Easily transition-able from brunch to the office to happy hour, a good pair of sustainable flats can be the ultimate versatile footwear in your closet.
Finding a good pair of well-crafted and responsibly-made flats, though, is certainly not as easy as hopping over to the discount shoe store down the street. But that’s why I’ve curated this short and sweet guide to seven brands with well-made, earth-friendly, and ethical flats — including pointy toe, square toe, and Mary Janes — to help you on your hunt for that perfect pair you’ll wear well for years to come.
Note that this guide includes affiliate links. As always, brands featured in shopping guides are brands I love and which meet high standards for sustainability!
1. ALOHAS
Spanish brand Alohas flips the typical fashion system on its head with its “on-demand production” process.
Instead of overproducing tons of shoes to later discount them, ALOHAs newest styles are made available for pre-order at a discount so the footwear brand can more accurately forecast demand. Then the shoes — like their flats — are made locally in Spain and Portugal and new items are 30% off.
Conscious Qualities: On-Demand Production, Locally Made,
Price Range: €126 – €250
2. Rothy’s
Sick of sacrificing comfort to wear beautiful shoes? Rothy’s is the brand you’ve been waiting for. Committed to incredible comfort, Rothy’s signature sustainable material is designed to be instantaneously wearable (i.e. no break-in required)—say bye, bye to those dreaded first-wear blisters.
In my experience, Rothy’s are the most comfortable shoes I’ve ever worn.
Materials: Recycled Materials, TRUE Platinum certified for zero waste production
Price: $129
3. Allbirds
Another eco shoe brand dedicated to comfort, Allbirds’ creates lightweight, super smooth and breathable flats from tree fibers, aptly called “Tree Breezers”. The (washable) shoes are also soft enough to wear without socks.
The Allbirds Tree Breezers are far more comfortable than typical flats, though I find that the Rothy’s rank slightly higher in the comfort category.
Conscious Qualities: Natural materials (FSC-Certified eucalyptus, castor mean oil, sugarcane EVA)
Price: $100
4. Darzah @ Made Trade
Fair trade certified by Fair Trade Federation, Darzah’s ethical flats are entirely hand-embroidered and handcrafted in Palestine from locally sourced leather. The tatreez flats are embroidered by refugee and low-income women artisans with this traditional Palestinian technique.
Conscious Qualities: Sustains Heritage Crafts, Fair Trade Certified
Price: $189 – $209
5. Nisolo
If you’re seeking a quality pair of classic, fair trade flats ideal for your capsule wardrobe, Nisolo has you covered with their award-winning huaraches. The ethical fashion brand’s flats and mules are ethically handmade in Peru by skilled shoemakers. Nisolo also has recently joined ABLE in the Lowest Wage Challenge publishing its lowest wages to spark more transparency in the fashion industry.
I’ve been wearing Nisolo shoes for many years and can attest to their quality and durability.
Conscious Qualities: Fair Trade
Price: $138 – $180
6. ABLE
A true ethical fashion innovator, ABLE continually pushes for more transparent fashion production practices. One of the most recent initiatives from the brand is their Lowest Wage Challenge, where they’re publishing the lowest wages in their supply chain.
I visited the brand’s Nashville headquarters and jewelry workshop and it was pretty incredible getting a glimpse inside the brand’s day-to-day operations and vision for the future.
Conscious Qualities: Fair Trade
Price: $115 – $128
7. The RealReal (Resale)
The RealReal sells designer shoes at a fraction of the cost, enabling shoppers to find quality shoes for less. Depending on your priorities you can find shoes in anywhere from pristine condition (least discount) to “fair” or “as is” (biggest discount).
Conscious Qualities: Secondhand
Price Range: $9 – $2000+ (resale means a wide range of prices!)
You May Also Want to Check Out:
The Best Affordable Ethical Fashion Brands
14 Eco-Friendly and Vegan Shoe Brands
15 Brands with Ethical Boots to Rock this Fall (and Beyond)
The post 7 Brands with Ethical & Sustainable Flats To Take You From Day to Night appeared first on Conscious Life & Style.
