Green Living
12 Best Sustainable & Ethical Boots For Stylish Warmth
When the temperatures drop, boots are a non-negotiable for staying warm, but finding a stylish set of boots doesn’t need to come at such a high cost to the planet. Check out our curation to sustainable and ethical boots doing things better in footwear.
What Are Sustainable and Ethical Boots?
Any time the word “sustainable” or “ethical” is thrown around, you probably want some context. There aren’t standardized definitions for those terms in fashion and different people or media companies interpret them differently. Here’s what it means for us.
Note that this guide includes links that may earn us a commission at no additional cost to you.
Secondhand First
Pre-loved comes in right behind “wearing what you have” on the sustainability priority list. When you make the most of what already exists, you not only keep used footwear out of the landfill (virtually no shoe is truly recyclable) but can also contribute to slowing down fashion production.
Not every secondhand site has footwear, though, so here are our favorite options for finding sustainable boots:
The RealReal
If you’re looking for a quality pair of premium or even designer boots, The RealReal has plenty of options in a range of price points, styles, and quality conditions.
REI Used
For hiking and work boots, take a look at REI’s vast selection of used footwear. The retailer has gently to moderately used shoes from popular hiking brands at a fraction of original retail price.
It is a challenge to find functional footwear built to withstand tough environments that is also sustainable. So shopping used is a great option.
Responsible Production
For this guide, we looked for brands with more ecologically and socially responsible production practices. Does the brand take efforts to ensure workers are treated fairly? How does the brand reduce wastage during production? Do the manufacturing facilities use clean energy? Do they minimize or eliminate air and water pollution? Is the facility local or are the products getting shipped back and forth all over the world?
Not every brand will meet every standard, but we prioritize brands that can check several boxes.
More Sustainable Materials
When it comes to materials, there is quite a controversy in the sustainable footwear space.
Do we choose “vegan leather” that is often partially or fully plastic, and may degrade within a year? Or do we choose long-lasting durable leather that could be contributing to deforestation?
There aren’t easy answers because our options are not great. Alternative leathers have a long way to go when it comes to eliminating plastic and increasing durability. Yet we also cannot ignore leather’s heavy impact and connection to animal exploitation.
For this guide what that means is that we only selected brands with vegan boots that are made with little to no virgin plastic or brands with leather boots that use lower impact leather (recycled or vegetable-tanned) and/or take efforts to ensure the durability of their boots.
Where to Find More Sustainable Boots
1. Thesus
Price: $198+
Conscious Qualities: Vegan, Majority Recycled & Natural Materials
I love my pair of Thesus’ Weekend Boots, and they are by far my most-worn shoes during cooler weather. You rarely find me wearing anything else.
The WOC-owned brand is committed to sustainability, making their vegan boots out of over 95% natural and recycled materials.
Tip: size up if you’re planning to wear thick socks! I was glad I did so that I could wear these shoes hiking even during the snowy winter.
2. NAE
Price: $142+
Conscious Qualities: Vegan, Plant-Based Material Options
Standing for No Animal Exploitation, NAE has all-vegan footwear and accessories made slowly and ethically in Portugal.
NAE’s fall and winter boot collection features a variety of options made from unique footwear fabrics like organic cotton, Piñatex, and rPET.
3. Christy Dawn
Price Range: $358+
Conscious Qualities: Slow Made, Deadstock Leather Option
Christy Dawn’s vintage-inspired Victorian lace-up paddock boots and timeless riding boots are the ultimate sustainable boots for fall. The Dawn Boot and Yoko Boot are handmade by artisans in Guatemala, with each pair requiring up to 14 hours to construct. Talk about slow fashion!
For a non-new leather option, check out the Chelsea Boot, which is made from deadstock leather in Los Angeles.
4. Bohema @ Immaculate Vegan
Price Range: $236+
Conscious Qualities: Vegan, Plant-Based Materials, Renewable Energy-Powered Facility
Bohema is a Polish brand creating sustainable boots from impressive biomaterials like Piñatex® pineapple leaf leather, Desserto® cactus leather, and VEGEA® leather that comes from grape leftovers used in winemaking. From rugged combat styles to chic cowboy boots and everything in between, these vegan boots are every bit as stylish as their leather counterparts.
