Vegan shoes have come a long way in the last decade, thanks to innovative vegan shoe brands and advances in eco-friendly vegan leather. Gone are the days when I first went vegan in 2008 poring over labels, asking questions from confused shop assistants and going home empty-handed.
While it’s easier, you may still get some blank stares if you go to a store near you asking for vegan shoes. You’ll either need to parse the labels, or be prepared for quizzical stares if you ask staff. I find it easier to find vegan shoes online, which is why I put together this guide for you! I put it together a few years ago and update if every year with the latest, best brands I’ve tried.
The best vegan shoe brands:
Will’s Vegan shoes
Features: 100% vegan (PETA certified)
Why I love them: they make vegan versions of classic, with good-quality, durable features
When it comes to cruelty free shoe brands, Will’s was one of the first to specialise in men’s shoes. Will’s started life as a men’s vegan shoe company at a time when there weren’t many options in terms of vegan shoes for men. Now, they make both mens and womens vegan shoes.
They make mainly vegan versions of timeless designs in classic colors like black and brown, vegan dress shoes for men and vegan hiking shoes.
I love that they have a vegan version of pretty much every classic shoe style you can think of. They even have waterproof vegan snow boots. You can see their vegan shoes for women here and their mens vegan shoes list here.
V.Gan shoes
Why I love them: they make cute shoes in an vegan-certified factory
V.Gan is a 100% vegan shoe brand that makes PETA-approved vegan shoes in a vegan factory. I love their cute styles, although they also have a few on-the-nose sliders and trainers that read “V.GAN” across the side – so whether you want to wear those or not depends on your own personal stance on slogans and logos on clothing!
Personally, I prefer a more understated style, like some of their sleek vegan leather boots and sandals.
Minuit sur Terre vegan shoes
Why I love them: one of my all-time favourite vegan shoe brands, I just love their stylish, unique approach to footwear
Features: 100% vegan, uses some sustainable & recycled materials
I love the look of Minuit sur Terre’s designs especially their boots and sandals. I’ve loved them since I bought a pair of sandals from them a few years back, which received more compiments than any other sandals I’ve owned. Whereas a lot of vegan footwear, especially in the past, screamed “functional”, Minuit was one of the first brands I saw that was fashion-first.
Minuit sur Terre is based in France, and was the first fully vegan shoe brand in France. They make vegan sneakers out of eco-friendly apple leather and use some other sustainable plant leathers in their shoes. They also use Oeko-Tex certified recycled materials in some of their vegan leather shoes.
NAE vegan shoes
Why I love them: I admire their use of sustainable materials
Nae shoes are beautifully designed, PETA certified vegan and sustainable.
They use eco-friendly materials such as cork, recycled plastic bottles, organic cotton, airbags and pineapple leather.
They’ve got a wide range of cruelty-free shoes, from vegan combat boots and sneakers to pumps, boots and sandals.
Matt and Nat vegan shoes
Why I love them: long-standing vegan brand that’s been around for two decades and stood the test of time
Matt & Nat has a huge range of leather free shoes to suit all tastes, from sneakers to slip-ons, sandals, flats, boots, heels and more, all made with 100% vegan materials.
They’ve been around for two decades, making them one of the oldest vegan shoe/bag brands in existence (after Vegetarian Shoes, which has been around much longer).
I once used a Matt & Nat vegan wallet for over a decade – their stuff really does stand the test of time!
Ration.l vegan trainers
Why I love them: clean, minimalist vegan sneakers never go out of style
I know some of declared the death of the plain sneakers, but I disagree. A sleek, minimalist vegan trainer is always a good thing – it’s much easier to match to a wide range of outfits than multi-coloured marshmallow sneakers…
That’s why I’m declaring/planting my flag in the ground that sleek, minimalist trainers are always the right choice. That’s why I love Ration.l, the vegan trainer brand.
Cariuma (vegan options)
Why I love these: unfortunately it’s not a fully vegan brand, but I appreciate that they prioritise sustainable materials and make fun color choices
Cariuma is a sustainable sneaker brand that has a small range of vegan options (their canvas sneakers).
Choose between high tops and low tops. I particularly like their Pantone range!
