If you have chunky health shoes in an inconspicuous brown in your head when it comes to sustainable sneakers, you are probably not alone with this idea. How wrong you and the others are with this, however, quickly becomes apparent when you take a closer look at the sustainable sneakers that are now on the market. Visually, they are in no way inferior to normally produced shoes by major brands. Coolness and style can be expressed just as well with these shoes as with the shoes of well-known manufacturers who do not yet rely on sustainability. There are now sustainably produced shoes for every occasion – from sneakers to high heels to winter boots every model is represented. If you are ready to invest in a fairly produced and high-quality shoe, sustainable sneakers are just the thing for you.
These are the points that distinguish sustainable sneakers
Sustainable sneakers are not necessarily vegan sneakers. There are intersections, but especially if you are vegan, you should pay particular attention to whether a shoe meets this criterion and is completely plant-based. Shoes without animal products are actually always clearly and unmistakably marked. Check paulfootwear for example products of shoes.
But even if the sneakers are not vegan, sustainable sneakers are characterized by a number of criteria that we have put together for you here.
| Criteria | Hints |
| Production | Sustainable shoe manufacturers use natural materials in their production. Some manufacturers even manage to make compostable shoes in this way.If leather is processed, the avoidance of toxic substances such as chrome is in the foreground. Instead, a vegetable tanning process is used.
The use of local resources and the production of the sustainable shoes by hand is definitely the supreme discipline of sustainability. |
| Working conditions | Sustainability also includes the production facilities and employees. Fair conditions at eye level protect everyone involved and contribute to the abolition of exploitation in economically weaker countries. |
| Logistics | Manufacturers of sustainable shoes organize their corporate structures in such a way that transport routes are kept as short as possible and rely on an efficient storage strategy. In this way you reduce the emission of harmful substances such as CO2 through gasoline or diesel consumption. |
Note: Plant-tanned shoes are not vegan shoes, as animal leather is still used.
This is how you and the environment benefit from sustainable sneakers
The protection of the environment is a valuable asset and by buying sustainable sneakers and other sustainable products and following a sustainable lifestyle, the current imbalance is reduced bit by bit. You can read about the advantages of buying sustainable sneakers here.
- If only plant-based products such as cotton and natural rubber are used for production, sustainable sneakers are even suitable for a vegan lifestyle. Vegans do not have to do without stylish sneakers and all other buyers protect the animal world, even if they do not primarily focus on them.
- Many sustainably produced sneakers are completely biodegradable. They can be recycled and are therefore not a burden on the environment, even if they are worn out and have left their prime.
- Manufacturers of sustainable shoes know that their customers demand first-class quality if they are to pay a reasonable price in return. This ensures that the workmanship of sustainable sneakers is often much higher quality and better than when buying sneakers from some well-known mainstream brands.
- As usual, quality has its price. Sustainable sneakers play in a different league than sneakers from shoe chains or large mass manufacturers. Because of this, they are not affordable for all customers.
- Apart from Veja, there are only a few other brands that have gained popularity and spread the idea of sustainable sneakers and make them suitable for everyday use.
These brands are known for sustainable shoes
Sustainability as a philosophy of life is on the advance again and is gradually arriving in the minds of people and companies. The range of sneakers that are sustainably produced is growing steadily. The sustainable sneaker manufacturers are not yet represented everywhere in a large selection at leading retailers such as Otto, Zalando or Deichmann.
If you are interested in sneakers from sustainable production in the categories sustainable sneakers for women, sustainable sneakers for men or sustainable sneakers for children, it is worth taking a closer look at these sustainable sneaker brands.
- Wado
- Ethletic sneakers
- EKN footwear
- Mela sneakers
- Saye
- Veja sneakers
Veja sneakers are sustainable sneakers from Portugal. Like almost no other brand, the brand stands for the production of sustainable shoes and has strayed far from the image of the eco-pedal thanks to its modern design. Rather, Veja sneakers are absolutely trendy and are not only bought by people who are concerned with sustainability, but also because of their appearance.
In terms of popularity, Veja has some of the best sustainable sneakers on the market. It doesn’t matter whether it’s sustainable sneakers for women, sustainable sneakers for men or sustainable sneakers for children – with Veja the whole family gets stylish sneakers from sustainable production.
