“Give a girl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world.”
We believe the ‘right’ shoes are those that don’t stop at simply making you look fabulous but do right by people and the planet.
Shoes that are made from sustainable materials, in fair-trade conditions, are shoes that allow women to conquer the world!
We’ve put together a list of our favourite sustainable and ethical shoe brands who do shoes ‘right’.
Everlane
Style: A bit of everything! Boots, heels, loafers, mules, flats, sneakers, and sandals
How they do good: Transparent in their costs and supply chain, quality materials, partners with ethical factories, factories are given compliance audits to determine environment, fair wages, and reasonable hours
St. Agni
Style: Slides, loafers, and mules
How they do good: Less is more philosophy, the cows used to produce their leather are farmed on local farms and used for consumption and leather only, minimal plastic in their packaging, produces only on demand (to minimise waste)
Woven Palm
Style: Beachy slides and sandals
How they do good: Handmade in Noosa, top quality natural materials, shoes designed with natural and salty elements in mind for all beach lovers
Nisolo
Style: Minimalist shoes of all styles for both men and women
How they do good: B Corporation certification, pays 27% higher than fair wage requirements, no middleman/less cost, upholds traditions of shoe making in Peru, works with independent artisans
Veja
Style: Sneakers
How they do good: Vegan options, fair-trade, organic materials, sustainably harvested rubber, creates footwear on demand (to minimize waste), vegetable tanned leather from cows bred on land that has not been deforested
Allbirds
Style: Minimalist sneakers
How they do good: ZQ-Certified New Zealand merino wool, 40% less packaging than traditional shoes, B Corporation certified, Soles4souls partnership
Sseko Designs
Style: Sandals of all shapes and sizes
How they do good: Supports women in Uganda to attend university and fulfill their dreams, designs ribbon sandals which can be worn several ways, ethically made
Rafa
Style: Luxury sandals, boots, pumps, mules, flats, and slides
How they do good: Handcrafted by 20 artisans in LA, eco-friendly materials, sustainable processes, all shoes are made to be enjoyed forever
Veerah
Style: High fashion versatile heels
How they do good: Organic cotton lining, plant-based cushion and memory foam, created for versatility, so you have fewer shoes in your closet, Peta approved, vegan, recycled paper packaging, dust bag made from 100% recycled PET bottles, cruelty-free
Atelier Alienor
Style: Espadrilles and sandals
How they do good: Sustainably sourced leather and canvas, the espadrilles are made in small batches to reduce waste, trendy design, so they never go out of fashion, environmentally friendly materials
Matt and Nat
Style: Classy heels, flats, oxfords, boots, and sneakers
How they do good: Vegan-friendly, uses PU leather (less harmful for the environment than PVC), encourages upcycling, always working on stronger ethics for their factories, shoe linings made from 100% recycled bottles
Darzah
Style: Traditional Palestinian flats- Tatreez
How they do good: 100% handcrafted in Palestine, creates opportunities for refugees and low-income women artisans, celebrates Palestinian culture and traditions, leather sourced from a family-run leather manufacturer
Charlotte Stone
Style: Bold heels, sneakers, and boots
How they do good: Works with family-run factories in Italy, China, and LA, run by a husband and wife duo who are across all areas to keep development and production to a high standard
For more ethical fashion inspo check out the latest issue of The Green Hub Magazine