Bhava vegan boots
Why I love these: not only do Bhava make beautiful vegan boots, they have many, many reviews praising their comfort
Bhava is a vegan shoe company with one of the most unique ideas for boots I’ve come across – they sell boot ‘uppers’ that attach via straps onto short boots, transforming them into knee-high or over-the-knee boots. Now that’s one way to be eco-friendly and save space!
One great thing about their shoes is lots of customers state they’re the most comfortable vegan shoes, so if you’re looking for vegan comfort shoes you might love these. Many models also come with removable insoles.
Cult of Coquette
Why I love them: these killer vegan stilettos look (to me) like designer shoes
Sometimes when you can’t find non leather shoe brands, you have to start your own… Cult of Coquette was born when founder Bebe Roxana couldn’t find a vegan version of the Louboutins she had wanted for years and decided to create her own.
If you’re looking for a killer pair of vegan heels, Cult of Coquette has you covered. As well as heels, they have flats, bridal shoes and vegan slippers.
Stella McCartney vegan shoes
Why I love them: one of the first and only luxury designer houses to use no leather in their shoes at all
As a lifelong vegetarian, Stella McCartney doesn’t use any leather in any of her designs. Her shoe range is unique and eye-catching, and if you want proper designer shoes – these are the only fully vegan option.
Feelgrounds vegan barefoot shoes
Why I love them: it’s rare to find minimalist shoes that look like proper footwear, and not ‘clown shoes’ – Feelgrounds not only manages that, but their whole range is vegan
Feelgrounds is one of the few fully vegan minimalist/barefoot shoe brands. If you’re not familiar, barefoot shoes use an anatomical toebox (so wider than average – it may or may not suit your foot shape) as well as very thin, flexible soles, so you can feel the ground as you walk.
Most minimalist brands have leather shoes and a small range of vegan options. Feelgrounds is fully vegan. But the main thing I love about them is these don’t look like podiatrist footwear or anything similar – these just look like nice shoes, and I’ve gotten a lot of compliments from non-barefoot-wearing individuals when out and about in them.
Doc Martens (vegan options)
Yes, Dr. Martens have vegan shoes in their range!
If you’re looking for classic boots from a well-known brand, made vegan, Doc Martens have vegan friendly boots in the range (they’ve been doing it for a long time, too — I remember hearing about vegan Doc Martens from when I first went vegan in 2008).
Choose from their range of shoes for vegans which includes classic Chelsea boots, lace up black vegan boots and more. You can also choose from different colours of their cool vegan shoes such as black, white and cherry red.
You can find my guide to all vegan Doc Martens here, vegan Doc Marten boots here, and vegan Dr Martens sandals here.
More vegan shoes brands to check out:
FAQ on vegan shoes
What are vegan shoes?
Simply put, vegan shoes are shoes completely devoid of animal products. That includes the obvious like leather, but also less obvious components such as animal-based glues (yes, they still exist!).
Where to buy vegan shoes? What shoe brands are vegan?
If you’re really lucky, the city you live in might have a vegan shoe store, but it’s not all that common and unfortunately after the pandemic, many small businesses have closed.
Prior to Covid, I knew of at least four vegan shoe shops here in Barcelona, and now as far as I know only one remains open.
Thus, it’s much easier to shop online – hence this list of vegan shoe brands!
You can also sometimes find vegan friendly shoes in department stores but since animal glues don’t have to be labelled it can be hard to tell unless you get in touch with the brand. I usually buy from vegan shoe companies online.
Are vegan shoes bad for the environment? Or are vegan shoes sustainable?
One very common misconception is that leather is an eco-friendly material. Many people think it’s biodegradable, but depending on how it’s tanned, it often isn’t.
The tanning process used for 90% of leather today uses chromium, according to Common Objective, which has severe effects on workers, some as young as 10 in some countries. This range from irritation to the airways to increased cancer risk.
Because leather is a byproduct of the meat industry, it has the same detrimental effects on the environment, including releasing greenhouse gases and contributing to the deforestation of the Amazon.
The Higgs index, created by the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, measures the impacts of materials on the environment and rates leather as the second worst after alpaca wool.
So does this mean vegan shoes are the better choice? Yes, but their environmental impact depends on what they’re made from. Avoid PVC (the most environmentally damaging plastic, according to Greenpeace).
