The Sustainable Summer Shoe Guide
By Jaclyn Tracy
Jaclyn wearing her Poppy Barley Shoes
Update your summer look with shoes that match your summer energy. Whether you’re walking miles and miles on your latest adventure or strolling down cobblestone streets in your favorite heel, you’re sure to find something for every occasion in our sustainable summer shoe guide!
Keep reading for a roundup of sustainable shoe makers that hit all the categories for summer: sporty, classic, comfy and bold.
Sneakers
Image: Veja
VEJA
V-10 J Mesh Jute Pierre Multico
Enter: the perfect summer sneaker. No matter what you’re wearing, this shoe just works!
Sustainability Efforts:
Manufacturing, labor & material policies are published on the website to maintain transparency. Veja is a certified B Corp.
Materials are upcycled whenever possible and leather is sourced sustainability.
Made In: Brazil
Image: All Birds
ALL BIRDS
Made for those who value comfort, breathability and movement, All Birds delivers with this everyday sneaker. I personally run in these shoes multiple times a week and absolutely love the support they give.
Sustainability Efforts:
Crafted with planet-friendly natural materials, like merino wool and eucalyptus trees. The standard sneaker emits 12.5 kg CO2e but an average allbirds shoe emits only 7.6 kg CO2e.
The company’s goal is to completely offset their carbon footprint from the beginning to the end of production.
Heels & Sandals
Image: Able
ABLE
Trade in your synthetic heels for a sustainable option that doesn’t sacrifice style. You’ll still get the classic look and feel of a traditional block heel without having to worry about ethics and the environment.
Sustainability Efforts:
Able is a certified B Corp and maintains fair labor practices and wages for all employees and factory workers.
Shoes are female artisan-made and use responsibly sourced materials.
Packaging uses eco-friendly materials.
Image: Poppy Barley
POPPY BARLEY
I am absolutely in love with these shoes aesthetically and ergonomically. I have walked miles in them and they are truly so comfortable.
Sustainability Efforts:
Use a variety of sustainable materials in their products, including LWG leather, organic cotton, and vegan materials.
Use leather from tanneries that are certified by the Leather Working Group (LWG) whenever possible. The LWG is a non-profit organization that sets standards for environmental and social responsibility in the leather industry.
Offer a vegan line of accessories that are made from cactus leather without any animal products.
Use environmentally friendly materials for 90% of their packaging including Forest Stewardship Council (FCS) certified boxes.
Visit their factories in person to recertify them based on their sustainability criteria.
Made In: Mexico & Europe
Flats
Image: Nisolo
NISOLO
The hand-woven, high quality and responsibly made sandal that will take you anywhere this summer.
Sustainability Efforts:
Uses a variety of sustainable materials in their products, including chrome-free leather, recycled materials, and organic cotton.
Nisolo measures, reduces, and offsets 100% of their carbon emissions. They are a Climate Neutral Certified brand, which means that they have been independently verified to be taking action to reduce their climate impact.
Nisolo ensures that their suppliers pay their workers a living wage and provide safe working conditions.
Image: Alohas
ALOHAS
Buckle up! These white leather slingback sandals will take your summer style to new fashion destinations.
Sustainability Efforts:
On-demand production: means they don’t produce any more or any less than what is ordered. This means that every time we launch a new collection, we wait for new orders to come in to begin producing. This is the most sustainable way of shopping because it creates 0% excess material. This is why we give you 30% off at launch - to encourage on-demand shopping. After two weeks, when the first batch of orders begins production, the discount drops to 15%.
Made from a variety of sustainable materials
Fair labor practices
Made In: Spain