With a passion for craftsmanship that has been passed down through generations in the brand’s family, Bohema’s collections are handcrafted by the founder’s parents and friendly local family manufacturers. Their shoes are created in a solar-powered facility, where they are only produced through a pre-order model.
5. Nisolo
Price Range: $228+
Conscious Qualities: Fair Trade
Nisolo is a fair trade shoe brand with transparent production practices. They publish the lowest wages across their supply chain.
The ethical shoe brand owns its own factory in Peru, ensuring more than fair wages, healthcare, and safe, healthy working conditions.
6. Sylven New York @ Immaculate Vegan
Price: $425 ($200+ on sale)
Conscious Qualities: Vegan, Plant-Based Materials
Sylven New York is a woman-owned brand creating sophisticated boots that look nothing short of runway-ready creations. The brand’s signature boot style comes in a 70’s inspired silhouette with a square toe front and block heel that’s available in a range of hues. Just add some flare-leg jeans teamed with a bodysuit and you’ll be looking like a modern-day Charlie’s Angel in no time!
The boots are ethically crafted from a combination of apple leather uppers, vegan lining made from renewable plant-based resources, and regenerated rubber soles.
Sylven offers cleaning and repair services to help you extend the life of its boots as well.
7. ALOHAS
Price: $180+
Conscious Qualities: Local Production, On-Demand Model
Crafted in Spain, ALOHAS is a great place to find sustainable boots that’ll add a dash of glamour to your fall closet. Square-tipped or pointed, platform or high-heeled, ankle-length or mid-calf, no matter your preference, you’ll be sure to find a striking pair in a variety of hues to choose from.
Their range of vegan leather boots are made using biomaterials derived from cactus and corn, while the others are crafted out of Leather Working Group Certified Leather. Most of their boots are available on an “on-demand model” which allows them to produce only the amount that has been pre-ordered in order to cut waste. To encourage this, ALOHAS offers 30% off at launch.
8. Coclico @ The Garmentory
Price: $450+ ($210+ on sale)
Conscious Qualities: Artisan-Made, Locally Made
Coclico’s beautiful timeless shoes, including their beautiful ethical boots, are thoughtfully handcrafted by artisans in Mallorca, Spain.
The brand sources its materials, such as cork, wood, and sustainably-sourced leather locally in Europe. The company is also carbon-neutral, purchasing carbon credits to offset emissions.
9. Brother Vellies
Price: $765+
Conscious Qualities: WOC-Owned, Artisan-Made
Brother Vellies is a Black woman-owned brand that was founded by Aurora James in 2013 to celebrate cultural history and keep African practices and techniques alive.
All of Brother Vellies’ shoes are crafted globally by artisans using timeless artisanal crafts.
10. Fortress of Inca
Price: $285+
Conscious Qualities: Artisan-Made, Fair Trade Production
Fortress of Inca works with three Peruvian shoemaker partners with deep experience in leather shoemaking.
The talented shoemakers at each of these workshops craft Fortress of Inca’s high-quality, ethically-made boots with sustainably-sourced leather.
11. Poppy Barley
Price Range: $314+
Conscious Qualities: Artisan-Made, Fair Trade Production
Poppy Barley is a B-Corp Certified ethical luxury brand based in Canada partnering with family-owned factories in Mexico and Brazil that provide sustainable employment opportunities, paying living wages and providing health care and pension benefits, and ensuring fair hours.
The brand is also taking significant steps to continually improve their social and environmental impact, reporting on their progress with annual reports.
12. Virón
Price Range: $228+
Conscious Qualities: Vegan, Recycled & Plant-Baseed Materials
Designed in France and ethically produced in Portugal, Virón’s boots are every bit as sustainable as they are stylish. With their signature lace-ups and chunky platforms in combat boot styles, these shoes will instantly transform you into a cyberpunk warrior on a mission.
To craft their boots, the brand uses a wide range of recycled, upcycled, and bio-based materials like AppleSkin
In an effort to be more circular, Virón has also begun accepting its worn-out boots from its customers so the brand can use the returned pairs as raw material for new Virón soles.
More Conscious Fashion Guides for Cool Weather
Consciously-Made Sweaters to Keep You Cozy
The Best Eco-Friendly and Vegan Shoe Brands
The Best Ethical & Sustainable Coats to Stay Toasty Warm this Winter
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