Are Vegan Shoes Just a Trend or Are They Here to Stay?

Sustainability is not only a hot topic, but it is also one the world needs to pay attention to. Taking care of the planet is necessary. One part of that is the kind of footwear you decide to wear.

Choosing to wear sustainable footwear is easier than it seems and has become more popular in recent years. You can find different brands of eco-friendly shoes that are inherently better for the environment.

Here is why vegan shoes are here to stay.

What Are Vegan Shoes?

Vegan shoes are not something to eat, but hopefully, you weren’t confused about that! Rather, vegan shoes are holistic footwear, not made from any animal products.

Shoes made of leather, fur, wool, and even silk all come from animals in some way. However, those often have bad environmental impacts. You can make a more ethical sustainable footwear choice by considering vegan shoes instead.

Will’s Vegan footwear is a good choice. Check them out!

How Are Vegan Shoes Made?

Vegan shoes are made from products that are not from animals. This means that alternative materials need to be used when making eco-friendly shoes.

There are a few materials used in vegan shoes:

• cotton (from ethical sources)
• microfibers
• synthetic fibers (think nylon or acrylic)
• renewable materials (think bamboo)
• recycled materials (like rubber, plastic, or cardboard)

There are a few other materials that are used in the making of sustainable footwear too. When a shoe is made with any of these materials, you know you have found shoes with good environmental impacts.

Eco-Friendly Shoes Are More Eco-Friendly

When you choose to wear vegan shoes, you not only choose an ethical product, but you also choose shoes that will last a long time. Moreover, you buy shoes that do not have a large carbon footprint from when they were made.

Compared to leather, vegan shoes are way more eco-friendly. The carbon footprint of shoes made with synthetic materials is much smaller than shoes made of leather.

Plus, many companies that sell sustainable footwear often have closed-loop recycling circles. All recycling is done within this circle, so the consumer is encouraged to recycle their old sustainable footwear with the company itself. Then, the company can recycle the shoes and reuse them to make another pair.

This means you still need to avoid fast fashion. Just because something says it is eco-friendly does not mean that the labor behind it was ethical. Fast fashion is a major polluter and often takes advantage of marginalized workers in developing countries.

See where the shoes were made and under what conditions before you buy them. Otherwise, your eco-friendly shoes are not so friendly after all.

The Definition of Sustainable Footwear

Vegan shoes are the definition of sustainable footwear. Because of how they are made, they often have positive environmental impacts.

Want to learn more about other vegan fashion tips? Check out the rest of our website for more content!