Most people assume they can only be sported as summer shoes, but who says you can’t wear sustainable socks and vegan 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.
The switch to comfy vegan sandals will not only lower your carbon footprint but save tons of lives while doing it. We considered materials (because vegan leather isn’t always the most eco-friendly choice), supply chain ethics, carbon commitments, and other green business practices.
As we update our articles over the coming weeks, we’ll also roll out our new Brand Rating System that employs 22 criteria from animal welfare to sustainable packaging. Take an open-toe sandal peek at our explainer here for a head’s (toe’s?) up on all the details.
Without further ashoe, here are some of the best vegan summer shoes we vow to love every season, faux-ever.
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.
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, and having tested them ourselves, we can confirm that they are gentle on our feet, too, providing all-day-long sustainable comfort.
We wish we’d tried Native Shoes’ vegan slides sooner. Not only does their Sugarlight collection feature soles made out of a sugar-cane-based EVA blend, but they’re so light and comfortable that we’d happily live in these all summer.
Index: Men’s & Women’s Vegan Sandals
- Bhava Jump to brand
- NAE Jump to brand
- Matt & Nat Jump to brand
- V. Gan Jump to brand
- VIVAIA Jump to brand
- Native Shoes Jump to brand
- Veerah Jump to brand
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.
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.
Matt & Nat
About Matt & Nat:
Price Range: $22–$80
With affordable prices and timeless pieces, Matt & Nat 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 and 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.
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.
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.
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.
My Personal Review of VIVAIA’s Mia Square-Toe Adjustable Sandal:
“Despite the slim sole and low profile of the Mia Square-Toe Adjustable Sandal, I was super impressed with the cushioned insole that makes these comfortable to wear all day long. And as for the comfort level of the stretch knit uppers, well, I could wear those all week long without needing to take them off!”
Reviews by Amber McDaniel, SJ’s Head of Content
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.
They offer four slip-on styles total: Audry, Spencer LX Sugarlite, Spencer LX, and Jefferson Clog.
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.
My Personal Review of Native |Shoes’ Spencer LX Sugarlite™:
“If you know me, you know I basically live in slides all summer long. After patching up my old pair with duct tape more times than I can count, they finally gave out, so I swapped them for a new pair of the Native Spencer LX vegan slides. They’re so light and comfortable that I honestly regret not replacing them sooner (but hey, I’m all about wearing things until they’re really done for!). These Spencer LX slides are insanely comfy, with a molded footbed made of lightweight bio-foam. Plus, they don’t make my feet sweat.”
My Personal Review of Native Shoes’ Jefferson Sugarlite™:
“For water-based activities, I can highly recommend the Jefferson Sugarlite™. These impressive water shoes dry in no time once I’m out of the water, which means I can effortlessly switch from the beach to the street without losing out on comfort or style. Walking around in wet shoes is the worst, so these are a total game-changer!”
Reviews by Amber McDaniel, SJ’s Head of Content
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 Venus 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.
