Fall Shoe Shopping: Finding Cool Shoes That Are Eco-Conscious Too

Vegan Slouch Boot made from a soft pleather that covers the entire boot down to the two inch heel. Photo courtesy of Vegan Chic.

It’s the Fall shopping season, and time for new shoes. If your trying to find fashionable shoes that are also eco-conscious, then it can be a real struggle going out to most retail stores. They have very small to no selections.

Another option to consider is shopping online. Some exploration turned up three noteworthy sustainable websites with decent-sized shoe selections made of combinations of vegan, organic, and recycled materials. They’re: 

• Vegan Chic- a provider of shoes, boots, bags, and accessories

• Alternative Outfitters vegan boutique- a provider of shoes, boots, bags, accessories, apparel, and beauty products.

• Pristine Planet- an aggregate shopping site that brings together retailers providing shoes, boots, bags, accessories, apparel, beauty, and a plethora of other lifestyle products.

Vegan Chic, as its name implies, is a good place to explore as a site whose entire inventory, though not entirely organic, doesn’t contain any animal products. The materials used are made of plant and synthetic fibers, such as: 

• Hemp- commonly claimed to have anti-microbial properties to inhibit the growth of funguses, viruses, parasites, or bacteria. If the claims are true, the material would be a good choice for someone with athlete’s foot.

• Jute- a breathable and 100 percent biodegradable material made from an Asian plant.

• Bamboo- commonly claimed to have anti-bacteria properties and be 100 percent biodegradable.

• Faux Leather or Pleather- a material made from polyurethane, so it’s washable, but not breathable.

• Faux Suede or Suedette- a synthetic material, which should be sprayed with a waterproofer to increase its water resistance. The spray may darken some fabrics.

• Stretch Fake Suede- an elasticized material that is breathable, but like the non-elastic suede, should be sprayed to be waterproofed. The spray may darken some of these fabrics too.

• Satin- made from tightly woven polyester or rayon, giving it sheen on one side. These shoes should be professionally cleaned because water may stain the fabric.

• Microfiber- made from tightly woven polyester or nylon, so it’s breathable and naturally water repellent. If the buyer specially treats the fabric, then it can become waterproof and wiped clean with a damp cloth.

Part of what I liked about Vegan Chic’s selection was also the array of footwear, which included women’s, men’s, and kid’s of all types. I found a lot of online outlets that either had just women’s, or women’s and men’s, but no kid’s shoes. This had something for everyone, which I liked.

Madrid Vegan Brown Slip On Wedge from Alternative Outfitters Eco-Friendly & Green section. Photo courtesy of Alternative Outfitters.

The Alternative Outfitters vegan boutique is also a good choice to look at. They have a wider overall array of vegan items for consumers, though no children’s shoes. What they do have that is of especial interest is an ‘Eco-Friendly & Green’ section, which contains a variety of products, including shoes that are made from both vegan and sustainable and/or organic materials.

This peep toe shoe is made with a partially recycled, non-marking rubber outsole with leather uppers. It also has adjustable and removable Velcro ankle straps for a secure fit. The merchant is planetshoes.com, and the shoe is featured on pristineplanet.com. The photo is courtesy of shoes.com.

Also a site worth taking a look at is Pristine Planet. This site isn’t completely vegan and also excludes children’s shoes, but offers a lot of resource information about all of the merchants registered to sell through the platform. All of the merchants have to meet certain sustainability standards to participate on the platform, but beyond that, it provides:

• Customer Reviews.
• Merchant Coupons.
• Merchant Report Cards- describing each company and the steps they take to be more sustainable.

Each shoe link on the site contains valuable information about both the product and merchant, which I find very useful for anyone that wants to know as much as possible about not only the product, but the manufacturing practices that go into it.

All of the companies stated that they try as much as possible to make sure that their products are manufactured using Fair Trade or fair labor practices.

Reader commentary and input is always welcomed!