Conventionally made shoes are either made of leather (which contributes to a negative environmental impact as well as animal cruelty) or PU (which takes hundreds of years, if not more, to disintegrate). They say you can tell a lot about a person by their shoes, and these sustainable shoe brands are making sure our shoes spell out style and sustainability all in one!
Paio
This PETA-approved vegan shoe brand is cruelty-free, conscious, and sustainable. But all this doesn’t stop the brand from making shoes that are style-relevant and chic. The brand has also collaborated with 5RCycle Foundation to help repurpose donated old shoes, and aim at starting to recycle them too. The brand uses a variety of sustainable materials like hemp, cotton, jute and more, along with employing local artisans to create their shoes. Most of their designs are made on a made-to-order basis, further eliminating waste in the production process.
Image Source: Instagram/paioshoes
Alohas
Another brand attempting to reduce waste during production is the Spanish brand, Alohas. The brand adopts a unique, on-demand model that allows customers to pre-order items on a discount. This helps the label assess the kind of demand for a particular product, helping them control quantities, thus producing less of things that aren’t as much in demand as others. The shoes are also made by hand by local Spain-based artisans, using leather certified by leather sustainability program, Leather Working Group. Their website’s new carbon offset feature also enables customers to make donations in order to help reduce the overall carbon footprint of e-commerce.
Image Source: Instagram/alohas
A Big Indian Story
A brand that started by creating products that promote Indian crafts and local artisans, A Big Indian Story has grown to offer a wide rand of conscious leather goods, including shoes. The brand uses many cruelty-free and eco-friendly leather alternatives as well, like Pinatex, Cactus leather, and Texon Vogue. Their footwear category includes two lines, with a wide variety of shoes ranging from comfy flat sandals to brogues and loafers. Their footwear lines also incorporate a touch of Indian crafts like Ajrakh, Bagru, and Kalamkari.
Image Source: Instagram/abigindianstory
Paaduks
Mumbai-based Paaduks is one of the most affordable and sustainable shoe brands out there. From basic, flat sandals to more formal shoes, this brand has a little something for everyone. That said, the brand aces sustainability by using materials like upcycled tyre tube straps, natural cork, as well as upcycled rubber tyres, which it uses to make insoles. Artisans and shoemakers from the Kurla locality in Mumbai make Paaduks shoes, making the label socially conscious as well.
Image Source: Instagram/paaduks
Mend
Shoe label Mend focuses on the ideology of less-is-more, which reflects evidently through its designs that are essentially season-fluid. The shoe brand uses sustainable materials sourced from skilled weavers, sustainably sourced vegan raw materials, and fully recyclable rubber soles. Mend shoes are made in mindful, limited batches, and handcrafted by Indian artisans. Comfort is another shoe promise the brand makes by adding a six millimetre cushioning, almost three times the average cushion used conventionally by most footwear brands.
Image Source: Instagram/mend_studio/