14 Sustainable Shoe Brands That Do Good For The Planet

Do you know how when it's raining, you never know which shoes to put on? Well, Alice + Whittles produces rain boots for women that are made from sustainable and recycled materials. This brand has all sorts of footwear for women who love spending time outdoors regardless of the weather.

The company hails from Toronto, Canada, and it is deeply committed to ethical practices by using Fair Trade rubber, and only natural or recycled materials. It is also FSC Certified, which means that its products come from responsibly managed forests. Alice + Whittles makes sure your feet stay dry and warm while being kind to the environment.

TOMS is one of the amazing sustainable shoe brands that focuses highly on charitable work. The success story of this footwear brand is nothing short of inspiring, especially because it has given over 75 million pairs of shoes to children in need around the world. That is already an extraordinarily positive impact on the planet.

TOMS makes everyday shoes for women, men, and children, as well as sandals, flip-flops, and heels. 

This brand supports the fair wage model and promotes equal employment. The company is also supportive of the creation of sustainable water systems and tries to provide entire communities with access to safe water. That helps them improve health and increase their economic productivity.

Women love heels, but they can’t live without flats. The Root Collective knows that, and it makes some pretty gorgeous peep toes, ballet flats, and booties.

This brand wants you to know people who make these sustainable shoes. Its business model centers on providing support community jobs in Guatemala, and to empower parents to care for their families and invest in a positive change.

All shoemakers receive beyond fair trade wages, and all fabric that goes into The Root Collective’s shoes is handwoven. This brand is B Corp certified, and its management believes that you start changing culture with kindness. 

Allbirds believes that we can make better things by practicing better ways of making them. This brand offers fun, quirky, and completely ethically made shoes. The catalog features sneakers for men, women, and children, all made of 100% natural materials. These shoes are lightweight and awesome for everyday walks and jogging.

This California-based company is B Corp certified and uses only recycled packaging. The materials it uses are all sustainable, such as the FSC-certified Tencel™ and ZQ Merino Wool. It means that the entire production process is animal-friendly. For Allbirds, it’s all about believing this planet deserves better. This brand aims to create less waste and decrease pollution.

Do you believe shoe shopping should be an investment? Well, Everlane creates such shoes with the emphasis being on investing our planet. This brand makes classic women’s shoes like loafers, sandals, and boots.

The shoes are long-lasting, and most importantly, made from ethically sourced materials. The entire brand is dedicated to sustainability, whether it’s the shoes or all other clothing items.

If you are curious about where Everlane makes shoes, you can look it up on the official company website. The site features an entire interactive map with factory locations.

Handmade leather shoes from sustainable shoe brands are not easy to find. Nisolo, however, delivers. The company is based in Nashville, TN, and specializes in creating artisanal shoes, including flats, sandals, and oxfords. Aside from being ethically made, Nisolo shoes have moderate price tags.

Nisolo provides fair wages and full-time employment for all workers. The company wants to push the fashion industry in a more sustainable direction and to remind people that humans matter. 

Sseko is a clothing and footwear company with strong ties to Africa; a portion of each purchase goes to funding college tuition for young women in Uganda.

Stylish and timeless boots, mules, flip-flops, and sandals make up the footwear section of Sseko’s catalog. All items are hand-made, affordable, and made of quality materials.

The company started back in 2009, and by 2014, it became the biggest exporter of footwear in East Africa. In 2016, Sseko launched a fellowship program that enables women across the United States to start their businesses selling Sseko clothing and shoes. In 2018, Sseko entered the Fair Trade Federation.

If you’re looking for sustainable and cute ballet flats, flip-flops, or sandals, then Oka-B might be your brand. “Shoes that love you” is the company’s motto, and all Oka-B models are lightweight, comfy, and easy to clean. Also, each item is available in a wide range of tasteful, elegant color options.

Oka-B is a women-led business, focused on empowering women and providing them with the affordable and comfortable footwear they deserve. All Oka-B shoes are made of patented plastic and are built to last.

In 2019, Oka-B shoes contained 15-25% of recycled materials. The company also has a program for recycling old shoes.

Wool is probably not the first material that comes to mind when someone mentions shoes. However, wool is Baabuk’s main material. This Swiss-based shoe manufacturer offers a wide range of modern and innovative slippers, boots, and sneakers made of this versatile material.

Though headquartered in the homeland of wristwatches and chocolate, Baabuk outsources its entire production to Nepal. There, the shoes are made in an ethically run, sweatshop-free factory. All wool is sourced from Portugal and New Zealand.

Baabuk is a B-Corp certified company, meaning that it operates with utmost consideration for the workers, environment, customers, and the community.

Reformation is one of the veterans of the sustainable fashion movement. The company has a worldwide reputation and for a good reason. Since 2015, Reformation is carbon neutral, and aims to achieve complete sustainability in the future.

The company has complete traceability on its printers, dyers, and mills, as well as garment manufacturers. The figures are somewhat lower for raw material processors, and producers, being at 72 and 56%, respectively.

Reformation offers flats, mules, boots, heels, and sandals. You will have to spend a bit more on a pair of Refs, but you’ll also have your peace of mind.

Sneakers, flats, boots, babes, pumps, name it and Sezane’s got it. If you need a pair of professional and elegant flats for the office, Sezane has them. If you want to outshine everyone at a birthday party, get a pair of Sezane pumps.

The company has already minimized waste and reuses and recycles almost all leftovers. In 2019, 75% of all Sezane leather products were vegetable-tanned. That same year, Sezane garments featured 40% eco-friendly materials.

Some of the 2020 plans include a 100% eco-friendly collection, increased use of organic cotton, and the brand’s first-ever eco-friendly line of denim.

If you want sustainable and also to turn heads wherever you go, take a look at Stella McCartney’s catalog. It offers a huge range of mostly chunky sneakers, platforms, sandals, boots, and pumps.

Stella McCartney uses organic cotton, cashmere, silk, wool, and forest-sourced fibers. She also uses polyester and recycled nylon. You won’t find fur and leather in Stella’s catalog, only vegetarian leather.

The company treats all participants of the supply chain, as well as its workers with dignity and respect. It is the member of the ETI (Ethical Trading Initiative) alliance, and only cooperates with ethically run companies and suppliers.