If you’ve ended up here, you may be asking yourself “what are vegan shoes?” or “what could possibly make a shoe not vegan?”

Vegan shoes are made from no animal products. They can be created from a variety of different synthetic or plant-based materials. And, no, they aren’t shoes that you can eat!

 

What Make a Shoe Vegan?

Typically, shoes are made of leather, derived from cowhide, fur, or wool. Most of the materials used in shoes are a direct result of suffering. A non-vegan shoe also extends into testing. If any of the materials used are tested on animals, it's no longer considered a vegan shoe. To categorize footwear as “vegan” it needs to be made from all synthetic or plant-based materials with no animals involved!

Due to all of these animal uses in the footwear industry, it can be nearly impossible to find a good pair of shoes if you lead a vegan lifestyle. To make a shoe vegan, whoever creates it must be pretty inventive. But, in recent years it has gotten easier to source materials for these kinds of products.

 

What Materials Can Be Used to Create a Vegan Shoe?

Without animals playing a part in the creation of our shoes, it opens the door up for so many other amazing plant-based materials.

We have found seven different durable, beautiful vegan leather replacements that are used for our products and wait for it, because we are always searching for innovation and materials.

 

 

This material is created from the waste of the apple juice industry. When solids are left over after pressing, they are upcycled into new fabrics.

 

 

 

Cork has been used in a variety of products for some time, but its application in the vegan shoe industry is amazing. It provides comfort and shock absorption all while being 100% sustainable!

 

 

 

This natural fabric is like Apple Leather in the way that it is made from discarded fruit. Pineapple leaves, instead of being thrown away, are processed, and turned into a durable fabric.

 

 

 

Cotton is a popular product in the fashion industry. The cotton we use is natural and grown without pesticides. This means that it is not only gorgeous to wear, but it is good for the earth!

 

 

 

While we try to avoid plastic use due to its impact on the environment, PET is easily recycled into new products. It is strong and lightweight. We make use of the fact that PET is already on the planet, and we are sure to recycle it into the perfect vegan shoes.

 

 

 

Corn leather is the newest vegan material to hit the scene. It looks and feels just like animal-based leather, without harmful consequences. It is 63% biodegradable and is created from leftover food waste.

 

 

 

Microfiber is a polyester-nylon-cotton blend, and it is the most controversial material in the vegan shoe industry. While polyester makes this material not 100% sustainable, because it is derived from oil, there are providers who make it using recycled materials. Using what we already have on the planet is the best solution and recycle, recycle, recycle. As a brand, we make a huge effort to ensure that we source recycled microfiber, taking care of the environment. Don’t forget, using vegan products helps to save billions of animals each year.

 

 

Vegan shoes are made from an array of sustainable, trendy materials. While they aren’t edible, they are good for the planet! When buying new shoes, it is important to ask yourself about the impact you are having on the earth and its creatures, by purchasing vegan shoes you are sure to be stylish and sustainable.

Follow us in this journey!