Best Foot Forward: These 9 Shoe Brands Combine Style with Sustainability

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At a glance: The best sustainable shoes

The climate crisis it's real. The statistics are grim. The hurdles are high. But if we've learned anything recently, it should be that great things can happen when we all put our heads together, attack a common problem, and commit to making meaningful change.

One easy change you can make is in your fashion choices — specifically, your choices. Today, there are newer players like Allbirds and Rothy's, as well as established giants like Adidas, who are thinking outside the shoe box to make their footwear production more sustainable.

A whole new world of vegan leather, bamboo uppers, recycled ocean plastic and kelp and sugar cane soles are on the shelves, and cutting-edge carbon-neutral and low-water, low-waste and low-carbon technologies are being developed regularly. And the convenient truth is that no one is asking you to sacrifice style for sustainability. Even sneakerheads will be impressed with the brands below that are trying to make the world a better, safer, and cleaner place one step at a time.

What are the best sustainable shoe brands?

Looking for the best sustainable shoe brands online? We've rounded up some of our favorites, from casual kicks for a festival or brunch to sneakers that will hold their own during tough workouts and runs.

1. Allbirds sneakers

I'd walk 500 miles if it meant ending the climate crisis, especially if I did it in a great new set of breathable and durable Tree Runners from Allbirds, the popular shoe brand that makes footwear from sustainable materials.

Tree Dashers are made from renewable eucalyptus trees in South Africa and foam derived from sugar cane from Brazil. Or, choose the slipper-like Merino wool Runners, the cozy Pipers or the puddle-proof Mizzles, you know if it happened to rain on that hypothetical mission.

All this to say that you really can't go wrong with this brand that is the antithesis of fast fashion and one of the most transparent big businesses out there. All birds tax themselves on 100 percent of their carbon emissions annually and label each product with its personal carbon footprint. All of their shoes are basically made from wool sourced from healthy ethical farms, the aforementioned tree parts from Forest Stewardship Council certified olive groves, and/or their trademark SweetFoam, the world's first green, carbon negative EVA. They care so deeply about protecting the environment that they went a step further and gave the competition the recipe for it. Recently Reebok, Timberland and Ugg have bitten. The brand has invested in the technology that creates the world's first 100 percent natural plant platinum and plans to introduce styles using it later this year.

2. Cariuma sports shoes

With kicks as cute, cool, and consciously crafted as of Karyuma, there's no longer an excuse to stock your wardrobe with synthetic sneakers. Endorsing this Brazilian-made brand with vibrant colors also puts you in good company as Jon Hamm, Pete Wentz, Brooke Shields and Jesse Tyler Ferguson are among Cariuma's celebrity endorsers.

You can also feel a burst of superiority knowing that for every pair sold, Cariuma's founders have committed to not only plant 10 trees at a tipping point in the endangered Amazon rainforest, but also pay back the indigenous communities that live in said forest to do the heavy lifting.

Currently, Carium says 43 percent of the ingredients they use are 100 percent vegan. It's a number they're aiming to increase to more than 50 percent this year. The meat-based materials for the leather options are responsibly sourced from Argentina, Thailand, Brazil (but not the Amazon regions deforested by cattle ranching) and China, and all water used in leather production and suede is recycled and reused. OCA canvases use organic cotton and the highest purity rubber and IBIs are made from low-impact bamboo and recycled plastic.

3. Dr. Martens

Dr. Martens Leather shoes and boots have been staples in the fashion world for decades, but the brand isn't afraid to make some changes in the name of sustainability. Now they offer vegan options like these Loafers Adrian Felixwhich are made from synthetic leather that uses zero animal products.

However, even though the material may be different, you still get the look, feel and longevity you'd expect from Dr. Martens. The shoes feature Goodyear-welted lines, heat sealing and stitching, all of which help the shoes last for years. This resilience is another aspect of Dr.'s sustainability. Martens. Things that are meant to last are arguably the best means of being sustainable. The longer your shoes last, the more time it takes buy more.

