Slip into style this season with a pair of sustainable and ethical sandals from one of these conscious brands.
This sustainable sandal guide has any type of footwear you need for warmer weather! Think eco-friendly vegan sandals, recycled and natural rubber flip flops, fair trade slides, and ethical walking sandals.
What Are (More) Sustainable Sandals?
Oof. The word “sustainable” is a bit of a loaded term that comes with a lot of confusion and difference of opinions! I actually try to stay away from using the word sustainable when it comes to products, since pretty much no product is sustainable, even if it was made with some lower impact and eco-minded processes. But that’s the language most people use, and I want this content to be accessible and discoverable.
With that said, here are some sustainability criterion you’ll want to look for when it comes to footwear like sandals:
Quality and Materials
Footwear is probably the hardest category in fashion to find eco-friendly materials for, because shoes require considerable functionality and durability. Virtually no footwear right now is recyclable (with the exception of a few brands). So durability is even more important for shoes than clothing when it comes to sustainability.
Buying less (which usually requires buying more durable, longer-lasting goods) is a key part of sustainability. This is why I’ve included vegetable-tanned leather sandals, despite some very valid concerns about the sustainability of leather. Good quality leather is long-lasting, durable, and importantly, more repairable.
I have also included plant-based vegan leather alternatives. Most of these do still contain a percentage of synthetic materials. I am a vegetarian myself so buying leather doesn’t quite sit right with me, and I do like to see more alternatives coming to the market since “vegan leather” right now typically means pleather (i.e. plastic). In addition to being made with fossil fuels, many plastic vegan leather items I own haven’t lasted. They’ve simply shedded off after a year or two of wear! Disappointing to say the least.
Personally, I prioritize upcycled leather and secondhand leather so I can get the best of both worlds with durability, sustainability, and animal welfare. However, you might feel uncomfortable buying used shoes, and I totally understand that!
Ethical Production
Way too often, we see workers left out of the sustainability equation. But safe conditions and fair wages are absolutely necessary in a truly sustainable fashion future. People are part of the planet too! So you’ll see next to the Conscious Qualities section by each brand, I’ve added which brands are going above and beyond to ensure supply chain transparency and fair production.
Other Sustainable Practices
Some other sustainability-minded supply chain practices might include:
- Use of renewable energy at manufacturing facilities and throughout the supply chain
- Take-back and resale program
- Repairability of products
- Recycled and biodegradable packaging
Where to Find Sustainable and Ethical Sandals
Without further ado, let’s get onto the brand list! Each brand features a description, a breakdown of their sustainability highlights (called “Conscious Qualities), and a price range key, so you have an idea of which brands fit your budget for your ethical and eco-friendly sandals.
One note on the budget front: don’t forget to consider cost per wear! This is the total cost divided by the number of times you wear an item. If you’re buying a quality pair of sandals that’ll be your go-to shoes for many summers to come, you could be wearing them 300+ times!
Price Range Key: $ = Under $100 | $$ = $100 – $200 | $$$ = $200+
This article features affiliates and partners. As always, we only feature brands that meet high standards for sustainability that we love — and that we think you’ll love too!
1. Nisolo
Nisolo is a B-Corporation is an ethical shoe brand committed to paying living wages across their supply chain. The brand also launched a Sustainability Facts Label, modeled after the nutrition facts label for food products. And Nisolo has shoe reclamation + donation program. NIsolo’s shoes are made from high-quality Leather Working Group-certified leather.
Conscious Qualities: Pays Living Wages, Shoe Reclamation and Donations
Price Range: $ – $$
2. Christy Dawn
Christy Dawn creates swoon-worthy sustainable clothing and accessories — including their elegant recycled leather sandals. The brand’s signature sandal is designed for functionality and versatility. Simple enough to wear for casual outings while elevated enough to rock to weddings and other special occasions.
Conscious Qualities: Recycled Leather, Ethical Production
Price Range: $$
3. 1 People
1 People has sustainable flat sandals as well as block open-toe heels. Their chic sandals are crafted with Global Organic Textile Standard-certified dyed Piñatex® (pineapple leather) or VEGEA (grape leather) for their uppers and Global Recycled Standard-certified Eco Suede for the linings. The block heels are made from Tung Oil-treated and responsibly-harvested teak wood. Even the 1 People logo plate is made from recycled brass!
Conscious Qualities: Vegan, Recycled & Natural Materials, Supply Chain Transparency
Price Range: $$-$$$
4. Good Guys
Looking for a sustainable alternative to Birkenstocks? Look no further than Good Guys! This vegan brand has buckled slide-ons and cross strap sandals made with materials like Appleskin (a vegan leather alternative made partially from apple waste), cork, and even linings made with corn. The sustainable slides are made by artisans in Spain and are skillfully crafted with arch support too.
