The Most Stylish Vegan Shoes On the Internet

Adopting a vegan lifestyle is no easy feat. Not just because cheese is so incredibly delicious (sorry, but faux brie just can’t compare to the real deal), but because animal products are so commonly used in so many areas of our lives. If you’ve been considering going vegan, or expanding on your vegan practices, your wardrobe is one of the easier places to start. There are a bunch of vegan brands out there, including many that make vegan shoes both your feet and your animal friends will be mighty pleased about.

Simply put, vegan shoes are made without animal products—leather, suede, wool, silk, etc.—or materials that are tested on animals. While the exclusion of things like leather may be obvious, there are also other things to consider, like vegan glue alternatives for construction.

Eco-friendly and sustainable brands aren’t necessarily vegan, nor are shoes made from vegan leather. (Vegan shoes also aren’t necessarily eco-friend/sustainable, though many make very good attempts to be both.) A brand’s website should be very clear about both materials and production methods used if it claims to be vegan. There is also a PETA certification label you can look for. If you just aren’t sure, reach out to ask! A truly vegan brand will likely be eager and excited to share its practices with its customers.

With that said, here are the best vegan shoe brands to start shopping ASAP, with recommendations on our favorite styles, plus TK more brands with vegan options worth exploring.

This Meghan Markle-approved footwear brand makes shoes that are both entirely vegan and machine washable, a true win-win in our book. Rothy’s shoes are also sustainable—they’re made from materials using eco-friendly practices that cut way down on environmental impact and the brand also has an in-house recycling program for shoes that are beyond repair to round out its circularity as a company. It also makes machine-washable handbags and men’s and children’s shoe styles, too.

Another entirely vegan brand, Native Shoes make so much more than just those adorable children’s perforated rubber sneakers. Native’s lineup also includes flats, sandals and even winter-ready boots, none of which include any animal products. It also has a newly launched recycling program, the Native Shoes Remix Project, so recycling your old worn-out shoes is super easy.

If trendy, budget-friendly designs are what you’re after, then you should definitely check out Call it Spring. The affordable shoe and accessory brand is 100 percent vegan and almost everything is under $50, from chunky sneakers to colorful sandals to minimalist kitten heels. Call it Spring also recently announced plans to up its sustainability efforts like swapping packaging materials, eliminating single use plastic and working toward carbon neutrality, and eventually a carbon negative footprint.

Almost all Converse shoes are vegan, the only exceptions being a very small number of leather and suede designs, so if you’re looking for a pair of classic kicks to add to your collection, this is definitely a good place to start. All the OG silhouettes, like Chuck Taylors All Stars and the Chuck 70, have multiple vegan options, and many of the new releases are also made using more sustainable and eco-friendly methods, something Converse hopes to continue elaborating on over the next few years. There are also some vegan leather and vegan suede options, so be sure to check the materials before you add to cart.

For those willing to splurge on designer vegan goods you can’t do much better than Stella McCartney. The high-end brand is a favorite among fashion industry insiders and celebs like Kate Hudson, Rihanna, Amal Clooney, Beyonce, Florence Pugh and Taraji P. Henson. Not only are McCartney’s pieces entirely vegan, but many use materials and production methods that are at the very forefront of vegan technology (hence their rather hefty price tags). She also has an ongoing collaboration with Adidas, regularly releasing new collections of vegan workout wear, including sneakers, at a more affordable price point.

Full disclosure, not all Veja shoes are vegan, but it does have a larger offering of vegan options than most other combination brands, about one third of its shoes. There is a specific vegan section on the brand’s website, but if you’re shopping elsewhere, like at Nordstrom or Zappos look for shoes labels as made with canvas, mesh or CWL (corn-coated cotton).

Another wonderful affordable option, Matt & Nat is a Canadian company that makes vegan shoes, bags, accessories and a small collection of outerwear, too. Its specialty is vegan leather (the moto jackets are not to be missed), but it has an entire page dedicated to explaining all the materials it uses, which include recycled materials and innovative synthetics alike.