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sneaker from nae
19 Feb
sneaker from nae

The Ultimate Guide to More Sustainable Sneakers

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On the hunt for your new favourite everyday sneaker? Discover our top picks for more ethical and sustainable sneakers below.

The best, more responsibly made kicks on the market

Sneakers have always maintained their status as a staple piece. Rain, snow, or shine, a versatile pair of sneakers is a closet favourite that transcends seasons. Unlike our functional running or gym shoes, which stay on our shelves for a few years, “trend” sneakers are replaced more often. As a product of the fast fashion industry, consumers are trained to run out to buy a new pair of sneakers as soon as the previous trend has lost its momentum. But investing in a pair of more ethical, high quality shoes and learning how to take care of them is ultimately more sustainable for the planet and for your bank account.

Here’s the lowdown on the more sustainable sneaker trailblazers that are prioritising people, the planet, and animals.

Lastly, we understand that even sneakers made to last have a lifespan⁠—so when your shoes cannot handle another mile, consider donating them to the likes of Soles4Souls or Nike’s Reuse-A-Shoe Program. With that, happy browsing.

LANIUS

Rated: Good

Sneakers – Ships within Europe from Germany

“Love Fashion, Think Organic, Be Responsible” are the maxims of LANIUS. The brand uses lower-impact materials, like GOTS certified cotton. All LANIUS facilities are SA8000 certified and it is a member of the Fair Wear Foundation. These sneakers are made from wool, so not one for the vegans.

Find the shoes in EU sizes 36-42.

See the rating.

Shop LANIUS.

Womsh

Rated: Good
white and leopard print sneaker from womsh

Wise Sneakers – Ships internationally from Italy

Fashion and responsible production can go together and Womsh is the brand that proves it. Its shoes are entirely designed and manufactured in Italy, and its clothing range is made from lower-impact fabrics like organic cotton.

Find most shoes in EU sizes 35-42, and clothes in XS-2XL.

See the rating.

Shop Womsh.

1 People

Rated: Good
top view of laces side of sneakers and person in classic white Boras sneakers by 1 People

Boras Classic Sneakers – Ships internationally from Denmark

1 People is a Danish-designed lifestyle and luxury brand. It blends Scandinavian colour palettes and minimalist design to create effortlessly elegant collections for the conscious-minded. Its pieces are thoughtfully crafted by small family-run manufacturers using lower-impact and certified materials.

Find the collection in sizes XS-XL.

See the rating.

Shop 1 People.

Will’s Vegan Store

Rated: Good
top front view of pair of grey knit sneakers and side angle view of shoe resting on its pair by Will's Vegan Store

LDN Biodegradable Sneakers – Ships internationally from the UK

Will's Vegan Store produces animal and human friendly women's and men's footwear, clothing, and accessories at affordable prices.

Find the women's shoes in US sizes 5-10, and men's in 7.5-14.

See the rating.

Shop Will’s Vegan Store.

CARIUMA

Rated: Good

OCA Low – Ships internationally from Brazil

CARIUMA is a more sustainable Brazilian sneaker brand that wants you to feel super comfortable while providing effortless style in organic canvas, leather, and suede styles.

Find CARIUMA's shoes in US sizes 5-13.

See the rating.

Shop CARIUMA.

Etiko

Rated: Great
white low cut etiko sneakers

Low Cut Sneakers White – Ships internationally from Australia

Etiko is an Australian designer of organic fair trade clothing and shoes. The brand constantly sets the bar for upholding and campaigning the human rights of people working in traditionally exploitative industry supply chains.

Find the clothes in AU sizes 8-20, and the shoes in UK sizes 3-13.

See the rating.

Shop Etiko.

Stella McCartney

Rated: Good
platform sneakers from stella mccartney

Sneak-Elyse Platform Sneakers – Ships internationally from the UK

A member of the Ethical Trading Initiative and Sustainable Apparel Coalition, Stella McCartney has set some excellent environmental standards across the luxury fashion industry. Stella uses some lower-impact materials, including recycled polyester and organic cotton, and has a strategy in place to reduce waste across its entire supply chain. It has also adopted the ETI Code of Conduct that includes a living wage definition.

Find most items in sizes 34-52.

See the rating.

Shop Stella McCartney @ LVRSustainable.

Shop Stella McCartney Pre-Owned @ Vestiaire Collective.

Shop Stella McCartney.

Veja

Rated: Good
silver sneakrs from veja

Volley Sneakers – Ships internationally from France

Veja is a French brand designing ecological and fair trade footwear, and is also a responsible fashion pioneer. The brand uses lower-impact materials, like GOTS certified cotton and vegetable-tanned leather. Veja pays its co-operative cotton growers and rubber tappers between 30% and 100% above the world market price. By not advertising, Veja is able to invest more money into strengthening its practices.

