What Makes Shoes Eco-friendly?
As the world becomes increasingly conscious of the impact of consumerism on the environment, more and more people are seeking out eco-friendly alternatives to their everyday products. One item that can significantly impact both the environment and the people who make it is shoes. From the materials used to make them to how they are produced and disposed of, every aspect of shoe production can have an environmental impact. Fortunately, a growing number of shoe companies are making strides toward creating shoes that are stylish, comfortable, and environmentally sustainable.
Some of our Favourite Eco-Friendly Shoe Brands
All Birds
All Birds is a New Zealand brand looking to reach zero-carbon emissions in all its products. Its products are extremely comfortable and designed with minimalist ideas in mind.
While not 100% vegan, materials like the Merino Wool are guaranteed to come from ethical sources; sheep are treated with animal welfare standards and sustainable land management in mind.
Other materials include TENCEL from sustainable forests in South Africa, sugarcane from Brazil, and recycled post-consumer plastic bottles.
Ahimsa
This small Brazilian company does its best to guarantee that its vast variety of shoes are fully vegan, environmentally sustainable, and ethically manufactured.
You can find formal leather shoes, training sneakers, work boots, sandals, or even high heels at an accessible price. Their designs look very elegant; most people won’t even notice the difference between regular leather shoes and these ones.
The company uses recycled Polyurethane, EVA, and cotton. Their XL ExtraLight patented outsole based on EVA feels incredibly light and comfortable. I really liked that most of the materials used come from recycled industrial waste, tackling a huge problem in the shoe industry.
Bhava
Bhava is a fashion company from New York, keeping in mind that neither animals, workers, the environment, nor you should be harmed in the process. Their shoes are fully vegan, environmentally sustainable, and ethically manufactured.
Unfortunately, they only make stuff for women. However, you can find a wide variety of high heels, winter boots, sandals, and belts manufactured with a thoughtful design.
Most fashion shoes are very uncomfortable, so Bhava does its best to make sure you not only look good but actually enjoy walking around in its products.
Bleed
This very stylish brand from Upper Franconia was born out of the idea of creating clothing and shoes that fit everyone, no matter the size, age, male or female, and with a 100% sustainable approach.
The founder, Michael Spitzbarth, after working ten years in the fashion industry, saw how nature bleeds from the manufacturing of shoes and clothing around the globe. That is why he decided to take this word to name his brand.
Today, Bleed is getting bigger and bigger with an online store with tons of great-looking sustainable products.
Ecoalf
This brand is a certified B Corporation that not only creates incredibly good-looking footwear, clothing, and accessories for males, females, and children but also runs a non-profit organization that works to sensitize communities to the impact of plastic pollution through projects like Upcycling the Oceans.
Other than that, they use the least amount of natural resources to create their products. From plastic bottles to nylon, used tires to even coffee waste, nothing is off limits with these guys.
Fair
This brand from Portugal takes its job of shoe-making as a celebration of respect towards animals, people, and nature. If, by that description, your first thought was that these shoes are vegan, you are 100% right!
All of their collections are animal-free and as sustainable as sustainable can be.
Their overall philosophy is to balance vegan products with quality and design.
Nae
Two words, vegan shoes. What is not to love about stylish vegan shoes? Nowadays, veganism is not strictly linked to the long-haired 70’s hippies we see in Hollywood movies or have heard from our older family members. These days, many vegans have a different sense of style. Believe it or not, vegan shoes are a God’s sent for many people, especially if they look this good.
Native
The people at Native had a very ambitious plan, but doable. They are campaigning for each and every pair of Natives Shoes to be 100% life cycle managed by the year 2023. This is a great initiative to reduce waste and the number of natural resources used for manufacturing their products.
You can find recycled shoe boxes in 5 playgrounds around the United States, or you can also ship your old shoes with UPS to be recycled.
Vegetarian Shoes
Vegetarian Shoes is a well-known brand in the UK. The owner began crafting vegan shoes by hand in 1990 when he found a material that looks like leather. But, it is also breathable, perfect for shoe-making. The word got around about these shoes, and the business began to pick up. They are located in Brighton, and they have an online store with tons of options to choose from.
Veja
Veja is a Brazilian word used for the verb “look” look beyond the basic use of a shoe and pay attention to how it is made.
At Veja, they pay attention to how much the worker is getting paid, how much is the cotton producer getting paid, and what chemicals are being used for manufacturing their products.
Plus, we can’t leave out the fact that the shoes are really nice.
Vivobarefoot
Last but not least, the perfect option for sportspeople out there. Whether you are into running, hiking, or upgrading your casual shoe game, you will find something for yourself. Wondering where the name Vivobarefoot comes from? It comes from the idea of the founders to create shoes that respect life and feels as comfortable as being barefoot but with support and protection. Other than that, these shoes are made with recycled materials.
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