What’s worse than rolling an ankle? Rolling your ankle in something that fails to support your ankles as much as it does animals. Tell toxic leathers and animal-based glues used in traditional hiking boots to “take a hike” by strapping on a pair of vegan hiking boots or shoes for your next wander into the wild.
With so much of the outdoor footwear industry relying on leather, it’s not always easy to know where to buy vegan hiking boots that are ethically made.
So we’re taking the last “easy” five miles out of your search (or rather hike) by curating a list of boots and shoes made by brands that not only use vegan-friendly materials but also fair labor and transparent supply chains.
And in the coming months, we’ll be further refining our search for better boots (and more) by using our new Brand Rating System. This system will expand our search across a broader range of eco-related criteria—think: animal welfare, biodiversity impacts, and climate action. You can read more on that here.
Now, let’s take a walk on the veg side.
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. Learn more here.
Vegan Hiking Shoes Walking The Talk
With ethically sourced recycled materials and unique performance features like winter traction spikes, Icebug’s hiking footwear range are for the outdoor trekking purest.
We’ve covered plenty of ground in Merrell’s hiking shoes and can vouch for their ability to help folks hit the trail in comfort and style.
Index: Vegan Hiking Shoes & Boots
- Merrell Jump to brand
- Will’s Vegan Store Jump to brand
- Salomon Jump to brand
- Icebug Jump to brand
- Vivobarefoot Jump to brand
- On Jump to brand
Merrell
About Merrell
Price Range: $110–$150
Merrell leather boots and shoes are well-known in the world of hiking—but you may not know they also make vegan hiking boots made from recycled synthetic materials.
Much of the range also includes customizable options, like different widths, ankle support, and water resistance.
Merrell’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
An increasing number of Merrell’s hiking boots are incorporating recycled synthetic materials in the lining, laces, upper, and footbed cover—as much as 100%, in lines like the Trail Glove.
Or check out the new Scrap line, which features a handful of styles made entirely of production fabric scraps (and also yields a super neat collage-like look). Be sure to read the descriptions carefully though as not all the upcycled materials are vegan fabrics.
Outsoles are Vibram® Ecostep partially recycled rubber, a top-tier rubber manufacturer responsible for the ultra-grippy soles in rock climbing shoes. Some utilize algae biomass in their BLOOM performance midsole foam.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Under the Wolverine Worldwide parent company, Merrell operated in compliance with its Code of Conduct overseeing their massive global supply chain.
While such a big supply chain means there is still significant room for ethical improvement and traceability, joining the Sustainable Apparel Coalition is a good start. We’ll follow up with them on previous manufacturing inquiries as well.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
By 2025, the brand also aims to reduce water use, reduce plastic packaging, and transition all products to either renewable, recycled, or organic fabrics.
My Personal Review of Merrell’s Speed Eco:
“The Speed Eco is their vegan take on a classic Merrell design, complete with a breathable mesh lining, recycled synthetic upper, and ergonomic shape that maximizes the efficiency of your body’s own momentum. It looks like a burly shoe, so suffice it to say, I was pleasantly surprised when I pulled it on and found it to be feather-light. I personally love how light and springy it is, without sacrificing any of the stability and support needed for demanding hikes – and I do a lot of hiking around Wyoming.”
Review by Amber McDaniel, SJ’s Head of Content
Will’s Vegan Store
About Will’s Vegan Store
Price Range: $79–$179
If you’re living a vegan lifestyle, you’ve undoubtedly heard of Will’s Vegan Store. The PETA-approved company crafts vegan leather hiking boots from responsible materials, built to handle rocky slopes, desert sands, and any landscape in between.
The WVSport Waterproof Hiking Boots are a customer favorite, with durable outsoles, scuff-resistant uppers, and waterproof coating.
Will’s Vegan Store’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
For uppers, they use two primary materials: Italian vegan bio-based leather made from cereal crops grown in Northern Europe or eco suede, from 100% PU. The insoles include partially recycled polyurethane, outsoles recycled rubber, and laces, insole boards, and labels recycled polyester.
All backed by REACH, ECO Label, and OEKO-TEX certifications.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Will’s works with manufacturers in Italy and Portugal, where they follow strict EU laws to prevent discrimination and unsafe working conditions. All employees receive maternity and parental leave, compensation for any discrimination, fair wages, and more benefits.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
All of Will’s operations—material manufacturing, shipping, product returns, and more—are certified carbon-neutral. Some of their partners utilize renewable energy, packaging is plastic-free, and they provide an option to recycle your used hiking boots for a small fee.
Salomon
About Salomon
Price Range: $110–$190
Already known for the lightweight yet incredibly durable hiking boots, Salomon is in the process of making a name for themselves in sustainability spheres by increasing the number of low-impact materials used. Their waterproof vegan hiking shoes and trail running shoes are designed for serious outdoor athletes traversing some of the toughest terrain.
One such option is the XT-6 MINDFUL, which is made from recycled polyester and TPU chips. Rest assured, its more mindful construction doesn’t sacrifice any of the things people love about Salmon, including its aggressive sole lug pattern and cinch lacing system.
Salomon’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Salomon still uses a variety of virgin synthetic materials (nylon and polyester) to create durable and lightweight uppers paired with their patented Contagrip rubber compound outsoles. Many feature a GORE-TEX waterproof but breathable membrane. We recommend narrowing your search to their styles incorporating recycled materials. Though still small in number, demand will only help that number grow!
