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This decade, a specific shade or look isn’t the top fashion trend — sustainability is! Luckily, eco-friendly shoes come in many styles, shapes and sizes. We share a handful of our top sustainable footwear picks.

Are you worried about the impact your shoes are having on the environment? The fashion industry is a major contributor to our global emissions — particularly the fast fashion industry. Footwear makes up part of this industry and our everyday home, school, office, sport and leisure wardrobe needs. Eco-friendly shoes leave a gentler footprint than your average pair of kicks.

Luckily, many brands are getting on board with the sustainability trend, making finding equally fashionable and eco-friendly shoes easier than ever. We’ve reviewed a handful of our top choices with details on what exactly makes them more sustainable than the rest. Plus, we compiled a sustainable fashion checklist to help you pick out an eco-friendly pair for yourself.

Read more: The most comfortable trainers for both fashion and function

Unlike aesthetics, there are many invisible criteria shoes need to meet to qualify as sustainable footwear. From materials to ethos, here are a few things to look out for in a sustainable pair of shoes.

The most sustainable way to shop footwear is by purchasing second-hand, rather than going for high-street retailers. Choosing to shop for preloved garments completely bypasses the manufacturing process, which is the biggest environmental problem that the fashion industry creates. However, this isn’t always the easiest thing to do — a charity shop might not have your size, or a style that you like when you’re in desperate need of a new pair of shoes.

Similar to second hand, recycled or upcycled shoes, renewed footwear gets a new lease on life. However, usually only if this footwear is still in good or restorable condition. Renewed footwear is usually given a second, third or fourth life by being cleaned, resoled, patched, fixed or restored and then re-sold.

If you’re thinking of buying a new pair of shoes because the sole has gone on an old pair, then consider getting them looked at by a cobbler. They will give you a quote that values the extent to which your shoes are damaged, and can repair most problems, so long as the upper shoe is structurally sound.

If you can’t mend your shoes or find a good quality pair second hand, the next thing to do is look for a pair of shoes that are manufactured with sustainable materials. Shoes are typically made from both synthetic and organic materials — and synthetic textiles aren’t typically biodegradable, making them bad for the environment. Smarter, kinder and more efficient ways of producing, utilising and recycling these mediums are treading the path to a more sustainable future for footwear.

Here are some popular sustainable materials used to make eco-friendly shoes:

Pesticides, tanning solutions, non-biodegradable dyes, chemical run-off and a variety of other toxic substances are a by-product of the fashion industry. These processes and substances aren’t ideal for a sustainable future, as they ultimately end up in our environment, water and soil, polluting it.

It can be tricky to know the ins and outs of a company’s manufacturing methods, but in general, try to avoid brands that don’t declare how they process their materials. You should be able to easily find this information in the ‘about us’ section of a company’s website, if they are a reputable seller of sustainable shoes.

Besides the properties of the materials made to manufacture shoes, ethical practises and fair trade are key components of sustainable footwear. Raw materials should be bought and processed for fair wages to ensure the longevity of the communities and suppliers who farm and produce them. Additionally, these materials should be ethically harvested and produced to maintain the habitats and ecosystems that provide them.

You should be able to easily find a company’s ethical statement on their website, if they are to be trusted.

With more understanding of sustainable footwear under your belt, you can expertly scope out shoes that will feel great on your mind and on your conscious. These are some of our favourite picks for both men and women to shop today.

Trainers often get a bad rap as far as sustainability goes, partly because most are made from synthetic materials. This pair of vibrant peach Adidas Ultra Boost 21 women’s running trainers is made from upcycled and recycled plastics.

To top it off, these plastics have been reclaimed from natural habitats, such as waters and shorelines. Adidas uses its proprietary Primeblue technology to turn these plastics into yarn. The Primeblue yarn produced is then used to weave a percentage of the uppers of these trainers.

White leather trainers are a big fashion statement. For those who love theirs, finding a sustainable option may be tricky. Available in white and off-white, the ReLeather court trainer from Everlane is as innovative as it is sustainable!

This forward-thinking ‘leather’ shoe is constructed from ReLeather, a reconstituted leather made from non-leather substances and 50% recycled leather. No tanning, dyeing or water-intensive animal-rearing was required to produce this pair of shiny, new white kicks.

VEJA is one of the foremost ethical and plant-based leather eco-shoe brands. The Campo is a stylish men’s leather white trainer, available in well over a dozen colour combos. From white with accents of blue, red, pink and yellow to silver, nude pink and nubuck shades, there is a white or off-white trainer to fit all tastes.

VEJA is committed to sourcing and using organic materials and real leathers that are as ethically and sustainably produced as possible. For example, the sustainable Campo shoe outsole is made from Amazonian rubber, bought at a fairer industry price from local manufacturers.

Love your dog-eared patent black leather boots? But, want to replace them with a more animal-friendly pair of shoes this time around? This pair of wearable, shiny and pointy black boots from Will’s Vegan Store tick off most of our boxes. Besides looking like the real thing, the shoe is both stylish and comfortable.

