Vegetarian Shoes is Likely a Fully Vegan Brand

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Vegetarian Shoes Brand Highlights

Operating since 1990 in Brighton, England, Vegetarian Shoes is a pioneer in the vegan footwear space. The brand places heavy emphasis on animal and human welfare, and less of an emphasis on offering eco-friendly footwear.

About Vegetarian Shoes

"Vegetarian Shoes was established in 1990 at a time when Veganism was not a widely recognised word (it was a battle just to try and get some soya milk for a cup of tea from a small independent health food shop!)." - Vegetarian Shoes team

What materials are used to make Vegetarian Shoes?

Within each shoe's description on the Vegetarian Shoes website it will give glimpse of the materials used to make that shoe. In general however, Vegetarian Shoes uses a mix of the following materials:
• Man-made synthetic leathers and suedes (mostly "Vegetan" brand - including the mycro, patent, bucky, and other lines)
• Natural materials like cotton, cork, and hemp (the hemp being organic)
• Innovative plant-based leathers such as the “Bio Eco-Green,” which uses corn waste and recycled plastic, and Piñatex (from pineapples)

Are Vegetarian Shoes eco-friendly/sustainable?

From an environmentally-friendly materials standpoint, their shoes, boots, and sandals are at least somewhat eco-friendly, as they incorporate many high-quality materials, and natural materials, into their designs. And while the virgin man-made synthetics they use in many models are generally considered worse for the environment than recycled synthetics, or natural materials, they are generally considered to be more environmentally friendly than animal-derived leathers. This is backed up by data from inside the fashion industry as well as outside of it. For the data, please see Collective Fashion Justice’s CIRCUMFAUNA initiative. According to the brand, "Where possible we want our shoes to be as environmentally friendly and ‘people friendly’ too. Some of the shoes materials are quite environmentally friendly."

Does production of Vegetarian Shoes's Footwear create a lot of harmful emissions?

From a carbon footprint standpoint, it's difficult to asses the impact that Vegetarian Shoes has, and what they do to remediate it. The brand does not currently provide data as to their environmental impact or remediation efforts, so it's difficult to accurately asses them in these areas. The brand does say, however, that "The level of solvent emissions from our factories are well within legal levels. We stitch many of our shoes which reduces the need for chemical use, and we also work with hemp. We are always looking for new ways to reduce damage to the environment."

Does Vegetarian Shoes use ‘green’ shipping methods?

It's unclear from their website if they use net-zero or negative emissions shipping partners, either domestically or internationally. We’ve asked them for clarification, and they told us that they use "DPD parcel force and some other shippers," although it's not clear if any of those options are eco-friendly to any degree.

Does Vegetarian Shoes use eco-friendly packaging?

We've reached out to their team to get further details on this, and are awaiting reply.

Are their shoes recyclable or biodegradable?

Vegetarian Shoes says, "With regards to our materials, not all of them are biodegradable eg Vegetan suede, micro, active and bucky. That said, some of our products are biodegradable; the cotton, and some of the polyester, that is a component in most of our styles, is biodegradable. The Vegetan uppers are 70-80% biodegradable. The level of solvent emissions from our factories are well within legal levels. We stitch many of our shoes which reduces the need for chemical use, and we also work with hemp. We are always looking for new ways to reduce damage to the environment."

How should I dispose of my old Vegetarian Shoes?

We’ve asked the Vegetarian Shoes team if they currently have, or are developing, a shoe recycling program, and they told us they don't have one yet. Get it Vegan recommends either trying to have them repaired by a local cobbler, donating them to someone in need, or taking them to a clothing recycling depot (if available in your city), which can strip them down to their recyclable components.

Which stores can I buy Vegetarian Shoes shoes from?

Their shoes can be purchased from the Vegetarian Shoes website, and can be shipped worldwide. They also have a showroom/shop in Brighton, England. We've asked them if they work with retailers, and they told us that there are a few independent shops that carry their footwear, such Avesu in Berlin, Moo shoes in New York, Green Laces in Stockholm, and some others.

Do their shoes ever go on sale?

When we last visited their website, we saw that some models were marked down about 50% from their original price.

Where does Vegetarian Shoes make their footwear?

Their shoes are made within the EU (UK, Spain, Italy, Poland, and Portugal).

Are their shoes made with fair labour?

Yes! Vegetarian Shoes's footwear is made in the UK, Poland, Spain, Italy, and Portugal, which means their labourers are protected by the stringent labour laws of the European Union, which also include strong health and safety regulations.

Is Vegetarian Shoes a charitable company?

We’ve asked their team about any charitable initiatives they're involved with (if any), and they told us that, "Viva! is our chosen charity. Due to do a new shoe for them."

Does Vegetarian Shoes promote ‘slow fashion’ or a ‘circular economy’?

Vegetarian Shoes incorporates some elements of a circular economy, such as: using high-quality materials; using natural materials (including organic hemp); making timeless styles; avoiding fast fashion-level pricing; and employing fair labour.

Is Vegetarian Shoes an ethically vegan brand?

Vegetarian Shoes is an intentionally and ethically vegan brand, rather than one that uses vegan materials out of convenience, or for other reasons. In the brand's words, “We are a vegan-friendly footwear company (as the majority of our vegan staff will testify) and we are proud to make high quality vegan footwear.”

Vegetarian Shoes Footwear Range

Vegetarian Shoes makes a very wide range of footwear, most of which is unisex, and sells it at a mid-range price point. Their styles run the gamut, from industrial and punk, to retro and trendy, and from dress shoes to runners and steel toed boots. They sell their own vegan versions of many popular styles of footwear, such as Birkenstock sandals, Adidas "Stan Smith" tennis shoes, Ugg boots, Doc Marten boots, and Timberland boots. Overall, their current range includes: