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Sustainable Stomping: 30 Shoe Brands & Collaborations To Know Now
Put your best foot forward with these eco-friendly labels
By | 9 months ago
An ecological genre of style which is oft forgotten, eco-friendly footwear is just as important (if not more so) than the clothes we consider. After all, shoes are a necessity – unless you’re on a beach (lucky you). Read on to find out more about our favourite sustainable shoe brands.
According to The Shoe Industry, more than 20 billion pairs of shoes are manufactured each year, hence it’s more important than ever to think carefully about the products we are purchasing and wearing. Are they created with harmful chemicals? Will they biodegrade? Have they been produced ethically and ecologically? It’s important to ask these questions, and invest in the brands that provide right-minded answers. From Novesta to Penelope Chilvers, we bring you the most sustainable shoe brands to shop now.
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Sustainable Shoe Brands To Know Now
ZIG + STAR
Unisex kids’ footwear label ZIG + STAR works with a paediatric podiatrist to ensure that all of its shoes are comfortable and supportive of growing feet, using durable, non-toxic and biodegradable materials to ensure that they last through all the ups, downs and adventures of childhood. Passionate about circularity, the brand also offers three ‘end of life’ options for unwanted shoes. Parents can either resell via Kidswear Collective (and receive a discount towards their next purchase as a thank you), donate to the charity Sal Shoes or, if not suitable for resale or donation, can recycle with ZIG + STAR directly – with old shoes going on to be used for resurfacing playgrounds.
Allbirds
Eco-friendly shoe brand Allbirds works to be as transparent as possible when it comes to sustainability. Just head to the company website and it’s all laid out for you, from how the brand operates to the materials used and its effective manufacturing process. Advocates for sourcing natural and sustainable materials, the brand champions Regenerative Agriculture and is working towards reducing 100 per cent of on-farm emissions from its wool by December 2025, with the entirety of its wool coming from regenerative sources.
In June 2023, the brand announced that it had created the world’s first net zero carbon shoe – and even published a tool kit to enable the rest of the footwear industry to use its findings to create their own. The high-top M0.0NSHOT has a carbon footprint of net 0.0 kg CO2e, compared to a standard sneaker coming to about 14 kg CO2e based on Allbirds’s calculations, and has been achieved without relying on carbon offsetting. The M0.0NSHOT will be available in spring 2024.
Chloé × Teva
Luxury B Corp label Chloé has teamed up with footwear brand Teva to create a new capsule collection of sandals, perfect for summer. The sandals, which reimagine some of Teva’s most iconic styles with Chloé logos, feature recycled straps and a 50 percent recycled rubber outsole. Teva, which switched all of its webbing to traceable verifiable recycled plastic back in 2020, has since diverted 72.8 million plastic bottles and 68,000 pounds of post-industrial waste from landfills – and its collaboration with Chloé continues its mission to keep things circular.
UGG
Internationally-renowned footwear brand UGG (yes, of the early 2010’s) is back on our radar with its new line of UGG SugarCloud Slides. The slides are the latest addition to the Plant Power line, and is crafted from plant-based, purpose-driven materials like TENCEL Lyocell and recycled polyester. The slides also feature a midsole made from renewable, fast-growing sugarcane and a moulded rubber outsole partly made with recycled rubber.
TOMS
A certified B Corp brand (meaning it has been rigorously externally assessed for its dedication to transparency, people and planet) since 2018, TOMS sits in the top five percent of the community with a score of 121.5. As well as aiming to source all of its cotton sustainably and make at least 80 percent of its packaging from recycled materials by 2025, the brand commits a third of its profits to grassroots campaigns and has been a vocal in supporting mental health and ending gun violence.
FREEDOM MOSES
Specialising in vegan slides in funky colours and patterns, FREEDOM MOSES promises an ethical supply chain (workers must be over 28 and receive a fair wage), cruelty-free designs and biodegradable and compostable packaging. The brand is also very transparent about its processes, with a page on its website dedicated to explaining what it does and breaking down sustainability jargon for its customers.
Balena
While not technically a shoe brand, material science company Balena has been tinkering away since its inception in 2020 to create a compostable and biodegradable thermoplastic material ideal to be used for footwear. The result? A snazzy pair of sustainable slides. The BioCir™ Slides are designed with a fully circular process in mind, with the goal to reduce the amount of toxicm fossil-fueled based materials used in the fashion industry.
