Best Sustainable Shoe Brands - 10 Sustainable Shoe Brands to Know

February 08, 2024

NEOUS

A pillar of shopping more sustainably is shopping less to begin with. NEOUS, a footwear and handbag brand based in Italy, focuses on modern, minimal designs that won't lose their sheen with new trend cycles. The real eco-friendly aspects at NEOUS emerge in its design process. All leathers are by-products from other industries, and other textiles incorporate organic cotton and recycled fabrics—and NEOUS is committed to upping its use of these materials for its boots and bags each season. One special element of its footwear is also its most sustainable: By crafting nearly 80 percent of all products by hand, NEOUS cuts down on emissions.

Neous Pros Overknee Knit Boot

Credit: Neous

Neous Opus Mule

Credit: Neous

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Nomasei

After design stints at Dior, Chloé, Louis Vuitton, Givenchy, and more, friends Paule Tenaillon and Marine Braquet decided to start their own shoe brand founded on sustainable principles. That brand is Nomasei, where a combination of family-owned facilities, plastic-free packaging, and slow production processes (among many other commitments they've shared) combine into jaunty boots and retro loafers that are more responsible and downright chic. The brand isn't stopping its efforts where they started: Right now, Nomasei is finishing up a renovation to its factory that will reduce energy consumption and amp up water regulation behind every shoe made.

Nomasei Armada Red Boot

Credit: Nomasei

Nomasei Rodeo Silver Boots

Credit: Nomasei

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Reformation

Reformation was founded with eco-minded practices woven into its dresses, denim, and sweaters. But the brand wasn't satisfied with the sustainability element of its first foray into shoes. Flash-forward to May 2021: Reformation relaunched footwear, this time with fewer emissions, fewer virgin plastics, and far more traceable leather.

Reformation Maize Platform Sandals

Reformation Abalonia Chunky Maryjanes

Credit: Reformation

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Stella McCartney

Stella McCartney—the woman and the designer label—prioritized environmental activism before it took on the contours of a fashion trend. In 2001, Stella McCartney released its first footwear and apparel without leathers, fur, or animal skins, and kept adding new green practices from there. In the present, you can find everything from towering reemergence boots made with PVC-free glitter to chunky hiking boots with sustainable wooden soles.

Stella McCartney Emilie Teddy Boot

Credit: The Yes

Stella McCartney Over-The-Knee Duck City Glitter Boot

Now 22% Off

Credit: Stella McCartney

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St. Agni

For a dose of sustainability in your resort wardrobe, St. Agni is the shoe brand to shop. The Australian label already uses environmentally conscious materials for its woven sandals and mules, and has global certifications for green production, but it's taking efforts a large step further. St. Agni is working to become fully traceable—meaning every material it uses in the supply chain can be followed back to its original source, ensuring it's as sustainable as it sounds every step of the way. For a full look, the label also carries breezy dresses and tailored separates made with the same ethics.

St. Agni Arne Woven Slides

Credit: Net-a-Porter

St. Agni Clea Woven Slide

Now 50% Off

Credit: Moda Operandi

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Piferi

Piferi launched only in 2020, but it's already making an impact on party heel collections everywhere. What you see are feminine heels in baby-pink satins and patent black; what's actually in front of you are bio-based corn compounds and post-consumer waste, materials with lower emissions than a typical shoe. Now you know: A reduced environmental impact can be downright pretty.

Piferi Judy 50mm Slingback Pump

Credit: Farfetch

Piferi Tremaine Ballerina Shoe

Credit: Farfetch

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Ma'am

Ma'am shoes are for the woman who sees her shoes as an exclamation point to a bold outfit. What this line's candy-colored sandals and low heels offer in comfort and sunburst energy, they match in eco-mindedness. Ma'am built its sustainability program around local production, working with an ethically managed factory in Los Angeles and cutting freight shipping to reduce emissions. Supporting women also factors into Ma'am's sustainability manifesto. Each season, the brand promotes an organization dedicated to women's empowerment, like I Am a Voter and Baby2Baby.

Ma'am CJ Sandals

Credit: Ma'am Shoes Lettermark

Halie LeSavage is the fashion commerce editor at Harper's BAZAAR. Her style reporting covers everything from reviewing the best designer products to profiling emerging brands and designers. Previously, she was the founding retail writer at Morning Brew and a fashion associate at Glamour.

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