Conscious Qualities: Vegan, Recycled & Natural Materials, Artisan-Made in Spain
Price Range: $$
5. Rothy’s
The shoe brand that made waves with their ultra comfy recycled flats has a gorgeous selection of sandals, too.
Rothy’s uses recycled plastic bottles for their footwear. While I’m typically not a fan of using recycled plastic in fashion, it can make sense in footwear which necessitates durability (and shoes aren’t as prone to releasing microplastics compared with commonly washed textiles).
Conscious Qualities: Vegan, Recycled Materials, TRUE Platinum certified for zero waste practices
Price Range: $ – $$
6. ABLE
ABLE is an ethical shoe brand taking transparency to a new level with their Lowest Wage Challenge, where they publish not just their average, but their lowest wages — and challenge other brands to do the same. I actually visited ABLE’s headquarters in Nashville and really admire what they’re doing in this industry! I do wish they had more environmental sustainability initiatives, though.
Conscious Qualities: Ethical Production, Supply Chain Transparency
Price Range: $ – $$
7. CANO
CANO is a fair trade shoe brand with durable, vegetable-tanned leather sandals. Each pair is crafted using certified chromium-free leather, rubber crepe for the soles, and upcycled airplane tires for the outsoles. The brand’s shoes are handmade in by artisans who work in family-owned shoe manufacturing facilities in Mexico. The artisans earn fair wages, work in safe conditions, and do not work shifts longer than 8 hours.
Qualities: Fair Trade, Vegetable Tanned Leather
Price Range: $
8. Brother Vellies
Brother Vellies is a Black-owned sustainable accessories brand founded by Aurora James with the goal of celebrating and sustaining traditional African artisan techniques. The brand now sources from artisans around the world who create timeless, quality shoes from conscious materials like vegetable-tanned leathers, recycled tires, hand-carved wood, and natural dyes.
Conscious Qualities: Artisan-Made, BIPOC-Owned, Vegetable-Tanned Leather (not clear if all leather is veg-tanned)
Price Range: $$$ – $$$+
9. Deux Mains
Featured in the likes of Vogue, InStyle, Marie Claire, Deux Mains is a stylishly sustainable brand with ethical sandals and accessories using locally sourced and upcycled materials. Deux Mains pays their artisan partners fair wages and is working to preserve the local craftsmanship in the areas they work.
The conscious sandals are made in a solar-powered factory using upcycled tire soles and inner tubes and leather. The type of leather used in the sandals is not specified if it’s vegetable-tanned or chrome-tanned, though.
Conscious Qualities: Fair Trade, Some Upcycled Materials
Price Range: $
10. Indosole
Indosole creates vegan flip flops from recycled tires, which helps reduce the 1.5 billion tires that end up in the landfill each year while also avoiding the production of new resources. For the uppers of the flip flops, Indosole uses organic canvas, banana leaves, and grass. The B-Corporation pretty much checks the box for every value: sustainable, ethically-made, and vegan! And compared to many other conscious shoe brands, the prices are affordable too.
Conscious Qualities: Ethical Production, Recycled Materials, Vegan
Price Range: $
11. NAE Vegan
Nae is a vegan shoe brand producing sustainable sandals from natural materials like cork and piñatex (faux leather made from discarded pineapple leaves) and recycled materials, such as rubber from car tires. When browsing their selections, note that there are also some synthetic materials used such as OEKO-TEX Certified microsuede which aren’t as ideal.
Conscious Qualities: Vegan, Plant-Based and Recycled Options
Price Range: $ – $$
Bonus! ThredUp (Secondhand)
ThredUp is the ultimate online destination for thrifted fashion — shoes included. You can sort by size, color, and price range among many other filters to find a pair that suits you. I know that not everyone feels comfortable wearing pre-worn sandals, but ThredUp also has some options with tags still on them so it may still be worth browsing through even if you would prefer a pair of sandals that haven’t been worn before.
Conscious Qualities: Sustainable
Price Range: $ – $$
Explore ThredUp’s Secondhand Sandals
You May Also Want to Check Out:
14 Ethical, Eco & Vegan Shoe Brands
Sustainably Handmade Sandals and Slides from Salt + Umber
7 Brands with Sustainable and Ethical Flats
The post 11 Ethical and Sustainable Sandals Brands For Carefree Summer Days appeared first on Conscious Life & Style.
11 Ethical and Sustainable Sandals Brands For Carefree Summer Days
Just like fashion has been overrun by fast fashion, home goods and furniture have similarly seen a rapid decline in quality. Rugs are no exception.
