Friday, November 5, 2010

Vegan and Eco-Friendly Boots for Fall

Boot shopping season is upon us in most of the northern hemisphere.  My fake Uggs from a couple of years ago are getting worn out.  Even though they are so easy and warm, I'm getting sick of them.  I bought these earlier in the fall and love them, but I want more options.
Alternative Outfitters, $48, also in grey
My boots have to be vegan, and I prefer eco-friendly materials whenever possible.  There is an argument that leather and suede is never good for the earth, and synthetics are always less polluting.  In this list, I generally consider boots to be eco-friendly when they are made from recycled products.  Price is always one of the final determining factors for me, so this list basically starts with the cheapest and ends with the most expensive.  Here's what my search turned up:
 
Not exactly marketed as eco-friendly, but cheap and vegan:
Payless is mostly vegan by default.  I'm guessing from their numerous options of accidently vegan boots that it's cheaper to use man made fibers to make shoes.
$34.99 on sale, also in brown and black
$29.99.  Also in purple, black, and brown
Forever 21 has quite a few vegan boots that are described as "leatherette". 
Forever 21, $32.80
Alloy has quite a few options too.
$42.90, also in chocolate, black, mocha, and taupe

 Sometimes eco-friendly, always vegan, a bit more expensive:
only $31!
$69

Moo Shoes has a large collection of vegan boots, including these from Madden Girl.
Moo Shoes, $89, also in tan
Sometimes you can find vegan boots in surprising places, like Victoria's Secret.  They have a long list on non-vegan boots, but sometimes they carry brands like Report that use synthetics in place of leather and suede.
Report, $59
Report, $65 on sale
Colin Stuart, $99
Planet Shoes has a vegan brands section that includes a "why vegan?" link.  These Jambu boots are made with partially recycled rubber.
Planet Shoes, $169, also in brown

If you look at all of their boots, you can find vegan boots from brands that aren't entirely vegan.   These Blowfish wedge heels are made with faux leather and also come in black or "whiskey".
Planet Shoes, $79

Cri de Coeur is an entirely vegan company that makes shoes and other accessories.
Cri de Coeur, $150

Eco-friendly and vegan:
Bourgeois Boheme, a UK brand, has information on their website explaining why leather is never eco-friendly.
£110.00, also in black

£45.00, also in black
Beyond Skin, another UK company, offers these boots made from recycled plastic.
£159.00, also in purple

Vegan boots that are priced way beyond my reach, but a girl can dream:
Olsen Haus has a page on their site that explains that synthetic materials are always more eco-friendly than leather.


$360
Stella McCartney...cruelty free, fabulous, but so expensive.
Are you ready for this?  $595
Though it takes some effort, it's easier than ever to find vegan boots these days.  There are other sites I haven't mentioned yet that are devoted to vegan shoes.  Ragazzi Vegan, Vegan Chic, Vickery, Great Green Shoes are some favorites.  You can also search under the vegan category on Online Shoes, Endless, and Zappos

Now it seems like the hardest part is narrowing it down to only one pair of boots!

4 comments:

Tami said...

great post - I'm looking for vegan boots for my daughter.

Anonymous said...

Wow! I feel like we just went on a major shopping spree! When I lived in the US, Payless was often my vegan option. There are so many beautiful boots, but all my favourites are so expensie! Luckily looking is free...

Anonymous said...

For me, the hardest part is finding one pair of COMFORTABLE vegan boots.

Sarah said...

The first pair are really cute!