Fashion Girl’s Guide to Vegan Shoe Brands

To be completely honest (and probably a little controversial), I am a vegan girl who in the past has bought leather shoes, because I could not find well designed, quality and reasonably priced vegan footwear.

Luckily, cruelty free sustainably made footwear has been one of the biggest fashion trends of 2020. No longer is it the game of “the beige sneaker” or the “quirky clog” — there is now a decent range of fabulous ethical brands who are making fashionable vegan shoes with sustainability in mind. Here are some of my current favourites.

Stella McCartney

When it comes to cruelty free shoes and accessories Stella McCartney has been a pioneer in the field since 2001 — long before we I even knew anything about vegan footwear. Yes, the price tag is steep, but boy are Stella McCartney shoes beautiful and an investment.

Price: $500 - $1,500 AUD

Sydney Brown

Although Sydney Brown shoes are also a little pricey, they are considerably cheaper then Stella McCartney footwear and are just as chic. The folks at Sydney Brown have perfected the vegan Napa leather black booties and I am in love. As well, as being completely vegan, the brand is also consious about the sustainability of their shoes — a lot of effort goes into minimising the environmental impact and they are very open about what materials are used and how and where the shoes are made which I absolutely love.

Price $300 - $600 AUD

Veja

I have been a fan of Veja sneakers for a while now and I was super stocked that they have recently released a vegan sneaker range with a leather look. The brand is also very transparent about what every shoes is made out of, where they source all materials and make their products. You are looking at my next sneaker purchase below.

Price $160 - $250 AUD

Mat & Nat

Founded in 1995, this Canadian brand is a great choice simple yet chic vegan shoes (and accessories). Mat & Nat release new on trend styles each season and the shoes are very reasonably priced. As well, as being vegan, the brand the aims to be as sustainable, as they can — over the years they have experimented with all sorts of synthetic materials (many of which are recycled) and know what works best for your feet and the environment.

Price: $50 - $150 AUD

Rafa

These gorgeous shoes are designed and hand-crafted by a group of 20 artisans in California using ecologically friendly materials and sustainable processes; all of the shoes are made out of vegan recycled textile. While the shoes are on the pricier end, the fact that they have added double lined orthopaedic foam insole will means that you will love wearing these as much, as you love to look of the shoes.

Price $300 - $500 AUD

Nelson Made

Nelson Made has just released the cutest collection of summer sandals that sustainably made in Melbourne. While not all of the shoes are vegan, Nelson Made use innovative materials that are low impact, including recycled leather, chrome-free leather, organic linen, and OEKO TEX-certified fabrics. I’m in love with this brand, the shoes are at a great price point and you will definitely be seeing more of these on the blog.

Price $200-$280 AUD

I would absolutely love to hear about some of your favourite vegan brands (shoes or otherwise) and will be sharing more recommendations on the blog. Please leave your recommendations in comments and sign up for our mailing listing to get the latest posts straight to your mail box.

Lots of love,

Lena