7 Brands with Ethical & Sustainable Flats To Take You From Day to Night
There’s something undeniably special about wearing uniquely handcrafted, fair trade jewelry that you can know was made slowly and thoughtfully with care. Equally special is wearing an elevated set of jewelry crafted with recycled materials and sustainable processes.
Whether you’re looking for an investment piece or more affordable pieces, there are options for any budget on this list. The aesthetics of these fair trade and sustainable jewelry brands also vary, so you’ll also be able to discover an ethical brand that matches your unique style.
What is Fair Trade Jewelry?
Fair trade can both be a general term used to describe a brand’s sourcing practices — like direct relationships with artisan cooperatives, wages above local standard rates, and safe working conditions — or a third-party “Fair Trade” verification through an organization like Fair Trade Federation, Fair Trade USA, or World Fair Trade Organization. When a brand doesn’t have a certification, we verify a brand’s practices by their own published information.
In the cases where brands do go the extra mile and get a third-party verification for their fair trade practices, we’ve noted it directly in their entries.
Note that this guide includes affiliate links and partners. As always, we only feature brands that meet high standards for responsibility we love, and that we think you’ll love too!
2. Ana Luisa
Best for: affordable everyday jewelry
Conscious Qualities: Recycled Gold, Lab-Grown Diamonds, Small-Batch Production, Direct-to-Consumer
Ana Luisa creates stunning, elegant jewelry from responsibly-sourced materials including 100% recycled gold and lab-grown diamonds. The sustainable jewelry brand also produces in small batches to minimize waste.
By using a direct-to-consumer model, Ana Luisa is able to provide luxury, high-quality jewelry at accessible prices.
3. Monica Vinader
Best for: recycled demi-fine jewelry
Conscious Qualities: Woman-Founded, Recycled Silver & Gold Vermeil, Traceable Gemstones, Lab-Grown & Conflict-Free Diamonds, Supply Chain Transparency
Price Range: $85 (studs) – $2,495 (diamond ring)
British jewelry brand Monica Vinader was one of the first brands to meet the gap between fashion jewelry and fine jewelry with their “demi fine” jewelry. The women-founded brand has necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and rings crafted from 100% recycled sterling silver and gold vermeil, fully traceable gemstones, and lab-grown or conflict-free diamonds. Monica Vinader also launched Product Passports, taking an active effort towards full supply chain transparency.
4. WorldFinds
Best for: unique statement jewelry with a story
Conscious Qualities: Fair Trade Verified, Upcycled Materials, Artisan-Made
WorldFinds provides sustainable employment and just wages for hundreds of women artisans in India and Bali. These artisans handcraft both sleek metal fair trade jewelry and unique recycled Kantha pieces. WorldFinds is Verified by the Fair Trade Federation, which assesses members against fair trade principles including fair wages, safe conditions, and transparent supply chains.
Plus WorldFinds’ signature Kantha jewelry is made from upcycling materials: wood scraps from a furniture factory and locally sourced Kantha fabric remnants.
5. Astor + Orion
Best for: drop earrings and charm necklaces with symbolism
Conscious Qualities: Certified Ethical Factory, Recycled Materials, Designed for Recyclability, Repair Program
Ethical jewelry brand Astor + Orion sources their jewelry from a factory with multiple certifications ensuring worker safety, fair production practices, and responsible environmental management. Astor + Orion’s stunning jewelry is made from recycled materials and designed in a way to make it easily recyclable! Their pieces also come with a quality assurance — the brand will repair any piece within 6 months of purchase.
6. Laura Elizabeth
Best for: non-toxic jewelry in organic shapes
Conscious Qualities: Locally Sourced Recycled Metals, Woman-Owned, Fair Wages, Safe Working Conditions
Price Range: $45 – $330
Crafted from recycled metals sourced locally in LA, Laura Elizabeth creates stand-out sustainable jewelry. All of the brand’s jewelry is sourced ethically from a small, woman-owned studio in Los Angeles that ensures reasonable working hours (35 hr/week), fair wages, and safe working conditions (such as proper ventilation). Check out more on Laura Elizabeth in this post!
