From stilettos, sneakers, boots and sandals, here are eight brands making vegan shoes to suit every style.
Can fashion be ethical if it disregards animal lives, or is harmful to the environment and the people producing it? Let's look at a commonly used material in fashion—leather. Leather production may seem ‘natural’ but in reality it is responsible for vast amounts of waste, water use, and toxic chemicals— including heavy metals and formaldehyde used in the tanning, dyeing and finishing process—which are not only harmful to the environment, but also to the health of people. That’s to say nothing of the more than 1.4 billion cows, sheep, and goats and millions of other animals slaughtered each year for leather production, 47% of which is used for shoes.
Eliminating our dependance on leather is a step towards having a more ethical and sustainable wardrobe, and our feet are the obvious place to start. While once upon a time having an ethical and vegan shoe closet may have meant compromising on style, nowadays vegan shoes feature innovative cruelty-free leather alternatives —with many eco-friendly leather free alternatives in the making—and come in as endless a variety of styles as leather shoes.
From stilettos, sneakers, boots and sandals, here are eight brands making vegan shoes to suit every style.
Launched in 2010 by fashion designer, author and activist Joshua Kutcher, it didn’t take long for Brave Gentleman to become known for its high quality and expertly crafted vegan mens footwear. Featured in Vogue, GQ, Forbes, The Financial Times and photographed on celebrities from Alan Cumming and Zach Woods to Liam Hemsworth and Joaquin Phoenix, the brand was named Menswear Brand of the Year and Most Influential Designer by PETA. The brand features a range of classic styles like brogues, boots, loafers and executive lace-ups, as well as sneakers, high-tops and sandals.
Launched by former head designer of Jimmy Choo, Alfredo Pīferi makes 100% vegan shoes, sandals, mules and boots with impeccable craftsmanship. The London-based designer works with luxury shoe manufacturers in Italy to create his vegan shoe collection, which also comes in different shades of nude to cater to women with different skin tones. Shoe ‘leather’ is Bio Vegan Nappa, composed of 48% bio polyols derived from non-food and GMO-free field corn, while the insoles are made using 100% pure cellulose certified by Forest Stewardship Council. Heels are crafted from Recycled ABS, a recycled plastic compound that is also widely considered more durable, longer-lasting, and easier to recycle than PVC. A recent genderless shoe capsule collection in collaboration with Paris-based designer, Ludovic de Saint Sernin, will have you swooning.
Think being vegan means giving up those sexy stilettos? MINK makes couture vegan stilettos in a private Italian factory, where Christian Louboutin and Dior shoes are also made, in a vegan leather made from fruit and vegetable waste, and using vegetable based plastic soles and sugar cane plastic heels. They have the first online boutique where you will be able to custom design your very own vegan shoes, right from your computer. Choose from 32 fabrics, monogramming, crystal details, and multiple shoe styles to create your very own one-of-a-kind creation. They have a range of ready to wear which includes bags, clutches and shoes too.
If you like your shoes with a street style, sci-fi-fetish-meets-cyber look, then Rombaut will have shoes that make you stand out from the crowd. Founded by designer Mats Rombaut to combat his own climate anxiety through “ugly shoe” hybrids, the brand offers sneakers and boots adorned with chains, spikes and chunky soles, cowboy sneaker hybrids, vegetable shoe art, lettuce sliders and gender neutral biodegradable sneaker-heels. Collections are comprised of sustainable and cruelty-free materials that are innovative and future-looking, from Econyl regenerated nylon, algae-blended resin, apple and cactus leather, and post-consumer recycled polyester.
From celebrity tattooist and rock singer, vegan and animal activist, Kat Von D, comes Von D Shoes. These vegan shoes bear the hallmark of Von D’s goth-rock style with a bit of glam thrown in, from spider web heels to glitter sprinkled platforms, coffin-shaped patent winkle-pickers and witchy buckle pilgrim shoes. Shoes are handcrafted in Florence. Making cruelty-free rock’n’roll
This luxury veggie fashion brand, founded by sustainable designer, Stella McCartney—a pioneer of ethical fashion— offers gorgeous evening shoes made from plant-based leather and recyclable materials, sneakers, boots and summer espadrilles. If you can walk in them, she's designed them. McCartney also collaborated with Adidas bringing us the first ever vegan version of the brand's iconic Stan Smith sneaker.
Established in 2013, Will’s Vegan Shoes’ strong suit is boots, from classic Chelsea boots, mock-croc rocker boots, knee-highs, hiking, ankle length, riding and tactical boots that look fabulous with an outdoor music festival look. They have great classic styles for work and play for men too. Most of their footwear and accessories are made from Italian bio-based vegan leather made from plants. Collections are manufactured in Italy and Portugal, adhering to EU health and safety and equal pay laws. Yay!
Good Guys Don't Wear Leather is the first 100% vegan shoes company from France. All products are cruelty-free and sweatshop-free, manufactured in Portugal in a fair-trade environment using materials that are eco-friendly and sustainable and Oeko-Tex certified. The brand uses vegan 'leather' and vegan 'suede' with canvas, natural rubber or wood used for the soles. They have just about every style you can think of from cowboy boots, brogues, sandals and some very cool sneakers.