Where to Buy Quality Vegan Shoes & Boots
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!)
Will’s Vegan Handmade Shoes (from London)
Will’s Vegan Shoes (also sold at Shop Like You Give a Damn) is a London company offering quality vegan shoes and boots. Focusing on quality (there are no Black Friday sales), with a whopping 365-days return, these are sent in zero waste packaging.
Everything is made ethically in Italy and Portugal, shipped quickly from Essex. In lovely colours and styles, you can also buy vegan leather belts, bags, satchels, cardholders etc.
Launder the wool-free jumpers in a microfibre filter (due to synthetic fibres).
These shoes cost a bit more than brands in shops. But they are designed to last, with proper care. Frequent buyers often say they wear their pairs for years. The store even sells children’s school shoes (lack-ups and ballerina pumps).
Who Founded Will’s Vegan Shoes?
Will did! He wanted to create quality vegan shoes, so found ethical suppliers in Portugal, and attended a vegan festival to try to sell them. No problem – they sold out quickly!
Today his company is renowned for its quality vegan footwear in zero waste packaging, and whopping 365-day guarantee. He also is passionate about not offering Black Friday or 50% off deals, believing that this just encourages overconsumption. Instead of investing in a couple of pairs of good shoes, with quality materials, made by people who are treated and paid well.
Your feet are so important. A cheap pair of shoes that are poorly made can do real damage, and are a false economy in the long term. You just end up buying more shoes instead of one good pair. Wasting money, and increasing your consumption. Will
Will’s own favourite shoes are his chestnut work boots. Made with burnished Italian microfiber, he has worn them more months, and says they have improved with age, and are now almost part of him!
V.Gan Shoes of London (worn by 50,000 people!)
V.GAN London (also sold at Immaculate Vegan) offers nice shoes for men and women, worn by 50,000 people across the planet. In just 4 years, it’s established itself as one of the world’s major vegan shoe brands. It has some real sale bargains, and also offers vegan leather bags and wallets.
Quality Handmade Vegan Shoes from Brighton
Vegetarian Shoes (Brighton) has a physical shop but also an extensive range online and offers a wide range including safety shoes. It also offers a good sale shop, with many items often half-price.
Freerangers Handmade Vegan Shoes (from Tyneside)
Freerangers (also sold on Etsy) offers handmade footwear. Each pair is signed by the maker, and you can send soles back for repair. In a huge array of colours, there are loafers, sandals and boots – and also bags, satchels and even vegan sporrans!
These shoes are not ‘high-fashion’, but they are very comfortable and designed to last years.
This is a company that has a loyal fan base, who buy from the same maker each time they want a new pair of shoes.
Solari Milano (Smart Italian Vegan Shoes)
Solari Milano (also sold at Shop Like You Give a Damn) is a brand of Italian shoes that are sustainably-made. Handcrafted by experts, these shoes use corn leather to make the uppers, and feature recycled rubber outsoles, bamboo linings and organic cotton laces.
Every pair comes from skilled Italian shoemakers. With decades of know-how, these craftsmen shape and stitch each shoe with care. You get the feel of true luxury without animal products. The attention to detail can be seen in every seam and finish.
By using vegan leather, Solari Milano lowers the impact on the environment. Many shoes also use recycled materials for linings and soles.
Don’t worry about these shoes wearing out quickly. The vegan leather and quality build mean they last for seasons. You get the look and feel of Italian shoes with less need for repair. The soles stay strong and grip well, even with regular use.
These vegan leather loafers are suitable for formal events (office, weddings, gala dinners etc), they are water-resistant. The water-resistant uppers are made from corn and reinforced with Microfibre, and the lining is made from bamboo. The soles are made from recycled rubber, the laces of organic cotton, and even the packaging is recycled cardboard.
The loafers are also available in an elegant and comfortable style for women (choose from brown or black).
These vegan brogue shoes are also made to the same high standards, with recycled rubber soles and organic cotton laces, packaged in recycled cardboard. Also available in an elegant and comfortable style for women (choose from brown or black).
Vegan Red Velvet Loafers (for women)
Solari Milano’s vegan red velvet loafers are super-comfortable yet a little eccentric, if you like to stand out! Handcrafted from breathable cotton velvet, and kind bio-materials (vegan-friendly). The insole lining is made from bamboo.
Minuit Sur Terre (Vegan Shoes from France)
Minuit Sur Terre is a super-stylish vegan footwear company from France. For every pair sold, 5 Euros are donated to a partner association to help animal welfare. The founder was a (stylish) woman (she’s French!) who could not find clothes of ethics to match quality and fashion she wanted.
Minuit sur Terre brings together classic French taste with modern trends. Each style is simple, with lines and colours that work for every wardrobe. From crisp trainers to smart boots and heels, these shoes add a hint of French flair to any outfit.
Every pair is 100% vegan. That means no leather, wool, silk or glue from animals. Instead, the brand uses plant-based and recycled materials. They carefully select these fabrics for strength and comfort as well as style.
Minuit sur Terre makes shoes from creative sources like grape skins, wheat and recycled plastic bottles. These materials help cut waste in the fashion industry. With each pair, you choose a cleaner future for the planet. The shoes are actually made in Portugal, with high standards for labour laws and worker rights.
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.
Smart Vegan Cactus Leather Shoes
Cactus leather is often the ideal alternative to crocodile or calf leather, for luxury loafers. Ross Oliver makes quality men’s shoes from unique men’s smart shoes, that are kind to crocodiles, the planet and your feet!
Traditional leather also uses a lot of water and harsh chemicals. Cactus grows with little water and needs no pesticides. Every pair cuts down pollution and water waste, making them a solid pick for the planet.
Natural cactus fibres make for a flexible, breathable material. Your feet get to breathe and move as they need, which helps prevent blisters and other aches.
These are not cheap, but then neither are any luxury shoe brands. These are designed to offer an alternative to people who would buy expensive designer footwear. Get your feet measured in a shoe shop first, to avoid the hassle of returns.
It’s best to buy two pairs and wear them alternatively, to let your feet dry out. This helps to make your cactus leather shoes last longer!
Please Don’t Buy Crocodile Skin Shoes
They may be super-scary, but crocodiles (and alligators) do not deserve to suffer, for the fashion industry. Not only are they often used to make shoes (especially ‘luxury loafers), bags and wallets, but some have been reportedly skinned alive to supply skin for ‘luxury fashion brands’.
Some high-end fashion brands (including Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Hermès) still use crocodile skin in their products. Victoria Beckham does not crocodile skin, but instead uses calf leather to replicate crocodile skin, when it’s perfectly possible to find good plant-based leathers these days, to use instead.
The ethical fashion rating site Good on You rates Victoria Beckham’s fashion brand as ‘poor’ on animal welfare, environment and human labour. And recommends switching to Stella McCartney instead.
Crocodiles (like all scary creatures) have important roles to play in ecosystems. They are not greedy, and only eat what they need (crocs kill around 1000 people a year, compared to millions by mosquitoes due to malaria).
The world’s largest reptiles (with the world’s strongest bite) always have their mouths open to regulate temperature, not because they are trying to eat you. They even let little Egyptian plover birds eat from their mouths, as natural toothbrushes!