The jewelry is also non-toxic, free of cadmium or lead.
7. Ten Thousand Villages
Best for: giftable fair trade jewelry
Conscious Qualities: Fair Trade Production, Artisan-Made
Price Range: $6 – $175
Founded in 1946, Ten Thousand Villages is one of the fair trade pioneers and a founding member of the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO), the global network that verifies fair trade practices across its member organizations.
They’ve developed relationships with artisans around the world, providing valuable economic opportunities for thousands of makers in 30 countries around the world. Their marketplace has handmade necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and rings, along with a variety of other fair trade goods.
8. Edge of Ember
Best for: gemstone jewelry
Conscious Qualities: Recycled Gold & Silver, Artisan-Made, Ethical Production
Price Range: $49 (ear cuff) – $2,730 (diamond tennis bracelet)
Edge of Ember’s timeless jewelry is responsibly crafted by makers working in artisan groups and small-scale factories. Their delicate necklaces, bracelets, rings, and other pieces are crafted by skilled artisans in India, Hong Kong, Germany, and Thailand. The brand carries out independent social audits to ensure ethical working conditions and environmental responsibility.
Edge of Ember has a wide selection of recycled gold and silver rings, bracelets, and necklaces adorned with stunning gemstones, including many birthstone jewelry options perfect for gifting.
9. Aurate
Best for: ethical diamond fine jewelry
Conscious Qualities: 100% Recycled Gold, Lab-Grown & Conflict-Free Diamonds, Vintage Collection
Price Range: $18 (stainless steel chain) – $19,000 (diamond tennis necklace)
Responsibly-sourced quality jewelry — that’s Aurate’s promise. The jewelry brand’s sleek, timeless pieces are thoughtfully made by seventh-generation craftspeople using 100% recycled gold and lab-grown or conflict-free diamonds.
Aurate also has a curated collection of vintage fine jewelry from cocktail watches to signet rings up to 50% off.
10. SOKO
Best for: modern, minimalist artisan-made jewelry
Conscious Qualities: Above-Market Artisan Wages, Black-Owned
Price Range: $78 – $298
SOKO is an innovative Black-owned ethical jewelry brand using mobile tools to bridge the barriers for artisan entrepreneurs in Kenya. In partnership with SOKO, independent artisans can operate a “virtual factory”, earning 5x more than an average artisan workshop in their local areas.
The jewelry is made with 24K gold or silver-plated brass — an affordable metal that also happens to consist of 90% recycled content on average. Other materials include reclaimed horn and bone, locally-sourced teak wood offcuts, and ceramic beads made by a fair trade women’s collective in Kenya.
10. Raven + Lily
Best for: affordable artisan jewelry
Conscious Qualities: Fair Trade Verified, Artisan-Made, Women-Led
Price Range: $40 – $240
Raven + Lily is an ethical fashion and jewelry brand verified Fair Trade by the Fair Trade Federation. The women-led brand partners with artisan women around the world who use natural materials to craft both classic, elegant pieces and statement jewelry.
11. NAKIIT
Best for: one-of-a-kind, solo-handcrafted pieces
Conscious Qualities: Made-to-Order, Recycled Silver & Gold, Zero-Waste Scrap Recycling
Price Range: $21 – $485
As a small, slow-minded jewelry brand, NAKIIT’s founder + owner handcrafts each piece with intention. In fact, every piece of jewelry the brand sells is made by the founder herself!
Nearly all of NAKIIT’s ethically-made jewelry is either made-to-order or one-of-a-kind, ensuring a minimal ecological impact and the highest attention to quality.
As if we could love this brand even more, NAKIIT also sources recycled sterling silver and gold, plus recycles any remaining metal scraps or dust after production.
