Published

2 years ago

April 30, 2024

Alice Rush

Last Updated on April 30, 2024

Are you on the hunt for the perfect vegan shoes? There are many brands that are starting to create vegan footwear, but not all of them are created equal.

For example, brands that use virgin plastic in their footwear can technically claim it’s “vegan.” The same goes for most faux leather that claims to be vegan – it’s typically just virgin plastic.

The Best Vegan Shoes: 8 Brands Making Cruelty-Free Footwear

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links; for more information please see my disclosure policy.

Virgin plastic may not be derived from animals, per say, but its manufacturing is directly linked to the climate crisis.

To make virgin plastic, crude oil must be extracted from the earth via fracking. Then through an energy intensive process, usually done in a fossil fuel powered factory, it is transformed into virgin plastic. All of this emits carbon (CO2), which is a greenhouse gas that exacerbates climate change.

So, what’s the solution? Looking into vegan shoes that have a low carbon footprint. That can mean they’re made with sustainable and recycled materials, built to last, and/or are designed in a low waste manner.

Thankfully, many brands are starting to embrace ethical and sustainable shoemaking practices that also include vegan options. Here are the best brands making vegan shoes with a small carbon footprint.

what is a vegan shoe?

A vegan shoe is footwear that’s made without any animal-derived materials, like silk, leather, wool or suede. Essentially, no animals were harmed in the making of the shoe.

Instead, vegan shoes can be made from:

Bio-based materials like corn, bamboo, mushroom, apple or pineapple fibers
Synthetic materials like recycled plastics, rubber, canvas, microfibers

Just be mindful that many companies will also use vegan leather, which is most often made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or polyurethane. Both materials are made from fossil fuels and take many centuries to break down.

However, there are many companies coming out with innovative vegan leather options made from pineapple, cactus, mushroom and apple skins too. These plant-based leathers are made from juice industry waste or waste from farming. Several of the brands listed below utilize these materials.

You’ll also want to avoid brands trying to greenwash you by using the label “vegan” as a marketing tactic. This label alone does not make it sustainable.

Is the brand being transparent about their materials and production practices? Look into their eco-friendly initiatives and see what they’re pursuing, such as offering a take-back program or planting trees with every purchase.

Here’s a general overview of what to look for in vegan shoes to ensure they’re kind to planet + people:

Made from sustainable, innovative materials (aka, not virgin plastic)
Ethical manufacturing: Brands paying fair wages + providing safe working environments
Thoughtful packaging that’s not excessively wasteful
Timeless designs that can be paired with any of your wardrobe pieces
Repairability + durability – can it easily be repaired by a shoe cobbler?
Thoughtful craftsmanship: Every component of the shoe was carefully considered

are vegan shoes better?

It’s important to remember that “vegan shoes” are not more environmentally friendly by default, simply because they’re vegan. Rather, what matters is looking at the entire shoe as a whole.

There is some debate on the environmental impact of synthetic leathers (like PVCs) versus leather production. Both have an impact on our environment.

For example, the impact of real leather is driven by land use and greenhouse gas emissions associated with animal agriculture. This impacts biodiversity, water usage and climate change.

But the plastic industry also has a heavy carbon footprint. Plastic takes hundreds of years to biodegrade and during that time, they shed microplastics which have been found in human feces, blood and even placentas.

So, which is better? Well, neither is ideal. Because vegan leather made from plants (like apples, cactus, and pineapple) certainly outranks both plastic leather and real leather combined. This kind of leather is made from a waste product, which lowers its impact even further.

However, remember this: The shoe you already have is the most sustainable option, be it vegan or not. The materials and resources needed to make that shoe have already been expended, so you might as well put it to use.

Another great option is to find vegan shoes secondhand at a local thrift store or vintage store. Here are the best online marketplaces for thrifted and vintage finds. You’ll give shoes a second chance at life and avoid sending them to the landfill.

how to tell if a shoe is vegan?