Available in both a lustrous (but believably) black patent leather and soft suede brown, it’s the ultimate vegan leather ankle boot to pair with almost any outfit. We love its comfy kitten-height heel and stretchy side panels, which make slipping on and wearing this pair of eco-friendly shoes a delight.

Read more: Are Will’s vegan shoes worth it?

Timberland is well-known for its stylish and distinctive nubuck and leather boots. Coming forward into the 2020s, Timberland is also committed to upping its sustainable footwear game. The Stormbuck Chelsea boot is one of its distinctive, sustainable shoes, made from Better Leather, recycled ReBOTL fabric and rubber.

Better Leather is ethically-sourced from silver-rated sustainable tanneries, while the ReBOTL fabric comprises 50% recycled materials. With stretchy side panels, a flawless, tapered shape and a rich, earthy-brown shade, the shoe is both uber-wearable and easy to slip on.

For men, the rugged look provides the perfect bold combination of urban streetwear and military styles. AllSaints has also incorporated another new trend — sustainability. With a lining made from 70% recycled polyester and a sole made from 60% recycled rubber, this pair of shoes is paving the way for more sustainable styles of combat boots.

What we especially like is the fact that the shoe’s upper is made from 100% Pinatex — a plant-based leather made from pineapple leaf pulp and corn-based polylactic acid. So not only is it vegan, but it’s practically free from plastic.

We all have that ultra-comfy pair of shoes that we would happily wear out anywhere, but especially for casual outings. TOMS is a popular casual and office-wear brand, but did you know its shoes are also very sustainable?

Comfy, vegan and made from eco-fibres such as Jute, Linen and Hemp, it arrives packaged in 80% recycled, sustainably-sourced packaging. What more could you want? Currently on sale at 46% off, this pair of shoes also comes in a few colour options, including leopard print, black, grey and fuchsia.

Bamboo is a fantastic natural, biodegradable alternative to cotton which is a much more water-intensive material. The Cariuma IBI Low bamboo-knit trainer is a casual pair of breathable and sustainable shoes. Perfect for running errands and hanging out, this white trainer still dresses up without too much fuss.

We love this eco-friendly shoe’s discreet earth-friendly details, including green accents and threading. Peek into the shoe, and it’s also very easy to spot the eco-friendly cork insoles and green inner. To keep with its earth-friendly ethos, most of the IBI Low’s accents are also made from recycled plastic bottles.

You can’t write a top sustainable footwear list without mentioning Birkenstocks. Birkenstock is a classic eco-friendly shoe manufacturer founded in 1774 in Germany. Long before sustainability was a buzzword, Birkenstock has been manufacturing the soles of its unique, ergonomic sandals and shoes from eco-friendly cork.

Featuring a contoured cork insole and soft, pale blue suede, this pair of old-timers has been given a modern update. Birkenstocks are traditionally made with leather and some other animal products — however, their vegan leather is made from PVC, which makes it unsustainable.

Do you need a sustainable men’s shoe that glides from the office to the track as suavely as it looks? The Axel Arigato Genesis trainer is a splurge but as stylish as sustainable trainers come. Featuring a soft suede outer, smokey tones and polished details, it’s a trainer worthy of a boardroom if you’re so inclined.

Though stylish, it's actually designed as a running shoe, easily adapting to catching the subway or heading to the gym. As for sustainability, the shoe is manufactured from 40% biodegradable suede leather and 60% recycled polyester.

Sports shoes made of synthetic materials are generally not sustainable shoes. However, innovative recycled running shoes, such as the Adidas Ultraboost 21 and Nike Air VaporMax 2021 FK, are turning things around. White trainers are another popular but not-so-eco-friendly sporty choice. The VEJA Campo and Everlane ReLeather trainers (both available in men’s and women’s sizes) are the perfect sustainable white trainer options!

Made respectively from ethically-sourced and manufactured leather and recycled, reconstituted leather, each does better by the environment. If you’re looking for smart leather styles for winter, Will’s Vegan Store Chelsea Boots and the Timberland Stormbuck Chelsea Boot have you covered. Stylish and smart, these boots won’t look out of place on a night out or in the office. While for those who love masculine and combat boot styles, the AllSaints Bodega Boots are the perfect fit!.

For casual occasions and hot weather, choose the comfy TOMS Alpargata Mallow Slip-Ons or Cariuma Men’s IBI Low Bamboo-Knit Trainers. Made from natural yarn from sustainable sources, they are our top eco-friendly shoe picks. The Birkenstock Arizona Two-Strap Sandal is also worth a mention. As is the suede and recycled polyester Axel Arigato Genesis Mid-Top Trainer, which transitions from office to track smartly.

Want to incorporate more sustainability into your lifestyle? Read more about how to in our sustainable lifestyle section.

Though you can choose more sustainable, fashionable garments and shoes, fast fashion is never a truly sustainable option. Slow fashion, the antithesis of fast fashion, is a more sustainable ethos. Choose quality, timeless and precious pieces that will last you many seasons and years to come if you want to improve your sustainability game.

Prices updated on 18/02/2022. We are not responsible for any changes on the prices mentioned above.

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Published by Associated Newspapers Ltd

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