Humans Are Vain (Sweden) combines modern design with sustainable ‘apple leather’ and plastic waste. Made ethically in Portugal, they can be recycled at end of use.
Choosing a good vegan sustainable sneaker means ones made from quality plant-based (and often recycled or biodegradable) materials. As most good brands are still online, get your feet measured in a shop, to avoid the hassle of returns (Europeans don’t offer half-sizes, so choose the larger size and wear thicker socks!
Vegan sneakers are easy to wipe clean with a damp cloth (laundering is not recommended, but if you do, use a microfibre filter) to stop microplastics leaching from the machine, into the sea).
Sneakers were invented over 100 years ago, the world’s first ‘rubber-soled shoes’ in order to play sports, and since then of course, they have become a multi-billion pound industry, especially for designer brands. Now more for fashion than sport, there are many issues.
Leather (not a by-product of meat) is bad for animals and the planet, and often made in countries with poor animal and human welfare. Plastic sneakers are not good (and would give you smelly feet). And children (and their parents) are pressured into buying certain brands (who knows why, as most are made with cheap materials and bad ethics).