Reformation
Pioneering sustainable fashion brand Reformation has spent the past couple of years working hard on its shoe offering. While there are plenty of eco-friendly trainer brands on the market, dress shoes are trickier to produce sustainably – but Reformation has done a stellar job. All styles are made with recyclable materials, and a partnership with Looptworks – currently only available in the US – means customers can use a first-of-its-kind takeback programme to make the process easier.
YY Nation
Launched earlier this year, YY Nation is making waves for its eco-friendly footwear designs, earning itself a zero carbon certification from Ekos™ in the process. Debuting with the Legacy Footwear Collection, the brand has created the world’s lowest carbon footprint trainer: the Nimbo. Materials are sourced locally in New Zealand (using ethically grown, certified and traceable Merino wool), bamboo is OEKE-TEK® certified (meaning it is sourced responsibly from sustainable and ethical growers), and the soles of each shoe are made with algae or sugarcane, which do not emit harmful oil-based chemicals. Learn more about YY Nation here.
BLONDISH
Miami-based luxury footwear brand BLONDISH prioritises comfort and style when it comes to its designs. The brand kicked off AW22 with a new vegan line of shoes – think sandals, boots, stilettos, platforms, sneakers and wedges in neutral colours. Each pair of shoes is made using solvent-free, bio polyurethane materials.
V.GAN
Peta-approved: V.GAN is centred around creating stylish footwear without harming animals or the planet. Its shoes are free of all animal products, they’re made in vegan approved factories, they use zero plastic and glue, recycled packaging and fabrics made entirely from ocean waste. V.GAN proves that you don’t have to sacrifice style to stride sustainably.
Raíz Atelier
The world of sustainable footwear is opening up this year, with Raíz Atelier entering the scene as the new conscious, circular, luxury footwear brand focused on creating the perfect summer wedge. The brand is committed to full transparency, detailing the materials used, where they are sourced from and the people making the products on its sustainability guide. The Haya Tan Wedge, for example, is made using vegetable-tanned leather (crafted in small artisanal family-run tanneries in Tuscany), natural wood from PEFC certified suppliers, eco-tpu rubber and nickel-free light gold hardware. Customers are also encouraged to return their ‘pre-loved’ shoes back to Raíz Atelier to ensure continued circularity.
Aspect
Described as ‘the gold standard in sustainable shoe design’ by conservation consultancy Biodiversify, Aspect’s trainers are plant-based, sustainable and net-positive – not just net-zero. For every pair sold, the brand offsets one tonne in carbon. Stroll in style in the most sustainable trainers on the market.
Waes
As with many climate-conscious brands: the ones that are the most sustainable, don’t often use the term ‘sustainability’ (Patagonia is a big advocate of this). Waes is in this ballpark: instead of a sustainability tab, its credentials are enlisted under materials which is where you can see just how much this brand has stepped up for conscious design. It’s zero plastic, GOTS cotton (that’s Global Organic Textile Standard – the leading certification for organic materials), carbon positive soles, it really does go on. Have a look at the website for more impressive details.
VOYLOK
These shoes are perfect for those seeking comfort with a green conscience. Inspired by traditional Russian valenki, these super sustainable boots are made with just wool and hot water. And since they come with a recyclable rubber overshoe that’s easily slipped on and off – your feet will stay snug whether you’re mooching about the house or popping to the shops.
Woden
You may have heard of vegan leather – but have you come across fish leather? Since the Scandinavian brand launched in 2013, Woden sources the leather as a waste product from the Icelandic fishing and food industry, where typically only one percent of fish skin is actually used. The skin’s unique cross-fibre structure makes it 10 times resilient than calf leather. The collection’s focus is sneakers for women and kids.
Stella McCartney
Fashion-forward and eco-conscious brand Stella McCartney continues to wow with its take on green fashion. The latest addition to its legacy of vegan, sustainable innovations is the Reclypse trainer collection. The trainers bring Stella McCartney one step closer to to sustainability and circularity by blending athleticism with new sustainable materials. Made from a mix of recycled polyester, plant-based and renewable materials, and ECONYL®, the Reclypse collection is one you’ll want to get your hands on if your passion for the planet matches your love for the gym.
INUIKII
Swiss brand INUIKII creates handmade shoes, meaning each pair is unique. All materials used are carefully considered, natural and organic, with minimal waste ensured throughout. The company was founded by Cinzia Maag and her sons, who initially set out to create stylish but practical footwear for the colder months, but the range now includes sandals for warmer weather, too. Available to buy in the UK from Office and Selfridges.
