9 Sustainable Sandal Brands for Spring & Summer
I’m notorious for buying cheaply made sandals from Target when the weather gets warm. The sandals I buy never last long, so I buy new ones almost every year. There are SO MANY things wrong with fast fashion so I’ve decided I’m done with fast fashion if I can find affordable alternatives. In preparation for warmer weather, I have compiled a diverse list of 9 ethical and sustainable sandal brands. These brands are all vegan, sustainable (or well on their way to it), and mention fair working conditions on their website. I would personally support each of these brands, so I’m hoping you will too and choose not to buy fast fashion!
My goal for this is to list affordable alternatives, so while I have kept most products under $100, I have decided to include several options under $150. One of the reasons fast fashion is so cheap is because it’s incredibly harmful to the planet, workers, and animals. Buying sustainable products often means investing in lasting products that create a better world.
Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram if you decide to purchase from one of these brands! Let me know if you think the quality is worth the price.
thredUP, Poshmark, & THRIFTING
$1-$100
Before you go buy a new product, always go check a second-hand app or local thrift store. It’s incredibly hard to trust brands these days because so many of them are green-washing. Brands continuously preach sustainability while they secretly destroy the environment and go against everything the green movement stands for.
When buying second-hand, it doesn’t matter if a product is made of non-sustainable materials like plastic, because you’re not creating a demand for the product. You can seriously buy any brand that you want, even the really bad ones. My only precaution here is be careful not to buy products that are being sold via a boutique. A lot of these thrifting apps allow manufacturers to sell new products and make them look second-hand.
Image by Robinson Greig
Eating The Goober
$108
This brand is a Greek brand that sells via Etsy. They sell an ethical sandal made of car tires, motorbike inner tubes, cork, rubber, and pineapple textile. What makes them the most interesting is that they sell “upper parts”, or interchangeable bands for the shoe for only $15. So, after investing the initial $108 for the standard black shoe, you can purchase crazy colors and designs to snap on to your existing shoe. This makes the shoe extremely diverse and travel friendly!
I’m not the only one excited about this shoe, because they won the Earth Friendly award in the 2019 Etsy Design Awards. These sandals are made by local Greek craftsmen in fair and ethical working conditions and they save you money in the long run. Unlike some of the other brands, the possibilities are endless with this shoe.
Image by Eating The Goober
Okabashi
$20
This brand is the most affordable brand I found and it’s also available at Target! While this is another brand that has limited styles and is definitely a casual brand, they are still cute while being affordable. This company is based in Georgia and is part of the only 1% of shoes worn in the U.S. that are manufactured in the U.S.
The materials used are a combination of bio-based materials and recycled materials and all products come with a 2-year guarantee. Meaning if they don’t last 2-years, you can get a new pair – free. The company is dedicated to a circular economy, meaning whenever you’re getting ready to throw away your old pair, you can mail them back to Georgia to be made into new shoes. Read more about their sustainability efforts here.
Image by Okabashi
NAE
$39-$132
Ethically manufactured in Portugal, this Portuguese company “nae” stands for “no animal exploitation”. They are dedicated to being a fully ethical company for both humans and animals.
Their products use Pinatex, organic cotton, cork, recycled plastic, and vegan leather. The only material that raises an eyebrow is the vegan leather (typically made of a synthetic plastic). But, they use recycled plastic as much as possible, which is a step up from most brands. Read more about their sustainable materials here.
Image by NAE
Momoc
$75-$118
As a 100% vegan and 100% recycled materials brand, Momoc caught my attention right away. Most of their products and very original loafers and flats, but they do have several sandal types and seem to be developing more. This Spanish company is passionate about a circular economy and doing everything they can to be sustainable. They not only manufacture their products in Spain, but source all of their materials from Europe, most of it being from Spain.
Their CO2 emissions are almost zero, they have completely plastic free packaging, and donate 2% of their profits to non-profit organizations focusing on reforestation and animal reintegration in natural habitats. They use completely sustainable materials like recycled tires, eco-suede, and Pinatex (pineapple leather). Read more about their sustainable materials and packaging here.
Image by Momoc Shoes
Indosole
$40-$65
This is one of the more well-known sustainable footwear brands and one of the most affordable. But, they also have more simple designs and casual looks, so this is a brand for more casual weekend wear.
As a B-certified corporation, Indosole meets rigorous standards to be socially and environmentally sustainable. Getting B-certified is really difficult, so chances are any company that has this certification is doing something right. They make their products from recycled tires and natural dyes with as little water consumption as possible. Read more about how they’re helping prevent the burning of tires through material reuse here.
Image by Indosole
Deux Mains
$28-$75
While this brand uses 100% solar powered factories, repurposed tires, and all local materials – their main efforts are around alleviating poverty and creating long term economic development in Haiti. All of their employees (seriously, 100%) are full-time employees who have graduated from a job training program taught by the company.
The company produces products in small batches and is 100% women owned and managed, encouraging leadership and promotion from within. They started with the intent to fight hardships and poverty in Haiti by creating economic independence and jobs for Haitian people. They spend additional time educating local youth and making sure the entirety of the community is supported. Read more about their sustainability and ethics here.
Image by Deux Mains
Susi
$70-105
When you visit their website it says “Black Lives Matter. Now isn’t the time to buy heels. We are going offline. Please consider funding racial justice initiatives instead.” This message is followed with links and resources of how to support racial justice in the United States.
This brand is currently completely sold out and not selling currently. While I seriously hope the brand sells some affordable pieces for under $150 in the future, I wanted to feature them because I believe they’re doing everything right + more. They not only have adorable sandals, but they do intensive audits of their overseas factories to ensure fair working conditions, living wages, reasonable working hours and more. They make their shoes with recycled and environmentally friendly materials.
Image by Susi
Ipanema
$20-$50
All employees and families have access to health and dental coverage, personal development, and professional growth. Their factories are anti-slavery, anti-child labor, and accessible to those with disabilities. The company also provides family planning and healthy lifestyle seminars.
Products are manufactured in Brazil using 100% recyclable materials that do not use rainforest rubbers. Their company sustainability policy is based on the UN’s 17 sustainable development goals. Currently aligned with 8 of the 17 goals, all goals are set to be met by 2030. The company has reduced water consumption by 31%, eliminated 57% of waste generation, 13% of energy consumption, and avoided 44.274 tCO2 of carbon emissions.
More information about the company’s sustainability efforts can be found here.
Image by Ipanema
Know of a sustainable shoe brand I missed? Leave a comment below or message me on Instagram and let me know what brand I should add to this list. I am always trying to be a better, more conscious consumer, so I plan to develop these lists over time so we all know exactly where to go when looking for a sustainable alternative.