Materials like recycled plastic bottles and certified fair trade will make these sustainable sneaker brands your fav new kicks.
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Known for being the ultimate for comfort and with an endless array of styles, sneakers add a kick to your outfits that you won’t find with flats or heels. When those hightops or trainers are from sustainable sneakers brands- there’s even more to love. Fairtrade certifications. Recycled materials. Plant-based leathers. We’ve rounded up the best brands that offer comfort and make a positive impact. These sneaker brands take initiatives to reduce water waste, emit fewer emissions, and empower the workers who make them. So, consumers like you and I can shop consciously and support brands whose ethics align with ours.
Shop the brands listed here and review their sustainable reports or transparency chains to see how your favorite sneakers are made and by whom. After all, education is how we can shop mindfully and use our money to support the brands making a positive difference.
Etiko is Fair Trade Certified
Hailing from Australia, this sustainable sneaker brand focuses on the ethos- ‘do no harm’ and ‘be a responsible purchaser.’ Since 2005 the brand has risen in its ethical practices achieving A+ ratings in ethical production from the Australian Fashion Reports multiple years in a row. Part of its high ratings is contributed to its dedication to Fair Trade Certified raw materials and partner factories.
Environmental Impact: These comfy sneaker flats are made from organic cotton for the canvas and the shoelaces and natural latex from rubber trees for the soles. They also come in recycled boxes made from post-consumer waste.
Price Range: $60 to $120
Veja uses Recyceld Materials
Veja is considered one of the most recognizable sustainable sneaker brands. Each pair is handcrafted in Brazil close to the farms where the raw materials (organic cotton, rubber, and naturally tanned leather) are sourced. In the ethos of transparency, you can follow the trail of the raw materials to production (and what the brand pays their workers) – making them one of the most transparent sneaker brands in the industry.
Environmental Impact: Not only do these fabulous sneakers come in a variety of colors, but they are also made from cotton and natural rubber that is directly sourced from producers in Brazil. All cotton is certified organic, and all dyes are tested and certified to meet their astringent safety standards.
Price Range: $100 to $150
Lanius uses Tencel
Lanius is a sustainable footwear brand that uses eco-friendly materials such as GOTS-certified cotton. Since 1999 the German brand has fused sophisticated design with sustainable initiatives to craft beautiful items meant to have a tiny impact while looking beautiful for years to come.
Environmental Impact: Beginning with their raw materials, Lanius ensures that transport routes are kept short to minimize their carbon footprint. Furthermore, all leathers are vegetable tanned to reduce the use of harmful chemicals. Cotton is GOTS certified. And production is audited by the Fair Wear Foundation.
Price Range: $167 to $273
ALLBIRDS are made from Plant-Based Materials
ALLBIRDS is a San Francisco-based brand offering a range of shoes made from unique materials like wool knits, castor oil, recycled plastic bottles, sugarcane, and eucalyptus.
Environmental Impact: Allbirds get down to the nitty-gritty of their impact by measuring their carbon emissions to ensure that their products- raw materials to their end-of-life- are as sustainable as possible. To emit zero carbon emissions, they transparently share the carbon footprint of each shoe. The Tree Dasher Sneakers have a carbon footprint of 10.7 kg CO2e.
Price Range: $95 to $125
Saola made from GOTS-Certified Organic Cotton
Saola is a brand focused on making a positive impact through their shoes. Each pair is made through a sustainable initiative, using materials sourced from recycled plastic waste or algae to offset ocean and freshwater pollution. They also partner with 1% For The Planet, donating a portion of their sales to support the nonprofit tackling environmental issues such as biodiversity and air pollution.
Environmental Impact: This eco-friendly sneaker brand uses recycled, organic and bio-based materials. The upper part of the Saola sneaker is made from 100% recycled plastic bottles, the outsoles from algae foam, and the laces from GOTS-certified organic cotton.
Price Range: $82 to $138
Cariuma is B Corp Certified
Cariuma is a B Corp sneaker brand known for its canvas slip-ons, high-tops, and other casual skate shoes.
Environmental Impact: Organic fabrics, sugarcane, cork, bamboo, and recycled plastics are the priority materials used in these sneakers. Since 2020, Cariuma has transitioned from offering 43% vegan products to 65%. Each pair is designed for optimal durability. Certifications include OEKO-TEX, I’m Green Plastic and FSC. For every pair of sneakers sold, a pair of trees are planted.
Price Range: $79 to $160
Flamingos Life are made from Corn Waste and Recycled Polyester
This sustainable sneaker brand has taken a sustainable designer approach by using post-consumer plastic bottles and recycled plastics from the footwear industry to make their shoes. Other materials include organic cotton and responsibly sourced natural rubber.
Environmental Impact: These sneakers are ideal for vegan and animal activists as their ‘leather materials’ are made from corn waste and bamboo. Natural and recycled rubber is used in the soles. Each pair is ethically made in Spain and shipped in recycled cardboard.
Price Range: $122 to $170
8000kicks are made from Hemp
8000kicks is a Portugal-based company that has made the first waterproof cannabis sneaker. The shoes also steer away from rubber, instead focusing on algae blooms for the bottom soles. All of this is to hold onto their claim that 8000 Kicks offer the world’s most sustainable and comfortable sneaker.
Environmental Impact: Each shoe is made from hemp and repurposed algae, so it uses 72% less water than its counterparts. With materials sourced from plants, this is one of the few sustainable sneaker brands that offer 100% vegan shoes for all environmentalists to wear and love.
Price Range: $235
Ethletic sources materials from Fairtrade Partners
Ethletic is a vegan brand that focuses on materials like natural rubber and cotton. They also work with Fair Trade-certified factories and have a variety of high-top sneakers in many colors and prints for eco-vegans.
Environmental Impact: Each sneaker allows customers to give back to the workers who make their shoes. Not only is Ethletic transparent about who makes their shoes they are vetted by working with Fair Trade partners. The shoes have several other certifications, being certified vegan for all materials used (even the glue), and they’ve won a Fair Trade award for their factories.
Price Range: $100 to $135