The term ‘sustainable sneakers’ for a while has seemed like an oxymoron — the sneaker industry is certainly not known for being a conscious one. But these eco-friendly shoe brands are changing the game.
These featured sneaker brands have risen above the rest and made strong commitments to sustainable sourcing, transparent production, and commitments to ecologically-minded processes. You’ll find plenty of sneakers made from recycled materials (such as recycled nylon and recycled polyester) and responsibly-sourced natural materials (like sustainably harvested natural rubber). Many of the brands in this guide also have vegan sneaker options or are all-vegan!
There is also a bit of range in prices on the guide so I’ve indicated the price ranges of each brand’s sneakers as $ = under $100, $$ = between $100 and $200 and $$$ = over $200
Not sure when it’s the right time to invest in a new sustainable piece? I’ve created a free Closet Inventory and Budget Template for you to track what you have, what you need/want, how much you’re spending, and when it’s the right time to invest.
Note that this guide includes affiliates nad partners. As always, all brands featured are ones I truly believe in and which meet high standards for sustainability.
1. Thousand Fell
Eco-friendly sneaker brand Thousand Fell uses responsible materials for each element of their sneakers. They source natural rubber from a net-zero emissions supplier for their outsoles, recycled rubber for the insoles, recycled plastic for the uppers and mesh liners, castor bean oil-based foam for the shoe cushions, as well as coconut husk, sugar cane, and palm leaf fibers for various other elements of their shoes that would typically be made with plastic.
Thousand Fell also has a shoe recycling program for their customers to send back their worn sneakers. Not only does Thousand Fell cover the shipping costs, but they offer a $20 credit to customers that have sent back their shoes, too.
Price Range: $$
2. Cariuma
Cariuma uses eco-friendly materials like organic cotton, cork, recycled PET, bamboo, natural rubber, sugarcane in their sneakers. Additionally, the conscious shoe brand sources toxic-free Bluesign-certified dyes to color all of the materials on their sneakers. The brand does use leather for about half of its shoes — over 40% of their collection is completely vegan, though, and they do work to source their leather as responsibly as possible, using only leather and suede that has been certified by the Leather Working Group.
Price Range: $$
3. Etiko
Etiko has eco-friendly vegan sneakers made from Fairtrade, GOTS-certified organic cotton for the canvas and shoelaces, and natural latex rubber from rubber trees for the soles. Each pair of Etiko’s sneakers is stitched by employees working in Certified Fairtrade workspaces and all of their shoes ship in recycled boxes made from post-consumer waste.
Price Range: $ – $$
4. Arcas Bear
Arcas Bear is a woman-owned brand with cool, eco-conscious, and vegan sneakers made from plant-based materials. The plant-based sneaker brand sources materials like GOTS-certified organic cotton, coconut, cork, and natural latex as well as recycled materials such as recycled cotton and rubber to avoid waste.
To reduce the water footprint and waste, Arcas Bear sources pre-consumer cotton that has been recycled by colors. The newly recycled thread requires no dye and no bleach. By adopting this practice during the process they save a significant amount of water.
Committed to true transparency throughout their supply chain, the owner of Arcas Bear visits their manufacturers in Portugal and Brazil (some of which are B-Corp certified) who produce the brand’s sneakers, talking directly with the manufacturer employees and makers of Arcas Bear’s shoes. Check, check, and… check!
Price Range: $$
5. Veja
Veja might just be the most recognizable shoe in the ethical fashion industry. Their iconic V sneakers come in a wide variety of colors—from fun metallic pink to a minimal white and black look. Their sneakers are made from cotton and natural rubber directly sourced from producers in Brazil. They have sneakers for men, women, and kids.
Price Range: € – €€ / $ – $$
6. Saola
Saola is an ecological sneaker brand using recycled, organic, and bio-based materials for their shoes. The uppers of Saola’s sneakers are made from 100% recycled plastic bottles, their outsoles are made from algae foam (harvested from excess algae), and the laces are made from GOTS-certified organic cotton.
Price Range: $
7. Allbirds
Allbirds proclaims to be the “world’s most comfortable shoe”, and after trying on a pair at their New York City store, I can vouch that their shoes are at least the comfiest shoes I’ve ever slipped on! Wearing these sustainable sneakers is seriously like walking on a cloud.