You can find Veja shoes in women's EU sizes 35-46, and men's 35-47.

See the rating.

Shop Veja.

Shop Veja @ LVRSustainable.

Shop Veja @ Threads 4 Thought.

Shop Veja Kids second hand @ Retykle.

NOAH

Rated: Good
white sneakers by noah

Dominique Sneakers – Ships internationally from Germany

NOAH creates cruelty-free and 100% vegan shoes and accessories. This German brand's high-quality and long-lasting shoes are hand-crafted in Italy, using a small proportion of lower-impact materials.

Find them in EU sizes 35-42.

See the rating.

Shop NOAH.

Shop NOAH @ Immaculate Vegan.

COG

Rated: Good
Someone in Winton sneakers in White/Blue by COG.

Winton White/Blue – Ships internationally from France

Based in France, COG is a footwear label that creates more sustainable, vegan shoes from 100% recycled materials, including natural corks, used cotton scraps, end-of-life rubber, and plastic bottles fished out of the sea.

Offered in sizes EU 35-46.

See the rating.

Shop COG.

Shop COG @ Immaculate Vegan.

ID.EIGHT

Rated: Good

Hana White Crinkle – Ships internationally from Italy

ID.EIGHT is an Italian brand that was born from the meeting between Dong Seon Lee and Giuliana Borzillo, both come from the world of footwear, where they worked and met. Together they have created a more ethical and sustainable collection of sneakers with a refined design. The shoes are made in Italy with lower-impact materials from food industry waste such as apple peels, grape stalks and seeds, and pineapple leaves, as well as recycled cotton and polyester.

Find the shoes in EU sizes 36-46.

See the rating.

Shop ID.EIGHT.

Ecoalf

Rated: Good
sneakers from ecoalf

Feroe Sneakers – Ships internationally from Spain

Thanks to recycled materials like rescued ocean plastic, Ecoalf creates more sustainable fashion with the same quality, design, and technical properties as the best non-recycled ones.

Find the range in sizes XS-2XL.

See the rating.

Shop Ecoalf @ Farfetch.

Shop Ecoalf.

Komodo

Rated: Good
Black low top sneakers by Komodo

Eco Sneako – Ships internationally from the UK

UK brand Komodo puts people and the planet first with its lower-impact range of menswear and womenswear. The label uses some more responsible materials including GOTS-certified cotton and hemp, and ensures that most of its suppliers pay a living wage to their workers.

Find most of the range in UK sizes 8-16.

See the rating.

Shop Komodo.

Shop Komodo @ Immaculate Vegan.

NAE

Rated: Good
sneaker from nae

Berlin Sneakers – Ships internationally from Portugal

NAE is a Portuguese footwear, bags, and accessories brand using innovative materials to create goods with “No Animal Exploitation”. Its lower-impact materials include recycled PET from bottles, OEKO-TEX® certified microfibres, recycled car tyres, natural cork, recycled thermoplastic, and even pineapple leaf fibre.

Find most of the shoes in sizes 36-46.

See the rating.

Shop NAE.

Shop NAE @ Urbankissed.

Shop NAE @ Immaculate Vegan.

Flamingos’ Life

Rated: Good
red sneakers from flamingos life

Burela Slim Cherry Sneakers – Ships to Europe, the UK, and the US from Spain

Flamingos' Life creates sneakers that are free from animal-derived materials for everyone. The brand uses lower-impact and PETA approved vegan materials, including upcycled materials.

Find the range in sizes 36-46.

See the rating.

Shop Flamingos' Life.

tentree

Rated: Good
tentree off-white sneakers

+ Saye M89 Sneakers – Ships internationally from Canada

Canadian brand tentree plants ten trees for every item purchased to help regenerate ecosystems and provide planting jobs in communities around the world, and has already planted over 65 million trees. All tentree’s products are created with an Earth-first approach, meaning they're made in fair, safe working conditions, and constructed using lower-impact and recycled materials.

tentree’s clothes are typically available from XS-XL.

See the rating.

Shop tentree.

Elk

Rated: Good
metallic pink trainers from elk

Beate Sneakers – Ships internationally from Australia

A pioneer of independent Australian design, Elk was founded in Melbourne in 2004. Elk creates bi-annual collections that are informed by a design ethos where simplicity and sustainability meet innovation.

Find most items in AU sizes 6-18.

See the rating.

Shop Elk.

Learn how to take care of your sneakers

Editor's note

Feature image via NAE, all other images via brands mentioned. Good On You publishes the world's most comprehensive ratings of fashion and beauty brands’ impact on people, the planet, and animals. Use the directory to search thousands of rated brands.

We updated this article on 11 February 2025. Our editors frequently make updates to articles to ensure they're up to date. We refreshed our product round-up to ensure it reflects brands with recent ratings.

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