You can tell if a shoe is vegan by looking at their materials, which are usually listed on their website or on the shoebox.

Vegan materials can include, but are not limited to:

Cotton
Hemp
Cactus, apple, pineapple + mushroom leather
Cork
Recycled plastic

Just be mindful of labels like “vegan leather” or “pleather”, as this could just mean virgin plastic. Make sure to double check and see what their vegan leather is made of before committing.

Here are some non-vegan materials:

Leather
Wool
Suede
Fur
Silk

how long do vegan shoes last?

How long vegan shoes last is variable: This depends on how high quality the shoe is, how often you wear it, and what conditions you wear it in.

For example, if you wear your favorite vegan shoes every day, rain or shine, chances are they will diminish in quality a lot faster than saving them for special occasions.

However, a good high quality pair of vegan shoes can last for several years, even with repeat use. If they are repairable, you may be able to extend their lifespan even further.

gzw approved vegan shoe options

I’ve rounded up a list of brands that create vegan shoes: All of these get the Going Zero Waste seal of approval. Some of these brands are exclusively vegan, whereas others offer a varying array of vegan options.

All the brands on this list utilize different strategies to ensure their materials are sustainable and ethical. There are several brands that also offer take-back programs, which help close the loop and ensure your shoes get recycled at the end of their life.

I’ve gone ahead and highlighted some key features of each brand, but it isn’t an exhaustive list. Be sure to check out their websites for more information.

1. cariuma

Women + men’s footwear
65% of products are 100% vegan
Sustainable materials like organic cotton, recycled PET and natural rubber
Support fair working hours + wages
Focus on biodiverse reforestation: Plant 2 trees for every pair of shoes purchased

2. rothy’s

Women + men’s footwear
Vegan + cruelty-free
Made from recycled water bottles with natural and renewable soles
Offers a recycling program

3. suavs

Women + men’s footwear
Vegan
Made from sustainable materials like 100% post-consumer recycled plastics
Compact and reusable shoe boxes that double as shipping boxes
Excess product is donated to organizations like Soles4Souls

4. alohas

Women’s footwear
Multiple vegan shoe options available
Locally produced in Spain
Carbon offset option
On-demand shopping to avoid overproduction

5. kengos

Women + men’s footwear
Various vegan options
Made from innovative materials like mushroom leather + cactus leather
Created with only 6 components
No petroleum-based adhesives used
Recycled cardboard packaging

6. nae shoes

Women, men + unisex footwear
Vegan + cruelty-free
Made from sustainable materials like Pinatex, apple skin, cork, organic cotton, etc.
Pre-loved program allows you to send back your shoes to be recycled or resold

7. clae

Women + men’s sneakers
Vegan options available
Made with cactus and apple leather, recycled materials, etc.

8. ground cover

Unisex shoes
Vegan + cruelty-free
Made with cactus + pineapple leather
Non-virgin inputs for both the insole and sole: cork + coffee ground waste
Packaged in a post-consumer cardboard shoebox

So, which of these sustainable vegan shoes would you try? Let me know in the comments!

The post The Best Vegan Shoes: 8 Brands Making Cruelty-Free Footwear appeared first on Going Zero Waste.

The Best Vegan Shoes: 8 Brands Making Cruelty-Free Footwear

Green Living

Earth911 Inspiration: Time Is but the Stream

Published

1 day ago

February 27, 2026

Alice Rush

Thoreau wrote in Walden that “Time is but the stream I go a-fishing in,” which reminds us that life is short and nature fills it beautifully. What are you looking for that can’t be found during an afternoon in nature?

Earth911 inspirations. Post them, share your desire to help people think of the planet first, every day. Click the poster to get a larger image.