While PU (polyurethane) is rated better on the Higgs index than leather, it is still a plastic and there are better options out there.
For sustainable living in style, the most sustainable vegan shoes on the market today are made of new vegan leather materials made of waste byproducts from the food industry, such as Piñatex (pineapple leather) and apple leather. Some brands on this list also incorporate recycled materials into their shoes.
Are vegan shoes durable?
Like any shoe, this depends largely on the manufacturer, how the shoes are made, etc. I’ve had vegan shoes that lasted me 10 years, and some that wore out after a year.
Are vegan shoes good quality?
Again, it depends largely on the brand. You can find non leather shoes (though the glue may not be vegan – see above) at discount shoe stores, but they might not last you very long.
On the other hand, you can buy hand-crafted artisan vegan shoes. It depends on your budget and what you’re looking for, but you can certainly find high quality vegan shoes.
Are vegan shoes waterproof?
That depends on the material they’re made from, but there are vegan waterproof shoes out there. Check for shoes that specific list that they’re waterproof, not water-resistant (and ideally have a membrane lining).
Are vegan shoes breathable?
There’s an unfortunate misconception that vegan shoes aren’t breathable and they make your feet smell! This may have been the case a few decades ago when many non leather shoes were made out of PVC plastic, but vegan leather materials have come a long way since then (and do avoid PVC – see why above).
This footwear site actually states synthetic materials are lighter weight and more breathable.
Experts recommend you rotate your shoes and don’t wear the same pair every day. So if you’re worried about smelly shoes, be sure to rotate shoes!
Is there such a thing as designer vegan shoes?
Yes! If you’re looking for luxury, I have a guide to designer vegan shoes, which you can find here.
Although few mainstream high end designers have yet to adopt vegan shoes, Balenciaga had a vegan sneaker in the past, and former Jimmy Choo designer Alfredo Piferi created his own vegan brand in 2020 (although that appears to have quietly disappeared). Stella McCartney is the only well-known, mainstream luxury designer who makes all her shoes 100% vegan.
There are also other less famous all-vegan designers out there like Aera New York, Cult of Coquette and Mink Shoes. Perhaps they aren’t as famous as Jimmy Choo or Louboutin, but they make luxury vegan footwear that celebrities love and which will make your outfit.
What are vegan shoes made of?
There are a wide range of materials used in vegan shoes these days. While PVC used to be common, it’s the most environmentally damaging plastic and therefore I recommend avoiding it (see more information above).
Polyurethane (PU) is a commonly used vegan leather alternative. It’s more eco-friendly than leather, according to the Higgs index, but it is still plastic so you may want to look at other materials.
Other commonly used materials are cork (which is very eco friendly!), canvas and organic cotton, rubber, wood and new vegan leathers such as pineapple leather, apple leather and even mushroom leather.
Why buy vegan shoes?
- For the animals – leather is a by-product of the meat industry and all the cruelty therein (see more information on why go vegan from The Vegan Society).
- For the planet – leather was rated as the second worst material for the environment, after alpaca wool (also not vegan!) by the Higgs Index.
- For people – the tanning method used on 90% of leather on the market uses toxic chemicals that can seriously endanger the health of workers in the tanning industry, including children as young as 10 years old, causing damage to the airways and even increasing risk of cancer.
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Looking for more vegan shoe guides?
See my guides specifically for vegan women’s shoes and vegan men’s shoes.
Check out my guides to vegan leather boots (including vegan cowboy boots and vegan work boots), Doc Marten vegan Chelsea boots, vegan walking boots, vegan sandals and the best vegan sneakers.
I also have further guides to vegan Birkenstocks, vegan Skechers, vegan Uggs, vegan Timberlands, vegan Converse. vegan loafers, vegan flats and Reebok vegan trainers.
Trying to find vegan bags? See my vegan handbag guide and my guide to vegan crossbody bags.
See all my vegan fashion & beauty guides.
2 thoughts on “The Best Vegan Shoe Brands in 2026, as Chosen by a Vegan of 17 Years”
This is nice Caitlin. You should check out Solari Milano. I bought a pair of theirs at Avesu and they are the best loafers I bought so far.
Thanks for the tip, Pierre! :) I’ve just looked them up on and they look really nice.