little extra padding in the heels—but I also know that’s likely because I have historically struggled with heel bursitis, which makes me super sensitive to uncushioned heels.”
Review by Christopher Ryan, SJ’s Menswear Tester
Kane
Kane has not been rated.
Price Range: $80
Kane offers a unisex biobased EVA slip-on sports rehabilitation shoe. It’s called the Kane Revive and comes available in countless colorways. Their focus is to stimulate feet and muscle recovery.
The biobased EVA is sustainably made from RestoreFoam™ that comes from Brazilian sugarcane. As a renewable resource, sugarcane reduces greenhouse gasses by capturing CO2 as it grows.
While the shoes are currently not recyclable, the brand is a Certified B Corp and gives to 1% For The Planet as they walk towards full carbon neutrality.
My Personal Review of Kane’s Revive Shoes:
“While the appearance admittedly had me feeling a little skeptical, I got to test a pair of Kane Revives and can honestly say they’re incredibly comfortable and surprisingly durable. Because they slip-on yet fit snugly once on, they’re perfect for wearing them around the house or on light errands.”
Review by Aarron Lopex, SJ Writer
Will's Vegan Store
Will's Vegan Store has not been rated.
Price Range: $75–$150
London-based Will’s Vegan Store ethically manufactures its footwear—along with other accessories like men’s vegan belts—in Portugal with Italian vegan leather that’s made of cereal crops, bio-oil, viscose, and 31% polyurethane. It’s free of PVC and PFCs.
This Carbon Neutral-certified brand proudly does not make products for a season or fashion but to last, and encourages circularity with a return to recycle service to turn past purchases at their end of use into new WVS outsoles and uppers.
With a huge range of sustainable men’s dress shoes, boots, sandals, sneakers, hiking boots, oxfords, brogues, loafers, and more, we especially love their stylish and sophisticated LDN Biodegradable Sneakers, which the brand spent years developing with leading shoe component manufacturers across Europe for a sleek 100% biodegradable, carbon neutral, and vegan sneaker.
Nothing New
Nothing New has not been rated.
Price Range: $69–$160
Nothing New is one of the most promising emerging ethical men’s shoe companies to create sneakers using no virgin materials in manufacturing (i.e. nothing new).
Their sneakers are made from Global Recycle Standard (GRS) certified 100% post-consumer recycled plastic, Beyond Leather™ upcycled uppers, or chrome-free biodegradable suede.
They offer transparency on their trek towards carbon neutrality and their Virtuous Circle Program to ship your used sneakers in for $20 towards a new pair – the brand ensures the old ones don’t end up in a landfill.