The quickly growing brand is a certified B-Corp and uses natural and eco-friendly materials such as merino wool, recycled bottles, castor bean oil, and SweatFoam—which is made from sustainably harvested sugar cane. They even use 90% recycled cardboard for their packaging.
Allbirds also recently launched their first running shoe! Check out Allbirds “Dasher” Running Shoe here.
Price Range: $ – $$
8. Rothy’s
The popular eco-friendly vegan shoe brand with those famous washable flats has recently expanded their collection to include sneakers! Rothy’s sustainable sneakers are made with the brand’s signature recycled fabric made from post-consumer plastic water bottles and with other eco-minded materials like algae. Each pair of recycled sneakers ships in minimal packaging and the emissions from every shipment is carbon offset.
Price Range: $$
9. FlamingosLife
FlamingosLife’s sneakers are made from post-consumer plastic bottles, recycled plastics left from the footwear industry, organic cotton, and responsibly-sourced natural rubber.
The sustainable sneaker brand has also partnered up with the sustainable fashion consulting company, BCOME, to analyze their production processes and measure their environmental footprint.
Price Range: $$ | € – €€
Check Out FlamingoLife’s Sneakers
10. Ethletic
Ethletic is a brand with sustainable, vegan and ethically manufactured sneakers for men and women. The sneaker brand uses animal and people friendly materials including Fair Trade certified cotton and FSC-certified rubber. They also work with Fair Trade certified factories. Ethletic has a wide variety of low and high-top sneakers for men and women in a great selection of colors and prints.
Price Range: € / $
11. EcoAlf
Uniquely designed and sustainably crafted, EcoAlf’s sneakers are a conscious fashion-lovers dream. The Spain-based eco-fashion brand uses recycled nylon and recycled polyester for their all-vegan sneakers. made from plastic bottles recovered from oceans. Some of the recycled polyester is sourced from recycled plastic bottles, but even more impressively, EcoAlf also recovers plastic from the oceans for some of their recycled fabrics.
There are some shoes in EcoAlf’s collection that are made with 100% recycled materials and some that are made partially (60%) with recycled materials so be sure to check out each sneaker’s product description if you’d like completely recycled shoes!
Price Range: $$
Explore EcoAlf’s Sneakers in Women’s Sizes and Men’s Sizes
12. Yatay
Yatay is a PETA-approved brand with bold and sustainable sneakers. The brand uses eco-conscious materials such as recycled polyester from post-consumer plastic bottles, BioPolyols, and organic cotton for their shoes. For the minimalist, Yatay has white and neutral options and for the color-lovers, the sustainable brand also has vibrant options as well.
Price Range: $$$
13. 8000 Kicks
8000 Kicks is the only brand I’m aware of that sources hemp — one of the most sustainable fibers on the market – for their sneakers! And, the brand made sure to source an ultra-durable and waterproof hemp fabric so that their sneakers can withstand the wear and tear of any adventure. In addition to using hemp for their sneaker’s uppers, 8000 Kicks uses cork (another highly renewable and eco-friendly material) for the insoles of their shoes and recycled rubber for the soles of their shoes.
Price Range: $$
14. Po-Zu
Po-Zo is a sustainable shoe brand using the latest innovative eco-friendly fabrics in their collections, such as Pinatex, organic cotton, wool, Fair Trade rubber, and cork. The eco shoe label has low and high-top sneakers for men and women.
Price Range: £
15. Z Shoes
Z Shoes uses responsibly sourced natural rubber and USDA certified organic cotton from Peru. The brand buys these resources at fair prices and also invests in community healthcare and education infrastructure to increase their impact. The brand has shoes for men and women ranging from $55 to $120.
Price Range: $ – $$
More Sustainable Sneakers:
16. AKS Fair Trade
17. Avre
18. Bleed Clothing Eco4Sneaker
19. Natural World
20. No Saints
21. Nothing New
22. Rens
23. Waes
24. Womsh
25. Munjoi
BONUS: Conscious Step
Need some socks with those sneakers? Make sure they’re eco-friendly too! Conscious Step creates uniquely printed socks using Fairtrade GOTS-organic certified cotton. Each pair of socks gives back to a different cause too! $1 from every pair of socks goes to a nonprofit organization, like Conservation International, Keep A Breast, or Water.org.
Exclusive Discount: Use the code ELIZABETH20 for 20% off your order at Conscious Step!
Price Range: $
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