The post Earth911 Inspiration: Time Is but the Stream appeared first on Earth911.

https://earth911.com/inspire/earth911-inspiration-time-is-but-the-stream/

Green Living

Classic Sustainability In Your Ear: The Ocean River Institute’s Natural Lawn Challenge for Climate Action

Published

3 days ago

February 25, 2026

Alice Rush

Turn back the clock with this classic interview that will get you ready for Spring yard care planning. A lawn may be beautiful but it can take a heavy toll on the environment, accounting for between 30% and 60% of residential water use in the United States. Rob Moir, Ph.D., is president and executive director of the Ocean River Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts. ORI works with residential lawn owners to heal damaged ecosystems by restoring coastal areas to lessen the destructive impacts of climate change. The benefits of a natural lawn reach far beyond reduced local water pollution, eliminating chemicals that can contribute to cancers, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and other cellular diseases. Natural lawns are also better for local pollinators and store much more carbon than heavily fertilized lawns. If you considered removing your lawn to play a part in the battle against climate change, this interview may change your mind — a healthy lawn is a powerful carbon sink.

Rob Moir, Ph.D., president and executive director of the Ocean River Institute, is our guest on *Sustainability in Your Ear*.

The Ocean River Institute is recruiting Massachusetts communities, town by town, to take a pledge to follow natural lawn practices in the Healthy Soils for Climate Restoration Challenge. You don’t need to live in Massachusetts to participate and learn about the alternatives to the traditional, chemical-intensive lawn practices that use Roundup, a source of glyphosates that kills soil-dwelling fungi and local pollinators, and fast-acting nitrogen fertilizers. You can learn more about the Ocean River Institute at www.oceanriver.org.

Rob has contributed many articles about climate change and the history of environmental change since this interview, including:

Subscribe to Sustainability in Your Ear on iTunes and Apple Podcasts.
Follow Sustainability in Your Ear on Spreaker, iHeartRadio, or YouTube

Editor’s Note: This episode originally aired on May 30, 2022.

The post Classic Sustainability In Your Ear: The Ocean River Institute’s Natural Lawn Challenge for Climate Action appeared first on Earth911.

https://earth911.com/podcast/earth911-podcast-the-ocean-river-institutes-natural-lawn-challenge-for-climate-action/

Green Living

7 Best Sustainable Wedding Dresses for Your Special Day

Published

5 days ago

February 23, 2026

Alice Rush

Choosing your perfect gown can be one of the most exciting decisions for your special day, but for the eco fashionista, it can be a challenge to find a dress that fits your values and style — but these brands have exceptional sustainable wedding dresses you’ll swoon over!

Using earth-minded materials like hemp, cruelty-free peace silk, deadstock recycled fabrics and vintage lace, and producing consciously, either in small batches or handcrafting each individual piece made-to-order, the brands below meet high standards for transparency, ecological sustainability, and fair labor.

[For more sustainable wedding dresses, check out this guide to secondhand wedding dress sites!]

Note that the guide contains affiliate links. As always, we only feature brands that meet strict criteria for sustainability we love, that we think you’ll love too!

1. Christy Dawn

sustainable wedding dresses from Christy Dawn

Dreamy dress brand Christy Dawn does not disappoint with their romantic bridal collection! Each piece is more swoon-worthy than the next.

Their three sustainable bridal gowns are made from regenerative silk charmeuse —sourced through BOMBYX, an innovative silk producer using best practices — and colored in a beautiful pearl silk with non-toxic dyes. Each dress is ethically cut and sewn by makers in Los Angeles earning living wages, as with the rest of Christy Dawn’s collections.

The Britta Dress and Fitzgerald Dress are 1920s inspired while the Athena Dress is a more modern (but equally romantic) option. All of these dresses are made-to-order with an estimated timeline of 4 weeks.