And similar to fashion, these cheap goods come at a high cost — namely, to the planet and to people. In fact carpet and rug production is rampant with exploitation.
On the other hand, fair trade rugs present the best of what a rug can bring to your home: artistry, craftsmanship, and heritage.
The brands featured in this guide are partnering with (and fairly paying!) skilled artisans who are using generations-old — and sometimes even centuries-old — techniques. These artisans are sustaining long lines of crafts, preserving their cultural diversity, and celebrating the richness of their time-honored crafts.
There’s simply no replacement for a timeless, quality artisan-made rug — they’re like pieces of art you can lay out on your floor or hang on your walls.
So, enjoy browsing through this guide to sustainable rug brands listed out below and best of luck on your search for the right fair trade rug!
Where to Find Ethical and Fair Trade Rugs
Note that this guide includes affiliates and partners. As always, brands must meet high standards for ethics and sustainability to be featured and all opinions are my own.
1. Obakki
Best for: warm-hued handwoven wool rugs
Categories: Area Rugs, Runners, Accent Rugs
Obakki partners with artisan weavers primarily in Oaxaca, Mexico — including individual makers like José — who hand-dyes and weaves rugs on a traditional pedal loom using locally sourced sheep’s wool and natural dyes derived from native plants. The brand also works with Rrres Design Studio, a Latin American studio dedicated to preserving traditional Oaxacan weaving techniques, and sources handwoven textiles from artisan communities beyond Mexico as well, including Morocco.
Each rug is made from 100% wool with no synthetic dyes or backing. Most pieces are made-to-order with a 4-8 week production window, shipped directly from the artisan partners.
Price Range: $460 – $4,159
Conscious Qualities: Natural Fibers, Natural Dyes, Craft Preservation
2. Kiliim
Best for: modern wool kilim rugs
Categories: Area Rugs, Accent Rugs
If you’re well-versed in rug terminology, you may recognize that this brand’s name looks similar to the word kilim.
Kiliim’s rug are made using authentic kilim rug craftsmanship by artisans in Egypt coming from generations of kilim artisans. To ensure ethical production and to support the preservation of this heritage craft, Kiliim pays living wages to all artisans.
Price Range: $95 – $4,812
Conscious Qualities: Ethical Production, Heritage Craft Preservation, Natural Fibers
3. Urban Natural
Best for: browsing fair trade rugs in lots of styles and sizes
Categories: Outdoor, Area Rugs, and Accent Rugs
This natural home and lifestyle retailer has a beautifully curated selection of sustainably-made rugs crafted with materials like jute, sisal, wool, and cotton.
Several brands on Urban Natural are also ethically hand-loomed or hand-knotted, such as Loloi — a GoodWeave partner — and Jaipur Living — a brand that partners with thousands of local artisans to sustain heritage crafts.
Price Range: $259 – $9,755
Conscious Qualities: Eco-Conscious Materials
4. LOOMY
Best for: pet-friendly and performance rugs
Categories: Area Rugs, Accent Rugs, Runners, Outdoor Rugs
Founded by a weaver, LOOMY is dedicated to crafting beautiful artisan-made rugs that will last for decades to come.
LOOMY partners with highly-skilled artisan weavers who craft quality rugs made from eco-minded materials like banana silk, jute, and recycled cotton, plus performance options made from 100% recycled polyester built to withstand whatever life brings you.
Price Range: $298 – $8,298
Conscious Qualities: Natural Fibers, Craft Preservation, Vintage Options
5. West Elm
Best for: fair trade rugs in on-trend mainstream styles
Categories: Area Rugs, Accent Rugs
West Elm is bringing ethical rugs to a broader market with their collection of Fair Trade Certified
wool and cotton rugs. While I recommend browsing the smaller shops listed above first, West Elm is supporting the movement to responsibly-made, fair trade rugs.
Price Range: $$$
Conscious Qualities: Fair Trade production, Majority Natural Materials
6. Jubi
Best for: Modern rugs in vibrant prints
Categories: Accent Rugs, Circle Rugs, Runners
Jubi is a Brooklyn studio founded by textile designer Cassie Dagostino. Every rug is handmade from New Zealand wool by fourth-generation weaving families in Bhadohi, India using traditional techniques. Each rug is made-to-order, meaning no excess stock. Since everything is made to order, expect between 3 and 7 weeks for your rug, depending on the technique used.
Conscious Qualities: Pays Above Market Rates, 100% Wool, Made-to-Order
Price Range: $228 – $668
Shipping: Free worldwide shipping