SAYE
Renowned for its vegan and recycled sneakers, SAYE are the perfect fit for those wanting something casual and stylish. Where to start? We suggest the M89 Cactus Collection, a collaboration between SAYE and Desserto Mexico. The sneakers are made using Nopal Cactus, with bamboo lining and organic cotton laces. Another bonus: SAYE has promised to plant two trees for each pair of shoes sold, with over 165,000 planted so far.
Allkind
Since launching in 2020 Allkind have been committed to providing luxury women’s shoes that are still 100 percent vegan. Designed in Britain and crafted in Spain, their shoes not only use vegan but recycled materials. All soles and shoe boxes are entirely recycled, and even their business cards are made from old t-shirts. With five percent of all profits going to PETA and The Rainforest Trust, and a business model that has been carbon negative since day one, these are the perfect shoes for a smaller footprint.
Elliott
Founded in Copenhagen in 2018, Elliott is the world’s first climate-positive shoe brand – which means the business is actually having a positive effect on the environment. The company is a member of the UNFCC climate change initiative, which means a pair of its shoes reverse the carbon footprint with a climate positive offset of 1 tonne of CO2. Customers are also actively encouraged to recycle their shoes at the end of their life in return for 15 percent off their next purchase. There are four main styles to choose from, all unisex, with low classic and high top variations and a minimalist colour palette, made from vegan leather, suede and recycled rubber and canvas.
Penelope Chilvers
Why have regular shoes when you can have Penelope Chilvers shoes – in which the soles are made of old tyres. This is the kind of creative recycling we love to see. In addition, the sustainable shoe brand’s ‘waste not, want not’ motto means zero plastics are used throughout the collections.
Novesta
Dating back to the late 1930s, Novesta knows a thing or two about making high-quality footwear. What’s more, the Slovakian brand is serious about sustainability. Every collection is manufactured ‘according to the highest environmental standards’, crafted with natural rubber and 100 percent cotton and linen. Plus, the brand’s long-established and timeless designs ensure your feet will never be lacking in style – or comfort.
Good News
Good News produce effortlessly cool sneakers. The brand is sustainable from the start of the shoe-making process to after the shoe is no longer wanted. Created with the aim of using a platform to promote a healthy planet, Good News goes to great lengths to ensure its carbon, water and chemical footprint is as low as possible. Each pair of shoes is made with a recycled rubber sole, organic cotton and weave uppers, and a recycled eco-lite footbed. The brand also has a small supply chain to be able to care for each person involved. Finally, Good News will donate deadstock and faulty shoes to refugees in need, as well as the homeless.
Shop them at Dover Street Market
Yatay
Get your hands (or feet) on a pair of these sustainable sneakers. Yatay uses entirely eco-friendly materials – expect them to arrive in a box made of five plastic bottles making its environmental impact approximately 90 percent lower than a traditional shoebox.
Aspiga
Aspiga was launched after founder Lucy Macnamara fell in love with the impressive craftspersonship in Kenya – in particular, the handmade beach sandals. The label practices ethical trading, supports local communities, as well as ensuring the supply chain is small, trustworthy and transparent, using natural fibres to create each piece.
Veja
Veja’s sneakers are everywhere – look around London and it feels like everyone has a pair. This is a national obsession we can get on board with, because the brand is big on transparency. Customers can look into Veja’s supply and production chain and find out all the information they need to know. Plus, the vegan shoes are totally inexpensive for stylish design and well-thought-out materials.
LØCI
Experts in creating 100 percent luxury vegan sneakers, LØCI is on a mission to save our oceans and its inhabitants with its ‘Buy One, Save One’ initiative, in which for every pair of LØCI’s sold, the brand donates 10 per cent of profits towards safeguarding our sea life. The luxury footwear label also partnered with actress Nikki Reed to create a new capsule collection crafted entirely from sustainable materials.
Mercer Amsterdam
The Dutch sneaker brand has been a pioneer in sustainability for nearly 10 years, keen to prove that sustainable alternatives aren’t a compromise for fashion. Mercer’s aim is to be at the forefront of sustainable innovation, showing that standard materials can be interchanged for plant-based, recycled materials, and still be cool.
Rosamund Muir
This made-to-order women’s footwear brand pledges itself to sustainability through a zero waste approach to production. Rosamund Muir is known for its incredible attention to detail and craftsmanship, using these qualities to empower the women wearing their shoes. Their newest collection highlights luxury and hard wearing, but still incorporates the brand’s emphasis on style and fun.
EXPLORE: rosamundmuir.com
Featured image: UGG