A handful utilize LWG-certified leather in the uppers so avoid these.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Committed to providing fair wages and safe working conditions, this Fair Labor Association (FLA) member works with global suppliers who adhere to its Code of Conduct. In the last round of regular audits, 80% of factories scored in their gold category. Much of their footwear is made in a sustainable facility in France near their HQ.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
While they still have a long way to go, Salomon has lofty 2025 goals for more responsible products, including having the environmental performance of each one visible to consumers, designing all products with circular economy principles, and going PFC-free.
They also have numerous decarbonization and climate goals, including assessing ALL company emissions (scope 1, 2, and 3) then reducing them by 30% through things like renewable transitions and reduced business travel.
As members of the Textile Exchange and a bluesign® system partner, they heavily restrict chemical use, offer repair solutions for many products, and produce an annual Impact Report.
Community & charitable giving:
The Salomon Foundation has been supporting injured mountain professionals and athletes for nearly decades. To prevent such accidents, they provide mountain safety courses (like avalanche training).
The brand also has numerous other community partners protecting the outdoors, like Protect Our Winters and The Conservation Alliance. They’re also a signatory of the Outdoor CEO Diversity Pledge.
Icebug
About Icebug
Price Range: $139–$239
Icebug creates some of the best vegan hiking boots money can buy, no matter the season. From trail runners to waterproof hiking boots, their products are at the pinnacle of outdoor performance. The ankle supporting Stavre BUGrip GTX is available in studded and non-studded options, so you can wear them year round.
Icebug’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Icebug is at the forefront of material innovation, using BLOOM™ foam in their insoles and midsoles, a product made of algae biomass. Uppers, lining, and laces are made of 100% GRS-certified recycled PET, while the outsoles are 20% recycled rubber blended with natural rubber. Some feature toe reinforcements made from recycled plastic.
Many of their waterproof hiking boots utilize a synthetic GORE-TEX membrane, but it’s both OEKO-TEX and bluesign®-approved, as many of their fabrics and solution dyes are.
Not all are vegan-friendly hiking boots, however, so look out for models with LWG leather or wool padding.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Icebug works with four primary assembly factories located in Vietnam and China. Per their Fair Wear Foundation membership, all entities are audited regularly to the Fairwear Code of Labour Practice.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Aiming to halve emissions by 2030, Icebug measures the full scope of their emissions, including business travel, product manufacturing, and transportation. As a Certified B Corp, they combine sustainability and traceability with Follow the Footprints, a scannable QR code to help customers see where products are made and their impact.
Replacement components are available to keep shoes in circulation longer.
Vivobarefoot
About Vivobarefoot
Price Range: $160–$210
Minimalist “barefoot” shoe maker Vivobarefoot produces the Magna Trail II, which include vegan recycled materials and all-weather finishes to handle any trail or mountainside. Be sure to take advantage of their foot assessment tool to help you find the best fit for your foot.
Vivobarefoot’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
While not all sustainable or vegan (select models use wool and leather), many of Vivo’s vegan shoes are made of recycled plastic from post-consumer waste, like plastic bottles and repurposed fish nets.
This is sometimes combined with hemp and BLOOM algae-based EVA foam. Currently, standing EVA is still the predominant material, but they’re researching how to increase BLOOM use.
Supply chain & labor practices:
This Certified B Corp aims for peak transparency. You can view all their partners online, most of which operate either in Europe or China and Vietnam. Employees are also given access to their anonymous Happiness Index feedback platform, which they use to ensure employee satisfaction and better the world experience.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Per their Unfinished Business annual sustainability reports, Vivobarefoot outlines plans to decrease their already minimal(ist) footprint through renewable energy integration, carbon offset programs, and more. While we’re not talking about their non-vegan boots in this article, we like knowing their tanning partners are in the process of switching to natural, non-chemical processes.
This repairable shoe brand also provides customers with free repair services for reconditioning, cleaning, and part replacement
On
About On
Price Range: $150–$220
Still wondering how to find vegan hiking boots for men and women that don’t sacrifice style for sustainability?
On is on it with modern high and low rise styles for both men and women. The Cloudrock 2 represents On’s innovative technology to a T. Between a 95% recycled polyester upper, ankle support, Flexlock lacing that prevent laces from snagging on the other shoe, and a specially designed low-impact outsole that “makes sure you don’t take the trail with you”, On helps you take your hike to the highest level.
On’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
On’s current line of men’s and women’s vegan hiking shoes contain anywhere from 15–30% total recycled materials, but uppers comprised of 45–95% recycled polyester. Various midsole materials in use include PA11 and Pebax® castor bean oil bioplastics, partially recycled EVA foam, or CleanCloud™ (an EVA made from captured carbon emissions).
Waterproof models feature a 20% recycled waterproof membrane, and some—like the Cloudtrax Undyed—are undyed to prevent use of unnecessary chemicals.
Supply chain & labor practices:
On has partners in Vietnam, China, Latvia, Portugal, and Switzerland (where their own innovation lab is located in Zurich), but most hikers are made by Hongfu in Vietnam. Suppliers and factories are held to their ILO and ETI standardized Code of Conduct.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Cyclon is their ground (er, trail) breaking circularity initiative. Sign up for this subscription service to receive a pair of 100% recyclable shoes. After six months of use, send them back for recirculation in exchange for a brand-new pair.
Through Carbios, they’re working on new bio-recycling technology that uses a special enzyme capable of selectively extracting polyester from used garments.
Acknowledging that Scope 3 emissions (those related to On’s products, but not directly under their control) account for the majority of their impact), they’re on track to meet their goal of reducing these by 55% by 2030—along with a 46% reducing in Scope 1 and 2 emissions. To achieve this, they transitioned their offices and stores to run on 80% renewable energy, are switching to electric company vehicles, and are working with partners on renewable solutions.