20 Sustainable Boots That Are Ethical
Ethical boots weren’t all that common just a decade ago. Not as many companies were interested in creating products that were good for the environment.
But as the next generation of consumers grows more interested in only buying products that are not only eco-friendly but ethically produced, the market is now catching up. If you’re looking for your next footwear to be environmentally friendly, here are some sustainably-made boots that you’ll feel good walking in.
Sustainable fashion boots
1. Christy Dawn
All the boots at Christy Dawn are made from responsibly-sourced leather. All of the footwear is handcrafted in Los Angeles.
The founder believes in doing what we can to help protect the environment, so the company practices replenishing the soil through regenerative practices. They note that it’s been proven to help reverse climate change.
2. NAE
NAE is an acronym that stands for No Animal Exploitation. All of the company’s boots are vegan.
They use eco-friendly materials such as organic and recycled materials. That helps to reduce water, wastewater, and chemicals used in production.
3. Coclico
Coclico makes use of recycled and eco-friendly materials in some of its footwear. Their boots are made by hand in Spain. No fur, down, angora, animal hair, or animal skin is used to make their footwear.
The company makes use of low-impact, non-toxic dyes in a majority of its products. Coclico also makes sure workers in the final stage of production are paid a living wage.
4. ABLE
ABLE is a company that’s dedicated to ending poverty through making slow fashion and giving women a living wage. They use organic cotton and other eco-friendly materials when making their products.
The leather that ABLE uses to make their shoes comes from tanneries that purify and recycle the water back into the plant. Additionally, the company uses vendors who mainly incorporate recycled packaging during shipping.
5. Nisolo
The footwear sold by Nisolo is ethically made and fairly priced. The company guarantees that producers are earning a living wage.
Chrome-free dyes are used in the leather tanning process. Nisolo also uses some recycled and eco-friendly materials in its products.
Sustainable winter boots
6. Native Shoes
If you’re looking for vegan winter boots, Native Shoes is just the brand for you. All of their shoe products are completely vegan.
The shoe brand recently did a collaboration with the vegan coat brand Save The Duck to make winter boots called the Lhoste. It was named after a vegan mountain climber who was the first climber to get to the Himalayan peak with an animal-free mountaineering suit.
The Lhoste has a water repellent shell that’s great for rainy days. It features shock absorption that helps your feet feel less stress in your steps.
7. Hunter Boots
While Hunter Boots is a brand mostly known for its rain boots, they recently got into making boots that work great for the winter. The Women’s Insulated Sherpa Boots is one example of that.
The company has 278 PETA-certified vegan products which you can identify by seeing the vegan symbol on the product pages. Hunter Boots goes the extra mile in pursuing sustainability through their Hunter Reboot program.
It allows UK customers to mail in their old boots to Hunter Regent Street so they can be recycled. The shoes get turned into kickboxing bag filler or playground floors. The company eventually hopes to expand its Reboot program across the world.
8. Will’s Vegan Store
Will’s Vegan Store creates many different types of winter boots, such as dock boots and hiking boots. The company uses cereal crops to create vegan suede and vegan leather for its products. The materials they use are Ecolabel certified.
Additionally, their shoes are made of recycled natural rubber, and all the packages are shipped plastic-free. Needless to say, Will’s Vegan Store is a great place to shop to get sustainably-made boots and do your part in protecting the environment.
Sustainable combat boots
9. Matisse
Matisse’s glacier boots are combat-style boots that have a sassy feel to them. They can be great for going out to dance at a club or rocking at a concert.
Matisse prioritizes keeping their production at a small scale through their family-owned factories. The boots are made out of recycled materials, and they also offer vegan options.
10. Dr. Martens
These combat boots by Dr. Martens are vegan and made with sustainable materials. The insole is air-cushioned to help keep your feet feeling comfortable all day. Additionally, like most combat boots, they’re durable and have a nice look that makes a statement.
11. Dr. Scholls Shoes
For the ladies that want a more feminine feel in their combat boots, Dr. Scholls provides great options for you. These guild combat boots are made of eco-conscious fabrics and have a top cloth that’s made from recycled bottles. The leather is also responsibly sourced, as the company gets its leather through the Leather Working Group.
Sustainable work boots
12. Rock Fall
Rock Fall’s Toe Safety work boots are not made with any animal products or metal. Rock Fall desires to be a brand known for completely sustainable safety footwear by 2022. The company plans to fully implement sustainability in its product design and commercial operations.
13. Bogs Footwear
Bogs Footwear utilizes sustainable shipping materials when delivering its products to customers. Their waterproof toe boats are made with natural rubber. Their rubber factories do as much as they can to use postindustrial recycled materials to reduce waste.
14. By Far
By Far is a Bulgarian brand that sees being sustainable and ethical as an integral part of their business. The Italian materials they used to create their products are consciously sourced.
That means the materials are being sourced in a sustainable and responsible way. The work boots they offer are a bit more expensive than the other options on this list, but if you can afford them, you can look really stylish while working on the job.
Sustainable UK boots
15. Bourgeois Boheme
While Bourgeois Boheme needs to do more work in using eco-friendly materials, their boots are made of 100% vegan materials, and they’re long-lasting. The products are also hand-manufactured locally, reducing carbon emissions.
16. Beyond Skin
Beyond Skin uses some recycled materials to make some of their products, and they limit the number of chemicals and wastewater that gets used in production. They offer a variety of vegan boot options, though keep in mind this is a luxury brand, so they’re not as affordable as some of the other options.
17. NAK Shoes
The acronym for NAK stands for No Animal Killed. That means all of their products are completely vegan, making them an eco-sustainable fashion brand. They use vegan leather, making their footwear lighter, more waterproof, and less prone to cracking.
Ethically made work boots
18. Carhartt
Carhartt is recognized as one of the most sustainable companies, but they are working on becoming more sustainable. The company follows a restricted substances list, and they also have factories WRAP certified.
That means their workers are given fair working conditions to work in. Their vegan lightweight steel toe boots are slip-resistant and heat resistant, making them great for a variety of occupations.
19. Ethical Wares
Ethical Wares cares so much about creating ethical work boots; they put it in their name. All of their products are carefully sourced to ensure that the workers making the products have been treated fairly. A majority of their accessories follow Fair Trade criteria. Additionally, all of their products are vegan.
20. Kathmandu
The ethical practices of Kathmandu make them a worthy shoe brand to buy boots from. They have a top score in the 2017 Ethical Fashion Report.
It measures companies’ ethical standards based on worker empowerment, transparency, and living wages. In addition, they strive to make their ethical work boots environmentally friendly by using materials such as recycled polyester and organic cotton.
These ethically made boots have become easier to find in recent years. You can get boots that are functional and stylish while also being environmentally friendly. Consider buying your next pair of boots from one of these shoe brands and help make the planet better for everyone to live on.