Conscious Qualities: Regenerative silk and organic non-toxic dyes, ethically made-to-order in Los Angeles

Price Range: $2,500 – $3,000

Size Range: XS – XL

Check Out Christy Dawn Bridal

2. Pure Magnolia

Classic sustainable wedding dresses from Pure Magnolia

Blending the traditional with the modern, Pure Magnolia designs classic-inspired sustainable wedding dresses with contemporary touches. And each dress is made in their Canadian studio by seamstresses earning fair wages from eco-fabrics, such as organic cotton and hemp silk.

The brand sources recycled fabrics whenever possible as well, and recycles their scrap fabric through FABCYCLE.

Conscious Qualities: Eco-friendly fabrics, locally and fairly made, recycles scrap fabrics

Price Range: $845 – $3,300 CAD

Size Range: 0 – 28

Check Out Pure Magnolia

3. Lost in Paris

Bohemian-inspired gowns ethically made by Lost in Paris

Lost in Paris crafts each of their creatively designed bohemian-inspired gowns ethically in their Sydney, Australia studio. Unconventional yet undeniably striking, Lost in Paris’ dresses are made from vintage lace and cotton.

Investing in a dress from Lost in Paris is seamless — the brand offers at-home sample try-ons, offers train and sleeve adjustments on several styles, ships their dresses worldwide for free, and even accepts returns. Oh, and, if one of their ready-made sizes doesn’t work for you, you can get a dress designed to your measurements.

Conscious Qualities: Made-to-order model, uses vintage lace, locally made

Price Range: $950 – $3900 AUD

Size Range: XXS – XXL + custom sizing options

Check Out Lost in Paris

For More Slow Fashion Content:

4. Wear Your Love

Ethical wedding dresses made with organic cotton from wear your love

Wear Your Love creates feminine, effortless dresses in their Northern California studio that are — in contrast to the majority of wedding dresses on the market — actually comfortable! The brand’s free-spirited designs are made with soft, earth-minded fabrics like organic cotton and each dress is made to order for each bride to their exact measurements.

There are also customizations available for each eco-friendly wedding dress such as train or no train, skirt or sleeve linings, back coverage, skirt style, and more.

Conscious Qualities: Eco-friendly fabrics, made-to-order model, locally and transparently made

Price Range: $680 – $1,700

Size Range: N/A; dresses are made to your measurements

Check Out Wear Your Love

5. Larimeloom

Custom-made ethical wedding dresses from Larimeloom

Based in Reggio Emilia, Italy, Larimeloom crafts exceptional custom-made dresses by hand in their atelier. The brand creates comfortable minimalist dresses from durable natural fabrics and colors them with natural or non-toxic dyes.

Larimeloom has also implemented zero waste design techniques, cutting their patterns strategically in order to minimize fabric waste.

Conscious Qualities: Made-to-order model, zero-waste designs, natural fabrics and dyes

Price Range: 650€ – 2,650€

Size Range: XS – XL

Explore Larimelume

6. Sister Organics

Lace wedding dresses made with earth-friendly natural fabrics from Sister Organics

Sourcing quality earth-friendly natural fabrics like organic hemp and cotton, Sister Organics creates classic, eco-friendly wedding dresses for UK-based brides.

Each dress is made to order in England, so you can select a pre-defined size, customize the length of a size, or get an entirely different dress made for your measurements.

Conscious Qualities: Eco-friendly fabrics, made-to-order model

Price Range: £125 – £390

Size Range: XXS – XXL + custom sizing

Check Out Sister Organics

7. Indiebride London

Vintage-inspired eco wedding dresses from Indiebride London

Indiebride’s vintage-inspired sustainable wedding dresses are delicate and romantic yet free-spirited, offering a unique collection for the bride that wants to skip the conventional wedding gown and choose a piece that fits their individual style.

The brand’s conscious wedding dresses are handmade in London using majority natural fibers and can be altered or customized to your specifications.

Conscious Qualities: Made-to-order model, uses many natural fabrics, locally made

Price Range: £1,200 – £1,700

Size Range: 8 – 16 (UK sizes)

Check Out Indiebride