On the lookout for ethically made vegan shoes? Put your best foot forward with my guide to vegan shoe brands in the UK for men and women, with details on each brand’s ethics.

Veganism is on the rise. In 2014, it was estimated that there were 150 thousand vegans in the UK. By 2019, that figure had quadrupled, with the Vegan Society estimating that about 600 thousand people in the UK were following a vegan diet.

The most up-to-date figures are unknown. However, with some of the main reasons for adopting a vegan diet including preventing animal cruelty and mitigating climate change, then it’s likely that the rise we’ve seen in vegan numbers will continue to follow a similar trajectory.

A rise in the number of vegans is a good thing for cruelty-free shoppers. Just a few years ago, finding a good pair of stylish yet ethical vegan shoes could be a challenge. Thankfully, it’s now easier than ever to shop for consciously made vegan-friendly fashion, as retailers have expanded their vegan offerings to meet growing demand.

The Vegan Shoe Brands In The UK For Men & Women

From trendy trainers to sophisticated loafers, there are heaps of vegan shoe brands offering cruelty-free options in the UK. These cater to every style preference, whilst avoiding leather and other animal products.

To help you out, here are my favourite ethical and vegan footwear brands.

The price range key for this guide is:

 £ = Under £50 | ££ = £50 – 100 | £££ = £100+

V.GAN

• Price range: £ – ££
• Caters for men (UK sizes 6 – 11.5) and women (UK shoe sizes 3 – 8)
• Available from Immaculate Vegan

On a mission to bring affordable, high quality and cruelty-free footwear to the world, V.GAN’s is a PETA-approved vegan shoe brand well worth a browse.

Offering a wide range of vegan shoes, boots, sandals and slippers, these are all made from cruelty-free materials. This includes recycled fabrics, such as recycled polyester linings made from plastic bottles and recycled polyurethane insoles.

Even the brand’s shoelaces are made with organic cotton, and their glues are water-based, meaning that no animal ingredients are used. V.GAN is also free from PVC and uses bio-based corn leather.

In terms of ethical production, V.GAN says it makes its shoes in Portugal, Spain, and China, in factories that are checked regularly. It also promises that everyone in its supply chain is paid a living wage.

Sign up for the Immaculate Vegan mailing list and get 10% off your first order.

Ethletic

• Price range: ££
• Caters for: Men and Women (UK sizes 4 – 11)
• Available from Ethical Superstore

If trainers are more your thing, then Ethletic Footwear (around £59.95) is proud to offer a cruelty-free alternative to leather trainers. Its fully vegan trainers are made with organic and Fairtrade-certified cotton, the rubber soles are FSC-certified and sourced responsibly, and the rubber is fairly traded.

Seeking to tick every ethical box for footwear, Ethletic is a fair-trade company, with the environment and sustainability at the core of what it does.

In addition, the pioneering Fairtrade rubber project pays a Fairtrade social premium for every kilo of rubber used in the production of these trainers. The rubber tappers then decide how to use their income to improve their living and working conditions. Almost every material used is fair trade and ecologically certified, so you can wear these shoes with a clean conscience.

Will’s Vegan Shoes

• Price range: ££ – £££
• Caters for: Men (UK sizes 6.5 – 13) and Women (UK sizes 3 – 8)
• Available from Wills Vegan Shoes

Wills Vegan Shoes makes stylish, vegan footwear for men and women. These are all produced ethically in Italy and Portugal under strict EU employment and health and safety standards that protect workers’ rights, pay and parental leave.

The shoes are made with innovative vegan leather derived from bio-based oil sourced from organic cereal crops grown in Northern Europe, alongside Ecolabel-certified vegan leathers and suedes produced in Italy and Spain. Natural rubber soles and recycled rubber insoles complete the design.

What’s more, their online store operates a plastic-free, carbon-neutral supply chain using sustainable materials.

