Sustainable Shoe Shopping Guide + 13 Top Brands Of 2023

Cariuma's minimalist sneakers and slip-ons are designed to be super breathable and comfortable; perfect for a long day on your feet, no break-in needed. Bonus: Many of them are machine washable so they'll stay looking fresh no matter what you put them through. Made with natural and recycled materials like bamboo and plastic bottles, they also leave a light footprint. As a B Corp certified company, Cariuma offsets the carbon emissions of its shipping and plants two trees for each pair of sneaks they sell.

What our testers say: "I shouldn't love white sneakers as much as I do… My current lineup includes popular styles like Air Force 1s, Jordans, and Cortezes—but there's one pair that's quickly surpassing the others to become an absolute favorite: the Cariuma Oca Low Sneakers. I've been wearing the off-white canvas shoe for two months now, and I've been astounded. The comfy style packs plenty of arch support yet still looks so undeniably chic that my husband calls them my 'fancy sneakers.'" — Hannah Margaret Allan, mindbodygreen's Executive Editor

Allbirds made a splash on the sustainability scene when it launched its comfy, minimalist merino wool sneaker back in 2016. Since then, the brand has continued to up the ante with renewable materials like sugar cane, emissions reduction goals, and an open-sourced Carbon Calculator. Now, Allbirds collects its old shoes that are still in good shape and resells them for a discount on the ReRun platform—a treasure trove of sustainable secondhands for him and her.

Thousand Fell is on a zero-waste mission, and the brand designs each pair of its shoes to be recycled and worn by someone new. To incentivize the process, the brand charges customers a $20 "recycling deposit," which gets returned when they send in their old pair. As for the shoes themselves, they're a crisp white with cool detailing and innovative materials. Think insoles made from recycled rubber yoga mats and biobased plastics made from coconut husk and sugar cane.

What our reviewers say: "Finding comfortable sneakers that look as good as they feel is always going to be a struggle, but Thousand Fell's Lace Up Sneakers are the closest thing that I've found to perfection. They offer the right amount of support for long walks and require zero break-in time. And thanks to the company's closed-loop practices, giving your clothing a second life has never been easier. Now I just have to resist buying every color." —Braelyn Wood, mindbodygreen Deputy Commerce Editor

Allow me to introduce you to Avarcas: the traditional shoe of Menorca, Spain, that just might be the most comfortable and durable footwear out there. I personally have been wearing mine for years for practically every occasion and they still look and feel as good as new. Pons Avarcas is a Spanish family-run company making them to the highest standards from partially recycled rubber and ethically raised leather treated without dangerous chemicals. Vegan or avoiding animal products? They sell options made from synthetic leather as well (though these come with their own environmental concerns).

Nashville-based shoe company Nisolo has taken impressive steps to become a leader in the footwear industry. For starters, the certified B Corp guarantees living wages for all of the people who help create their products, and they're transparent about the environmental impact of their shoes. Like, really transparent. Peep each product's Sustainability Facts panel (cleverly modeled after the ubiquitous Nutrition Facts label) to get a rundown of how it measures up across 200 sustainability metrics on a 100% scale. Any emissions the Climate Neutral company does emit are offset through investments in the Amazon Basin.

Christy Dawn's signature breezy dresses show just how chic deadstock (left over from the manufacturing process) fabric can become. The California-cool brand's leather shoes now do the same. Crafted from leather that was deemed slightly too imperfect to sell, these one-of-a-kind shoes transform "waste" into timeless classics that will literally never go out of style. As one reviewer puts it, they are "the granny boots of dreams."

AERA is one of the few luxury shoe companies to have a B Corp certification for its commitment to sustainability. The vegan brand uses mostly virgin materials—many of which are petroleum-derived—to replace the look and feel of leather, which is not ideal. But they do conduct life-cycle assessments on their shoes to figure out the rough emissions of each pair, then offset all of it and then some (hence their "110% sustainable" pledge).

WODEN, standing for Works of Denmark, is a Scandanavian company selling ruggedly timeless sneakers and boots. The brand uses innovative materials including leather made from fish skins—a waste product from the fishing industry that gets destroyed 99% of the time. The leather is then treated in a tanning process that's low in carbon emissions and toxic chemicals. Other materials you'll find in their naturally soft and supportive shoes include algae, recycled polyester, cork, and recycled rubber.

Cool-girl-certified Climate Neutral company Reformation discloses its emissions reduction goals, factory locations and conditions, and sustainability progress report on its website—though it could share more about where its raw materials come from. From leather platforms to cowboy boots, they have an extended line of shoes that adhere to their standards of ethical and transparent production. The latest addition is their recycled cotton canvas shoes printed in fun designs. Once you wear yours out, Reformation will give you a $25 store credit to recycle them.

Looking for a running shoe that will fit just right, provide the perfect level of cushion, and not pollute the environment with tons of plastic and rubber? Meet Veja's runners, an extension of their cult-favorite line of minimalist white kicks. The B Corp–certified brand swaps the petroleum-derived plastics and virgin rubber of typical sneakers for bio-based and recycled materials that will feel great on your feet and look downright cool as you flash by.

An ode to Hawaiian design, OluKai shoes have a breezy look and a tough and durable finish. They are made to last with leather that looks better with age but also do have some parts made from virgin plastic and rubber. The B Corp–certified company has a strong philanthropic component, and a portion of proceeds from each sandal sale goes toward conserving the cultural heritage of Hawai'i.

ACBC (Anything Can Be Changed, for the uninitiated) is an Italian footwear company "founded in 2017 with a mindset of 2030." Their clean, simple sneakers prioritize natural materials—down to the jute-fiber brown laces—and each pair makes an environmental statement with unique lettering and imagery. Based on ACBC's latest CO2 analysis, each pair has about half the carbon footprint of a traditional sneaker. When you're done with yours, the brand will collect them (and any other old shoes you have lying around) to be recycled.

Always struggle to keep your shoes clean? Kengos vegan sneakers are a breeze to wash. Just throw them in the machine on a cold setting and let them air dry. Each pair touts a unique look that's designed to be completely glue-free. Yep, the bottom soles are laced on to make disassembly a breeze. Once Kengos collects their used shoes from you, they take them apart and repurpose the parts they can into new shoes, composting or recycling the rest.