Is it possible to find stylish, durable, and ethical boots? Thankfully, it is. And these sustainable footwear brands are proving that fact.
These ethical boot brands have great selections too—you’ll find consciously made heeled booties, flat short boots, tall boots, and rain boots in this curation.
What ethical considerations are there? In this guide, I looked for brands with transparent production practices that treat all workers fairly. This always includes paying fair wages and ensuring safe working conditions, and may also include healthcare, paid time off, educational resources, and opportunities for growth.
I also tried to prioritize vegan eco-friendly leathers (not plastic!) and veg-tanned leathers sourced transparently.
I did find several great vegan, responsible, and ecologically sustainable brands for this guide, though, and look forward to seeing more options come to the market!
Price Range Key: $$ = $100 – $200 | $$$ = $200 – $300 | $$$+ = Over $300
Note: Some links in this guide are affiliate links. As always, I only share brands I truly believe in that meet high standards for ethics and aesthetics.
1. Thesus (Vegan)
I own Thesus’ Weekend Boots, and they are by far my most-worn shoes during cooler weather. You rarely find me wearing anything else!
The woman of color-owned brand is committed to sustainability, making their vegan boots out of over 95% natural and recycled materials!
Tip: size up if you’re planning to wear thick socks! I was glad I did so that I could wear these shoes hiking even during the snowy winter.
Price Range: $$
2. NAE (Vegan)
Standing for No Animal Exploitation, NAE has all-vegan footwear and accessories made slowly and ethically in Portugal.
NAE’s fall and winter boot collection features a variety of options made from unique footwear fabrics like organic cotton, Piñatex, and recycled PET.
Price Range: $$
3. Christy Dawn (Recycled Leather)
The vintage-inspired Victorian paddock boot from Christy Dawn makes for the ultimate sustainable boots for fall.
Each pair is handcrafted locally in Los Angeles from repurposed deadstock leather. The boots are available in black or a range of versatile neutral colors.
Price Range: $$$
4. The RealReal (Resale)
One of the best ways to get designer-level style and quality shoes sustainably (and on a budget) is to shop from luxury consignment shops.
Not all of us have these types of shops near us — but thankfully, TheRealReal makes it simple to check out all sorts of pre-loved goods — including designer boots.
Price Range: $ – $$$+
5. Nisolo
Nisolo is a fair trade shoe brand with transparent production practices. They publish the lowest wages across their supply chain.
The ethical shoe brand owns its own factory in Peru, ensuring more than fair wages, healthcare, and safe, healthy working conditions.
Price Range: $$ = $$$
6. Coclico
Coclico’s beautiful timeless shoes, including their beautiful ethical boots, are thoughtfully handcrafted by artisans in Mallorca, Spain.
The brand sources its materials, such as cork, wood, and sustainably-sourced leather locally in Europe. The company is also carbon-neutral, purchasing carbon credits to offset emissions.
Price Range: $$$+
7. The Root Collective
To ensure responsible production, The Root Collective sources their fabric directly from cooperatives that pay fair wages and works with two shoemaker workshops in Guatemala who produce their shoes.
These shoemakers earn 50 – 400% above the Fair Wage minimum in Guatemala.
The brand has fabulous short ethical leather boots in versatile neutral (yet beautiful!) shades.
Price Range: $$$
8. Brother Vellies
Brother Vellies is a Black woman-owned brand that was founded by Aurora James in 2013 to celebrate cultural history and keep African practices and techniques alive.
All of Brother Vellies’ shoes are crafted globally by artisans using timeless artisanal crafts. [Check out more Black-owned conscious brands in this guide.]
Price Range: $$$+
9. Fortress of Inca
Fortress of Inca works with three Peruvian shoemaker partners with deep experience in leather shoemaking.
The talented shoemakers at each of these workshops craft Fortress of Inca’s high-quality, ethically-made boots with sustainably-sourced leather.
Price Range: $$$
10. ALOHAS
Crafted in Spain, ALOHAS is a great place to find sustainable boots that’ll add a dash of glamour to your fall closet. Square-tipped or pointed, platform or high-heeled, ankle-length or mid-calf, no matter your preference, you’ll be sure to find a striking pair in a variety of hues to choose from.
Their range of vegan leather boots are made using biomaterials derived from cactus and corn, while the others are crafted out of Leather Working Group Certified Leather. Most of their boots are available on an “on-demand model” which allows them to produce only the amount that has been pre-ordered in order to cut waste. To encourage this, ALOHAS offers 30% off at launch and after two weeks, when the first batch of orders begins production, the discount drops to 15%.
Price Range: $$$
Shop ALOHAS’s Boots (ES)
11. Bohema (Vegan)
Bohema is a Polish brand creating sustainable boots from impressive biomaterials like Piñatex® pineapple leaf leather, Desserto® cactus leather, and VEGEA® leather that comes from grape leftovers used in winemaking. From rugged combat styles to chic cowboy boots and everything in between, these vegan boots are every bit as stylish as their leather counterparts – but better for the environment!
With a passion for craftsmanship that has been passed down through generations in the brand’s family, Bohema’s collections are handcrafted by the founder’s parents and friendly local family manufacturers. Their shoes are created in a solar-powered facility, where they are only produced through a pre-order model where a large part of production takes place only after orders are placed to avoid overproduction.
Price Range: $$$
12. Sylven New York (Vegan)
Sylven New York is a woman-owned brand creating sophisticated boots that look nothing short of runway-ready creations. The brand’s signature boot style comes in a 70’s inspired silhouette with a square toe front and block heel that’s available in a range of hues. Just add some flare-leg jeans teamed with a bodysuit and you’ll be looking like a modern-day Charlie’s Angel in no time!
The boots are ethically crafted from a combination of apple leather uppers, vegan lining made from renewable plant-based resources, and regenerated rubber soles.
Sylven offers cleaning and repair services to help you extend the life of its boots and works with a company called TerraCycle to ensure proper recycling and disposal of all unusable parts of its products.
Price Range: $$$
13. Poppy Barley
Poppy Barley is a B-Corp Certified ethical luxury brand based in Canada partnering with family-owned factories in Mexico and Brazil that provide sustainable employment opportunities, paying living wages and providing health care and pension benefits, and ensuring fair hours.
The brand is also taking significant steps to continually improve their social and environmental impact, reporting on their progress with annual reports.
Price Range: $$$+
14. Virón (Vegan)
Designed in France and ethically produced in Portugal, Virón’s boots are every bit as sustainable as they are stylish. With their signature lace-ups and chunky platforms in combat boot styles, these shoes will instantly transform you into a cyberpunk warrior on a mission.
To craft their boots, the brand uses a wide range of recycled, upcycled, and bio-based materials like AppleSkin™, a leather alternative made from apple pomace discarded by the beverage industry.
In an effort to be more circular, Virón has also begun accepting its worn-out boots from its customers in return for a discount towards a future purchase, so they can use the returned pairs as raw material for new Virón soles to prolong their life and functionality.
Price Range: $$$
Shop Virón’s Boots (FR)
15. REI Used
For eco-friendly and ethical hiking boots and heavy-duty outdoors boots that respect the environment you’re enjoying, look no further than REI’s Good & Used collection. REI has curated pre-loved outdoor gear — including hiking boots — from a variety of brands.
Price Range: $ – $$
You May Also Want to Check Out:
Consciously-Made Sweaters to Keep You Cozy
The Best Eco-Friendly and Vegan Shoe Brands
The Best Ethical & Sustainable Coats to Stay Toasty Warm this Winter
