The Ultimate Guide to Ethical and Sustainable Shoes

CARIUMA is a sustainable Brazilian sneaker brand that wants you to feel crazy comfortable while providing effortless style in organic canvas, leather, and suede styles. Find CARIUMA's shoes in US sizes 5-13.

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Veja slowly became one of the main references in ethical shoe-making, sourcing its rubber-soles straight from responsibly-run forests in the Amazon, where workers can expect competitive wages and social protection. The brand recently presented a long-awaited addition to its permanent collection: The Condor, an ethical running shoe model that goes beyond its own standards and shows a futuristic design right on-trend, made from recycled plastic, natural materials like rubber, organic cotton or rice waste and a record-low of chemicals. Find Veja’s shoes in 35 to 46 EU sizes for women, and 35-47 EU sizes for men.

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Shop Veja @ Luisa via Roma.

Shop Veja @ Outerknown.

Shop Veja @ Threads 4 Thought.

Shop Veja @ Farfetch.

Stella McCartney should always be included in any ethically-minded list, with its pioneer commitment to environmentally-friendly clothes. The Eclypse model is a mix of old and new—a retro 90’s style sneaker with contemporary multi-textured sophistication, featuring strap fastening and a chunky look rubber platform. Iconic, and sustainable. Shoes come in 5-11 US sizes for women, and 6-12 US sizes for men.

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Shop Stella McCartney @ Luisa via Roma.

Shop Stella McCartney @ Farfetch.

Etiko is a leading Australian designer of organic, eco-friendly and fair trade clothing and shoes. For the classic canvas sneaker done ethically, look no further than these low-cut ones from Etiko that are 100% vegan and made from fair trade, organic materials. They come in a range of colourways to suit your style. Find the shoes in 3-13 UK sizes for women, and 3-13 UK sizes for men.

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Fashion and sustainability can go together and Womsh is the footwear brand that proves it. Their sustainable sneakers are entirely designed and manufactured in Italy. The Snik is a modern interpretation of 1990s sneaker culture and is made from 100% sustainable & vegan leather from Appleskin. Find the shoes in 35-42 EU sizes for women, and 40-46 for men.

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Shop Womsh.

Shop Womsh @ Comovita.

Outerwear with a purpose, Alice + Whittles wants you to enjoy the vast wilderness without being cold or wet. This brand has designed the sustainable rain boots you’ve always dreamed of. The low-ankled model brings comfort and a minimalist style, and also comes in trendy pastel colours of the moment. Find the shoes in 6-12 CA sizes.

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Shop Alice + Whittles.

nae is a Portuguese eco shoes brand using innovative materials to create shoes with “No Animal Exploitation”. Their sustainable shoe materials include recycled PET from bottles, OEKO-TEX® certified microfibres, recycled car tyres, natural cork, recycled thermoplastic and even pineapple leaf fibre! Try these unisex military style boots on for size. Find nae’s shoes in US sizes 5-12.

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Shop nae @ Staiy.

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Will’s Vegan Store produces animal and human friendly women’s and men’s footwear at affordable prices. These tan work boots are carbon neutral, ethically made in Portugal, and presented in sustainable non treated paper and cardboard packaging. Find the shoes in UK sizes 3-8 or EU sizes 36-42.

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Shop Will’s Vegan Store.

The Nude Label curates comfy cotton underwear for women and men that feel as good as they look. Made from bio-vegan leather and responsibly sourced wood to create the lowest possible footprint, these lightweight wood sandals are great for a comfy and casual look.

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Funky Kalakar brings alive the stories of the ancient craft in the form of contemporary designs by handcrafting them using natural materials. In addition to being pretty, these vegan heels are also sustainably and ethically made! Find the shoes in EU sizes 36 to 41.

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Shop Funky Kalakar.

The luxury US footwear brand RAFA uses recycled vegan textiles in its creations, made to order in Los Angeles. Check out these timeless and vegan strappy sandals with a suede look. The big plus: they contain no animal skins, instead using Polyurethane microfibre materials that are less toxic than the PVC usually utilised for faux-leather. Shoes come in US sizes 5 to 11.

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Cruelty-free, luxury eco shoes and boots that are handmade in Spain, with love. Speaking of love, we’re head-over-heels in love with these pumps! Find the shoes in EU sizes 37-41.

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Shop Beyond Skin.

Coclico offers sustainable eco-friendly shoes conceived in New York and handcrafted in Spain. Its footwear is high-quality and long-lasting, and it even offsets its carbon footprint. It also knows its suppliers for all stages of production! The brand seeks high standards of ethical and environmental responsibility, and the result is a union of modern minimalism and traditional quality. Shoes come in EU sizes 36-41.

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Shop Coclico @ Made Trade.

Shop Coclico @ ourCommonPlace.

BHAVA is an innovative vegan women’s footwear brand founded by designer Francisca Pineda. The brand uses some environmentally friendly materials, such as organic cotton and recycled materials. It also does not use aromatic amines, PCP, formaldehyde, PVC, phthalates, azo-dyes, or chrome when creating its vegan leather. The Viki slide with a wooden heel is on-trend and pairs well with everything. Bhava’s shoes come in US sizes 5-11.

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Nomadic State of Mind hand-crafts vegan sandals made of rope, up-cycled sailcloth, hemp, and recycled plastic bottles. The brand also provides jobs for workers from disadvantaged communities in Nicaragua.

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Shop Nomadic State of Mind.