Good News

• Price range: ££ – £££
• Caters for: Men and Women (UK sizes 4 – 12)
• Available from Immaculate Vegan

Good News shoes have a range of stylish vegan trainers which are sustainably made from organic and recycled materials.

All of the materials it works with have been chosen to limit Good News’s impact on the planet – from the components of its trainers to the packaging they come in.

From organic cotton to sustainable Tencel, hemp, recycled natural rubber soles and more, you can be sure that you’re treading lightly on the planet in these shoes.

NAE

• Price range: £££
• Caters for: Men (UK sizes 7 – 12) and Women (UK sizes 3 – 8)
• Available from Immaculate Vegan

As a Scottish person, I like to think that the name NAE means “nae leather here”. Whilst NAE isn’t a Scottish brand – it’s a Portuguese brand – the sentiment very much remains the same. This is because NAE stands for No Animal Exploitation.

This vegan shoe brand caters for both men and women, and you’ll find a wide range of boots, brogues, trainers, loafers, heels, flats, and more.

NAE makes its stylish shoes from a range of sustainable and cruelty-free fabrics. These include organic cotton, cork, recycled PET, pineapple “leather” and apple skin. Its shoes are then manufactured in certified and ethical factories in Portugal.

Sign up for the Immaculate Vegan mailing list and get 10% off your first order.

Novesta

• Price range: ££
• Caters for: Men and Women (UK sizes 4 – 11)
• Available from Toast

Slovakian brand Novesta specialises in quality handmade shoes that are manufactured in Slovakia according to the highest environmental and ethical standards.

Every one of its ethical and vegan plimsolls – made with a cotton upper and a natural rubber sole – is hand-finished by Novesta’s craftsmen. This ensures every shoe is as comfortable as its cutting-edge.

It’s important to note that not all Novesta shoes are vegan-friendly. Al of its plimsolls (its main product) are vegan. However, its trainers are made with suede so avoid them.

Veja

• Price range: ££ – £££
• Caters for: Men and Women (UK sizes 2 – 11)
• Available from Selfridges

VEJA is not a completely vegan footwear brand; however, it does have many stylish vegan shoe options in its collection. As such, I’d say VEJA is well worth a look. I’ve found they are very durable – I have a vegan pair very similar to the ones pictured here that have been going strong for nearly 6 years now, and still look great.

This organic, fair trade and ethical brand uses eco-conscious fabrics such as recycled and organic cotton, recycled plastic bottles, and sustainably harvested wild rubber to make their shoes. What’s more, workers are paid a fair wage.

Flamingos Life

• Price range: ££ – £££
• Caters for: Men and Women (UK sizes 3 – 11.5)
• Available from Alpinetrek

Flamingos Life makes stylish unisex vegan trainers that make for a stylish alternative to the big High St names.

Ethically made in Spain, everything about its vegan-friendly trainers is carefully considered. The uppers are made from organic cotton. The sole is made from natural rubber that has been sustainably extracted. Meanwhile, the eyelets are made from chrome-free metal.

What’s more, every time you make a purchase, Flamingos Life will plant five trees in deforested areas, in collaboration with Eden Reforestation Projects.

Dr Martens Vegan

• Budget: £££
• Caters for men and women (UK sizes 3 – 13)
• Available from: Dr Martens

Dr Martens may be synonymous with leather boots, but it’s actually got a decent-sized vegan selection for men and women. These are made without any animal materials or by-products, making them vegan and cruelty-free.

At very much the opposite end of the scale of fast fashion, Dr Martens is all about creating timeless, durable products. In fact, durability is a core design principle for Dr Martens, so all materials are chosen to last.

Plus, all boots are designed to be repairable. It’s partnered with The Boot Repair Co. in the UK to offer customers a repair service for all DM footwear and accessories, helping to keep them going for longer.

More Sustainable Shoe Resources

Looking for more sustainable footwear resources? Well, if you are replacing an old pair of shoes, then hold up! Here’s how you can recycle your old shoes correctly.

Wendy Graham