The Best Vegan Shoe Brands In The UK To Know In 2024
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On the lookout for ethically made vegan shoes? Put your best foot forward with my guide to the best 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 Best Vegan Shoe Brands In The UK For Men & Women
From trendy trainers to sophisticated loafers, the UK market is bursting with cruelty-free options that cater to every style preference.
And it’s not just about avoiding leather; it’s about embracing innovative materials that make you look good and feel even better about your choices. We’re talking about cutting-edge designs that rival any traditional footwear, minus the guilt about using animal-based materials.
As well as guiding you through the top brands, I’ll also dig deep into each vegan shoe brand’s ethical practices. This is because I believe in fashion that doesn’t compromise on principles.
The price range key for this guide is:
£ = Under £50 | ££ = £50 – 100 | £££ = £100+
Use the quick links to jump to information about each brand or keep scrolling for the full post:
Loci
- Price range: £££
- Caters for Men (UK sizes 3.5 – 12) and Women (UK sizes 3.5 – 9.5)
- Available from: Loci
For vegan-friendly trainers, Loci is one brand to look at. It uses only entirely sustainable vegan materials and 100% recycled plastics to make its footwear.
With a sole made from recycled rubber, an insole made from cork, and uppers made using 20 recycled plastic bottles every part of the shoe is crafted sustainably.
Worried about getting sweaty feet with all that plastic? Don’t worry. The comfortable and breathable inner means this isn’t the case.
With this focus on sustainability, you might think there is a compromise on quality. This isn’t the case. Each pair is carefully designed to withstand everyday use whilst offering maximum comfort and water resistance.
And there’s more to love. All of Loci’s shoes are handmade in its factory in Portugal. Plus 10% of all Loci’s profits go towards making lifesaving changes for sea life around the world.
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 the recycled polyester linings made from plastic bottles and the recycled polyurethane insoles. 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 free from PVC and also uses bio-based corn leather.
In terms of ethical production, V.GAN says it makes it 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.
Bhava
- Price range: £££
- Caters for women (UK shoe sizes 2 – 7)
- Available from Content Beauty
Looking for vegan boots? Bhava boots are one to look at. This stylish vegan boots are ethically handcrafted in Spain with longevity in mind. As well as being designed timelessly, they’re designed with a repairable sole in mind so that you can repair your boots.
What’s more, every pair of Bhava’s boots is made with premium Italian vegan leather. This is polyurethane (PU) leather, that is free from aromatic amines, PCP, formaldehyde, PVC, phthalates, azo-dyes, or chrome.
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 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.
Find them on sale in the UK at Ethical Superstore, from £54.
Good News
- Price range: ££ – £££
- Caters for: Men and Women (UK sizes 4 – 12)
- Available from John Lewis
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, as NAE stands for No Animal Exploitation.
This vegan shoe brand caters for both men and women, and you’ll find a whole manner of boots, brogues, trainers, loafers, heels flats, and more.
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.
All of its shoes are 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 Trouva
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 trainers – made with a cotton upper and a natural rubber sole – is hand-finished by Novesta’s craftsmen, and every shoe is as comfortable as its cutting-edge
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. I’d say VEJA is well worth a look in your hunt for ethical and vegan shoes. 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 4 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 Trouva
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.
Good Guys Don’t Wear Leather
- Price range: ££ – £££
- Caters for: Women (UK sizes 3 – 7)
- Available from Content Beauty
Good Guys Don’t Wear Leather is a vegan-friendly, cruelty-free and sweatshop-free ethical shoe brand well worth putting on your radar.
It manufactures its stylish shoes in Portugal in a fair trade environment. Plus Good Guys Don’t Wear Leather uses vegan ‘leather’ or vegan ‘suede’ to make its uppers, and uses canvas, natural rubber or wood for the soles. You won’t find any animal products here.
Which vegan shoes are your favourite?
And if you are replacing an old pair of shoes, then hold up! Here’s how you can recycle your old shoes correctly.
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Great post, I love that VEJA shoe, it is my favourite here.
Thank you!
Sole Rebels have a good range of Fairtrade sustainable shoes, many of which are also vegan
Vegan shoes are great when they are made from natural fibres- but the ones that try to mimic leather are usually terribly unsustainable. When I buy vegan shoes I try to stick to natural fibre options
Thanks for the link, these are fab! Natural fibre shoes are great in the right conditions, but the problem with natural fibre shoes for me is when you live in a cold and wet country like Scotland, they’re not often the most practical options! I don’t know what the right answer is when it comes to vegan footwear – it’s a very tricky issue!
Can I have them all as favourites? I am trying to phase out leather from my wardrobe so this article is brilliant for me as I hadn’t heard of a couple of these places. I like the Espirit print trainers and the Inkkas ones too. Have you seen Will’s Vegan Shoes? I am liking their vegan biker boots at the moment.
I love the Esprit ones, they look so comfy and easy to wear with anything… I may have to investigate a bit further. Thanks so much for point those out!