4. Swabian

Suavs shoes are lightweight, comfortable and stylish, making them a versatile choice for travel, work, date nights and everything in between. The shoes are made from what Suavs calls 100% recycled digital knit, essentially an ultra-soft and flexible fabric made from recycled post-consumer water bottles. Everything is controlled to ensure minimal impact on the environment, with an emphasis on reducing material waste during procurement and production.

As for the shoes themselves, think comfortable slip-on sneakers, lace-ups and slides for men and women, all designed to go with everything from shorts to jeans and trousers. The shoes are all incredibly breathable, with moisture wicking properties, allowing you to go sockless without getting sweaty or soaked. The durable outsoles make them ideal for walking or casual hiking without putting a strain on your feet.

5. Rothy's Shoes

To create Rothy's colorful, modern collections, the founders started with threads from recycled plastic bottles and merino wool. (They've used 75 million discards so far.) Their lace-ups, loafers, slip-ons and best-selling pointy-toe flats are assembled by hand and 3D knitting technology for shape. Shipping boxes are 100 percent recyclable and resealable for returns to avoid wasted tape. They apply all the same eco-friendly practices to their adorable purses, bags, and weekends.

6. Adidas Stan Smith sneakers

Fly since Run-DMC rapped for them in the '80s, Adidas' new greener version of the Stan Smith sneaker is also pretty fresh. They look identical to the originals, but the viability limit has been increased. The upper is now made with Primegreen, a range of high-performance recycled materials that make up at least 50 percent of the upper, and no virgin polyester. Even the iconic Adidas blue shoe box received a redesign with Mother Nature in mind. It is now manufactured with approximately 90 percent recycled paper.

7. People

The Atoms Model 000 is a relaxed skater-style sneaker that's 99 percent recyclable, made with materials like recycled brass for the eyelets and antimicrobial copper threads. They are also 100 percent vegan, so they create less carbon emissions than animal products. They also use a waterless dyeing process, which conserves the precious resource and eliminates the possibility of toxic runoff into groundwater or soil.

The shoes They are to be commended for reducing their cardboard usage by 44 percent by adapting their shoebox design, eliminating receiving waste by skipping them, choosing BPA-free shipping labels, and setting up carbon-neutral shipping. Also, only stocking three timeless colorways 24/7 and handling limited-edition pairs to order means there's not a lot of wasted material at the end of a season. But the real reason Atoms is a game-changer we should all be talking about is that it's the first shoe brand to offer quarter sizes for optimal fit. Yes, we know, incredible.

8. Veya

Veja's founders set out to disrupt the sneaker industry after they found unacceptable and unsanitary worker quarters during an audit of a Chinese factory they conducted on behalf of the popular Western clothing brand they worked for earlier in the decade. Seeking to create a better business model that protected workers, didn't harm the environment, and ultimately produced a higher quality shoe at an affordable price, they headed to Brazil. Villagers living in and out of the Amazon's abundance led to wild rubber. They met a farming cooperative in Nordeste that produces their organic cotton without fertilizers or pesticides and using agroecology and gave them three-year planting contracts at double market prices.

Porto Alegre is home to the factory where Vega now makes hipster high-tops and vegan trainers. They continued to innovate along the way as their cult grew, using vegetables to tan leather and creating fabric from discarded plastic bottles found on the streets of Rio and Sao Paulo. Veja now sells in 50 countries and has matched two million pairs to happy feet. They also continue to adapt fair trade and green practices so you can sleep even more soundly at night. They refuse to use banks with branches in tax havens and get their green electricity from Enercoop which collects it from independent producers.

9. Sanuk

Laidback brand Sanuk from California has long been involved with groovy and green footwear designs made from hemp, vegan materials and recycled ingredients. To combat the environmental damage that fast fashion leaves behind, they also offer many machine washable styles to extend the life of the shoes.

Finally, SustainaSoles are one of Sanuk's most sustainable products with 55 percent recycled content. Sanuk partnered with BLUMAKA to divert foam waste typically produced in footwear production from being sent to landfills and turn it into a durable sole filler. The unpainted top also saves water (115 gallons per pair of Skuners) and energy.