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The Ultimate Guide to More Ethical and Sustainable Shoes

23 hours ago 4

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Shoes are a core part of any outfit, and finding ones that match your morals and your style can be tricky. Here’s our ultimate guide to more ethical and sustainable shoes that suit your needs.

Stroll through our curation of top-rated footwear

They are everywhere and in overwhelming numbers, but somehow, shoes are never easy to find. The perfect pair is something of a unicorn, as it has to be just right for either every occasion or a very specific one. And while finding great, more sustainable shoes adds an extra layer of sole searching, we promise it’s worth it for the fulfilment that you could never find in the cheap and questionably made non-choices that seem to be everywhere. Investing in a pair of more ethical, high quality shoes and learning how to take care of them—and getting them repaired when needed—is ultimately more sustainable for the planet and for your bank account.

To help you on your quest, we’ve curated this ultimate guide to more ethical and sustainable shoes separated by category for easy browsing. Each of the brands below is rated “Good” or “Great” following our world-leading ratings methodology, and they all aim to fight the environmental issues posed by the cheap and traditional take-make-waste model fast fashion brands so often rely on. Step on up and take a look.

Sneakers

Agazi

black and white sneakers from agazi

Bare 1 Sneakers – Ships internationally from Poland

Agazi is a vegan footwear brand from Poland. Its range spans sneakers, sandals, heels, and flat shoes, all made using non-animal-derived materials including hemp and apple skin and grape-based alternative leathers.

See the rating.

Shop Agazi.

Etiko

A pair of black high top sneakers with white laces and sole by Etiko.

High Top Sneakers – Ships internationally from Australia

Etiko is an Australian designer of organic fair trade clothing and shoes. The brand constantly sets the bar for upholding and campaigning the human rights of people working in traditionally exploitative industry supply chains.

Find the clothes in AU sizes 8-20, and the shoes in UK sizes 3-13.

See the rating.

Shop Etiko.

ID.EIGHT

Hana White Crinkle – Ships internationally from Italy

ID.EIGHT is an Italian brand that was born from the meeting between Dong Seon Lee and Giuliana Borzillo, both come from the world of footwear, where they worked and met. Together they have created a more ethical and sustainable collection of sneakers with a refined design. The shoes are made in Italy with lower-impact materials from food industry waste such as apple peels, grape stalks and seeds, and pineapple leaves, as well as recycled cotton and polyester.

Find the shoes in EU sizes 36-46.

See the rating.

Shop ID.EIGHT.

COG

cog white high-top sneakers

Wallace Sneakers – Ships internationally from France

Based in France, COG is a footwear label that creates more sustainable, vegan shoes from lower impact materials including natural cork, used cotton scraps, and plant-based recycled materials such as grape pomace, repurposed corn, and recycled bamboo.

Offered in sizes EU 35-46.

See the rating.

Shop COG.

Shop COG @ Shop Like You Give a Damn.

Spell

slouchy boots from spell

Olivia Slouchy Boots – Ships internationally from Australia

Spell is an Australian fashion brand inspired by far-off places, vintage treasures, and childhood memories. Its clothes are proudly designed and sampled in Byron Bay, and produced responsibly in factories around the world.

Most garments are available in sizes 2XS-2XL.

See the rating.

Shop Spell.

ESSĒN

the riding boot from essen

The Riding Boots – Ships internationally from Australia and Europe

“I founded ESSĒN in 2016 as a response to a fashion cycle that overproduces more than it carefully crafts, chases trends more than it determines classics, and wastes more than it sustains,” says founder Marre Muijs. The shoes and accessories brand, which limits its production runs and uses low-waste cutting techniques, eschews the fashion calendar in favour of a single, permanent collection.

See the rating.

Shop ESSĒN.

Looking for more inspiration? Discover our favourite winter boots from top-rated brands

Heels, flats, and sandals

Christy Dawn

brown ballerina shoes from christy dawn

The Ballerina T-Strap Shoes – Ships internationally from the US

Christy Dawn is a minimalist showroom for vintage-inspired women’s clothing and footwear, locally made with surplus fabric. The US brand rates “Great”, making it a fabulous option for your wardrobe.

Find the clothes in standard sizes XS-XL, or shop the Extended and Petite collections.

See the rating.

Shop Christy Dawn.

Bhava

bhava metallic flat shoes

Slip-On Classic Flats – Ships internationally from the US

BHAVA is an innovative vegan women’s footwear brand founded by designer Francisca Pineda. The brand uses some environmentally friendly materials, such as organic cotton and recycled materials. It also does not use aromatic amines, PCP, formaldehyde, PVC, phthalates, azo-dyes, or chrome when creating its vegan leather.

See the rating.

Shop Bhava.

Elk

black mule shoes from elk

Sig Mules – Ships internationally from Australia

A pioneer of independent Australian design, Elk was founded in Melbourne in 2004. Elk creates bi-annual collections that are informed by a design ethos where simplicity and sustainability meet innovation.

Find most items in AU sizes 6-18.

See the rating.

Shop Elk.

Reformation

brown suede loafers from reformation

Francine Loafer Mules – Ships internationally

LA-based Reformation creates “killer clothes that don’t kill the environment.” The brand ensures that a proportion of its suppliers pay a living wage, and provides training to its suppliers to improve working conditions for workers in its supply chain.

Its range is available in sizes XS-3XL.

See the rating.

Shop Reformation.

Vesica Piscis

wallabee-style shoes from vesica piscis

Seneca Shoes – Ships internationally from Spain

Vesica Piscis is a vegan footwear brand based in Spain. It uses a high proportion of lower-impact materials, uses renewable energy in its manufacturing, and works on a made-to-order basis to reduce waste.

Find most shoes in sizes 36-46.

See the rating.

Shop Vesica Piscis.

Editor's note

Feature image via Christy Dawn, other images via brands mentioned. Good On You publishes the world’s most comprehensive ratings of fashion and beauty brands’ impact on people, the planet, and animals. Use our directory to search thousands of rated brands.

We updated this article on 9 June 2026. Our editors frequently make updates to articles to ensure they’re up to date. We refreshed our selection of brands and products.

Ethical brand ratings. There’s an app for that.

Wear the change you want to see. Download our app to discover ethical brands and see how your favourites measure up.

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