NAE Quality Vegan Shoes (from Portugal)
NAE (also sold at Shop Like You Give a Damn) is a stylish Portuguese footwear brand, with everything made from quality vegan materials. The name stands for ‘no animals exploited’. Many items make use of zero waste materials including:
- Cork heels (no trees cut down to make cork)
- Sandals made from pineapple industry waste
- Sneakers made from recycled plastic bottles
- Mules made from apple leather (waste material)
Sustainability shapes every step at NAE. This brand uses recycled PET from plastic bottles, organic cotton, cork and even apple leather made from apple waste. Recycled rubber soles and eco-friendly dyes also play a part.
Why Choose Quality Vegan Footwear?
There was a time when vegan shoes were made from plastic, and only sold in clunky weird styles. Today things have changed. Quality brands are made with Italian Microfiber (easy to clean with a damp cloth) and also available as MicroSuede.
The leather industry is not a by-product of meat, and often leather shoes are made in countries with poor animal welfare (and human rights) records. Many are cheap and fall apart after a few months, requiring new shoes to be bought.
It makes sense instead to invest in two or three pairs of quality vegan shoes, that are worn on alternate days (to let them breathe and dry out) and support artisan brands that are kind to animals, the planet (and tanners, many of whom are at risk of cancer from the chemical process of tanning leather).
How to Measure Your Feet for Vegan Shoes
As most vegan shoes are still sold online, it makes sense to measure your own feet, to avoid the hassle of returns. You can also still get your feet measured in stores like Clark’s (tell them you’ll be back to buy their shoes, when they start offering vegan versions!)
