“I’m a vegan.” There, I said it. It happened one day, over 10 years ago, as I made eye contact with my tiny, elderly chihuahua, Marie. As she stared back at me in her quietly judgmental way, it hit me: “Why the fuck would anyone want to eat an animal?” It was less a choice and more a spiritual shift. Most people like to qualify animals as not having feelings or intelligence since it makes it easier to eat and wear them. Or harvest their bodies for ‘animal products’ or byproducts (disgusting). As much as I love Marie, I would estimate she's about as smart as a chicken, and certainly less intelligent than my friend's rescue pig Early. Early can tap her hooves on a child's piano, which my friend argues is 'playing the piano.' While that description is generous, I know Marie could never tap a keyboard as thoughtfully as Earl. But Marie and Earl were family. Period. They had feelings—we knew that. And the thought of treating them like livestock was horrific. Becoming vegan was like crossing a bridge and I knew I could not go back.
Footwear was the first thing I discarded. I literally gave away 40+ pairs of shoes, some of which I have had for years, and even signature pieces from my favorite collections. It all had to go–Chelsea boots, hiking boots, leather-soled loafers, hiking shoes, leather shoes, ‘dress shoes’, suede shoes, winter boots, work boots (I had a shitload of boots), even my Dr. Martens–but I knew I wasn’t going to wear them. That left me with sneakers with no leather, leaving me shifting between Nike, Adidas, and Vans over the last ten years.
Now more than ever, cruelty-free anything seems like the best option given the shitstorm of bad news we all live in. If we have a chance to wear something that doesn't come at the cost of a living thing, why the fuck wouldn't we? In the last couple of years, many brands like Bottega Veneta, Givenchy, and Balenciaga have all had rubber shoes, clogs, and boots as part of their collections, and those products had staying power. I see people wearing rubber footwear every day when going to or from work in Soho, and they are all over social and for good reason—they are chic, versatile, and, most important for me, vegan. This surge in rubber footwear provided a welcome respite from the tedium of ‘vegan’ Birkenstocks, (and my sneaker-only decade), though they will remain staples in my wardrobe.
But beyond this ‘rubber footwear trend,’ sexy, cool or even stylish vegan shoes are hard to find, but maybe the tide is turning.The vegan footwear market is expected to reach $76.3B globally by 2030, at an 8% CAGR (global news wire), and will continue to grow as consumer expectations of brands continue to encourage sustainability. But can unisex, sustainable, recycled material, vegan shoes, boots, or sandals actually be comfortable and look great? Read more for some of the best vegan shoes from my favorite shoe brands that are not only stylish, but high-quality.
Shop Our Favorite Vegan Shoes:
1992 Black Apple
This one is my favorite. Their shoes are surprisingly comfortable—both the shoes and the boots—and are made with eco-friendly fabrics and/or vegan leather (aka ‘apple leather’). My go-to are the Chelsea boots that come in a variety of colors and fabrics. Some are made with both post-consumer recycled polyester, they're lined with organic cotton, and the soles are made of 70 percent recycled rubber. For Viron's Chelsea boots, the upper part of the shoe is made with 26 percent apple waste, 20 percent polyester, 38 percent PU, and 16 percent Italian cotton; the lining is made with 40 percent recycled plastic bottles, 10 percent PU, 20 percent corn polymer, 30 percent fibers (Portugal); and the sole is made with 70 percent recycled rubber and 30 percent rubber (from Portugal). They are super easy to slip on or lace up and the insoles are majorly comfortable.
Yatay Model 1B Sneakers
PETA-approved with minimalistic design, this sustainable shoe brand has several styles and pair with practically anything. Instead of animal leather, they use a mix of bio-polyols and recycled polyester. And the laces are 100 percent hemp. The rest of the shoes are made from recycled foam, rubber, bio-resins, and plastic bottles.
Orik 2.0 Sneakers
Made in the Czech Republic by family-owned, high-standard factories, these sneakers are carbon-neutral and 100 percent solar-powered. They also happen to be the first Czech fashion, footwear, or accessory brand to receive PETA certification as a vegan brand. Made of hemp and renewable, natural materials, their shoes are comfortable and durable. Their most popular model is called the ‘Barefoot’.
The Real Jelly Possession Sandals
The brand that popularized the ‘jelly shoe’ is one of the more stylish and sustainable brands out there. Affordable, water resistant, vegan, eco-friendly, recyclable, and made in Brazil, they also do really cool collaborations with chic AF fashion brands like Collina Strada and Undercover/Jun Takahashi (the razor-bow is my go-to crossbody bag atm).
There is also Veja which is popular, but many of its products are not vegan. I prefer to support those brands that made the shift entirely to using no animal products or byproducts, and many others feel the same way. Brands are flamed now on social for showing fur on runways. Celebrities are ‘cruelty-shamed’ for wearing fur or even down-filled coats in public. You may even get side-eyed yourself for wearing a leather jacket on the subway. As the vegan shoe market grows (amen), vegan fashion as well as vegan options in general are sure to be on the rise as well. If consumers continue to seek cruelty-free alternatives, it will ultimately force these companies to give us what we want—less barbarism and more compassion. We can all agree, there’s already enough savagery in the news.