Sustainable Footwear That is Good for the Sole
Sustainable shopping doesn’t need to be hard, that’s why we've provided you with thousands of verified sustainable and vegan footwear products, all in one place. This post has collated some of the top sustainable fashion brands on Cerqular, so you can look great while taking care of the planet 💁💚.
Shoes are essential to everyday life, with over 20 billion pairs made every year (The Shoe Industry. 2021). Footwear accounts for 1.4% of global emissions; furthermore, by 2030 it is expected the apparel sector will grow by 49% (Quantis. 2018).
Humans Are Vain
Humans Are Vain are an awesome company that epitomizes sustainable living. Every aspect is thoroughly considered to maximize the consumer experience and minimize the impact on the planet.
One of their best sneakers is the Evolve Sustainable Sneaker. The comfort provided by the sole of the shoe comes from recycled cork and foam. Another interesting and innovative solution within the shoe is the apple leather, which uses unwanted apple skins to form a tough, flexible and durable plant-based leather. It can take up to 40 years for a shoe to decompose in a landfill; therefore, sustainable plant-based materials are a key step in going green (NAE. 2021).
EVOLVE SUSTAINABLE SNEAKER - MULTI COLOUR - $178.81
All production takes place ethically and all products are certified 100% vegan by Peta and the Eden V2 Sustainable Sneaker is no different. Many of the same eco-friendly materials are used in the Eden sneaker such as the use of recycled PET, recycled rubber, and corn-fibers.
EDEN V2 SUSTAINABLE SNEAKER - WHITE - $166.81
As many as 38% of people throw away old shoes (The Shoe Industry. 2021). As a result, Humans Are Vain also run a circular economy system to recycle old shoes into the production of new ones. There is no better way to be friendly to the environment with these stylish, comfortable and durable vegan shoes.
Dauntless
If you are searching for ethical and sustainable clothing brands, then this is for you. Dauntless is a fantastic vegan footwear company founded and run by women, often heads of households. All production takes place in Bogota with a focus on women's empowerment and equal pay. They are not only the first PETA certified brand in Colombia, but they are also carbon neutral. Their selection of unisex sneakers are made on-demand from durable and sustainable materials. The Bãsik Sneaker is made from an eco-microfiber which is light and breathable.
BĀSIK SNEAKER - $155
Similarly, Dauntless teamed up with Humans Are Vain to create the stylish Båld Sneaker. With the use of organic cotton, recycled cork, recycled rubber, and corn fibers you can be sure this shoe is eco-friendly.
BÅLD SNEAKER - $155
Both shoes also have a Oeko-Tex Standard 100 class 1 seal; this means they have been rigorously tested to be harmless to humans and the environment (OEKO).
At Cerqular, we are passionate about keeping you and the planet safe. We personally verify the certificates of all our sellers so you can shop for ethical and eco-friendly brands all in one place!
Poppy Barley
Poppy Barley is a certified B corporation. This means they "meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency and legal accountability" (B Corporation). Poppy Barley's social goals include supporting women in employment, funding education for staff and their families in Mexico. Poppy Barley is at the forefront of online ethical clothing, by ensuring ethical production throughout their supply chain (Poppy Barley).
Poppy Barley's shoes meet their stringent environmental goals by using vegetable-tanned leather made from cactuses. The production of leather from cactuses requires little intervention and water usage; furthermore, once the resource is sun-dried it will last for 10 years (Immaculate Vegan).
The At-Leisure Slip-On, and The Eyelet Oxford 2.0 are designed in Canada to be worn with 80% of your outfits, in all weather conditions!
THE AT-LEISURE SLIP-ON MUSHROOM OILED LEATHER READY TO WEAR - $200.97
THE EYELET OXFORD 2.0 BLACK PEBBLE READY TO WEAR - $200.97
Fini Shoes
With Fini Shoes you can make fashionable and sustainable shoes part of your life. This eco-friendly men's footwear brand is revolutionizing the industry by providing unrivalled customization to allow the wearer to express their individuality. Fini also screens all their factories to ensure the highest standards of ethical production.
No shoe encompasses Fini's values more than their classic shoe. Your purchase is accompanied by 3 accessories so you can wear it in 5 different ways. The interchangeable pieces on the shoe mean you can adapt to any occasion.
FINI CLASSIC BROWN "BREAD" - $149
The Desiderata CB6 delivers unmatched comfort and style whilst affording you the same opportunity to express your individuality with their detachable pieces.
DESIDERATA CB6 - $189
Handcrafted in Portugal, these lightweight, breathable, and customizable shoes come to you in recyclable packaging. Shop the whole range of verified ethical and sustainable shoes on Cerqular.
Urbànima
Urbànima is a 100% vegan women's footwear brand with the highest degree of quality, sustainability and conceived from a slow fashion perspective.
Born in Valencia, Urbànima is a 100% vegan women's fashion brand and another proponent of the slow-fashion movement. With Urbànima you receive the highest quality footwear made specifically for you. The whole production process, from materials to packaging, is centered around conscious circular consumption.
Nearly 50% of leather products are shoes (NAE. 2021). Since leather production has such a large impact on the environment Urbànima have provided you with fashionable leather alternatives. Recycled rubber, plastics, fishing nets, and cotton are all used in production. Natural and biodegradable corn fibers, rice straw waste and cork are also used. The production of cork actually has a negative carbon footprint (NAE. 2021).
The Bistrot Marrón encompasses all the ethical and sustainable production processes into a versatile shoe for everyday life and those special occasions.
BISTROT MARRÓN - $329
The Opera Negro stilettos are a breath-taking sophisticated vegan shoe made to complement any look.
OPERA NEGRO - $339
Urbànima states the Disco Black gives “power to your autumn-winter looks". With no harmful dyes, toxins, or chemicals used in production living green has never been so stylish.
DISCO BLACK - $399
The rest of the range includes more fab high-heels, sneakers, ankle boots, and vegan boots.
Brave Soles
Brave Soles is another awesome female owned brand. The inspiration for Brave Soles came from founder Christal Earle while she was working with the garbage dump workers in the Dominican Republic. Over 1 billion tyres are disposed of annually and Christal saw an opportunity to make shoes from the discarded waste (Goldstein. 2020).
They now operate in the Dominican Republic using only local artisans who handcraft the footwear. The Padre Leather Flip Flop is formed out of materials from airplane seats and from furniture makers. The classic Padre Flip Flop is simple, comfortable, and effective.
THE PADRE LEATHER FLIP FLOP - $75
Likewise, The Aventura Girl's Leather Sandal is hand cut from recycled tires to be versatile and built for comfort.
THE AVENTURA GIRL'S LEATHER SANDAL - $45
Zouri
Zouri ethically produce the finest footwear using plastic collected off the Portuguese coast.
The Sand Black Apple sandals will go with any outfit. Each pair contains 8 recycled plastic bottles combined with ecological and sustainable materials.
SAND BLACK APPLE - $90
The Wahoo Paprika is a carbon neutral shoe. If you are not already convinced to buy them Zouri also combine recycled plastic with Pinatex to manufacture these brilliant shoes. Pinatex was created by the B corporation, Ananas Anam. They support local communities in the Philippines by paying for otherwise discarded pineapple fibers to create a durable plant-based material (Ananas Anam).
WAHOO PAPRIKA - $179
It is our goal to make sustainable shopping the norm, that’s why we have personally verified every single product as sustainable, organic, carbon neutral, vegan, eco-friendly, or circular. Go Green and shop Cerqular.