Men's Footwear

From men's dress shoes, to vegan running shoes and CrossFit shoes, all of the men's footwear on our site is free of any animal-derived materials and by-products. We contact each company individually to make sure.

What is “vegan” men’s footwear?

Vegan men’s footwear simply refers to dress shoes, casual and athletic shoes, as well as boots, sandals and other forms of footwear, that are made from natural and synthetic materials (including glues and dyes) that are not derived from animals. It is also considered “cruelty-free” if none of the dyes, materials or adhesives are tested on animals.

What materials are used to make men’s vegan footwear?

Vegan & cruelty-free shoes, sandals and boots can be made from any combination of natural and synthetic cruelty-free materials and fibres, including:

Synthetic vegan leather (made from PU, PVC, microfibre, or various other materials)
Natural vegan leather (derived from pineapples, mushrooms, kelp, or other plants)
Synthetic vegan suede (typically made from different combinations of microfibre)
Canvas (made from cotton, hemp, linen, or other materials)
Kelp
Cotton
Cork
Rubber
Latex
Acrylic
Various other animal-friendly materials

What styles for men’s vegan footwear are there?

Men’s vegan footwear comes in many different styles, including (but not limited to):

Sandals: flip-flops, slide-ons, gladiators, dress sandals, clogs, etc.
Athletic shoes: lifters, running shoes, trail runners, cross-training/CrossFit shoes, etc.
Boots: dress boots, casual boots, bad-weather boots, etc.
Casual Shoes: chukkas, technical sneakers, classic sneakers, skate shoes, boat shoes, loafers, etc.

Why buy footwear that’s vegan?

Why harm something that you don’t have to? Every conceivable style and colour of men’s footwear can be made without the use of animal materials, by-products (and testing…yes, it even happens in the world of shoes). Vegan and cruelty-free footwear can pull off the same, look, feel and function as leather and suede-based footwear.

Does buying one pair of vegan shoes/boots really make a difference?

Yes, and it may be surprising that it’s a form of animal welfare activism…and an effective one at that! Here’s how it works; by purchasing vegan shoes, boots, sandals, or any other ‘vegan’ product, for that matter, you’re telling retailers, manufacturers and designers that there’s a market for animal-friendly footwear. Revenue coming in from these products will help support the product line, so more of them can be made. Demand fuels supply. This also works two ways; the more vegan footwear leaving shelves, the more leather & suede footwear is left sitting on shelves (and not getting re-ordered by retailers). This sends the message to companies that the market for cruelty-derived products is shrinking; lack of demand fuels lack of supply.

Is men’s vegan footwear expensive?

Just like leather and suede-based footwear, the cost to make vegan and cruelty-free footwear can vary quite a bit from one company, and one pair of shoes/boots/sandals to the next. Differences in materials used and production methods that are in place result in a variation in retail pricing. Some vegan footwear is quite affordable, whereas other footwear is quite expensive; most falls somewhere in between these two ends of the pricing spectrum.

Should I get rid of non-vegan footwear that I already own?

This is a controversial topic within the vegan community. In our opinion, it’s up to you to decide what you should do with your old shoes, etc., and other non-vegan items. If you have a hard time even looking at your leather dress shoes after you turn vegan, then give them away or sell them. Alternatively, if you want to keep wearing them until they've outlived their usefulness, due to the expense or inconvenience of replacing them, simply replace them with a vegan pair when you are in need. Whatever you do, try to avoid simply throwing them away.

What companies make vegan men’s footwear?

There are basically 2 types of companies that make men’s vegan footwear; companies that primarily make shoes, boots and/or sandals using animal derived materials and by-products, but choose to include vegan items to broaden their marketing reach (or for other business reasons); and companies that exclusively make vegan footwear (and possibly other goods), for ethical, sustainability, business or other possible reasons. Some companies whose men’s footwear is completely vegan-friendly include:

Native
NoVacas
Brave Gentlemen
Will’s
Bourgeois Boheme
NOHARM
Keep
Okabashi
Newton
inov-8
Ahimsa
Beyond Skin (men’s line of footwear coming soon)
Noah
Unstitched Utilities

How do you choose which companies to list?

We keep a list of men’s footwear companies that we find by way of social media, word of mouth, by Google searches and by other methods (Bing), whose entire catalogue seems to be vegan. We contact these companies to check that they don’t use any animal-derived materials or testing in the making of these products. If we’re convinced the items are suitable for vegans, and they’re listed on Amazon, then we display them here for your shopping convenience!

Do you list vegan footwear from non-vegan companies?

Short answer, yes, long answer, it depends on the item. If we have a hard time getting straight and consistent answers from non-vegan companies with regard to which of their products are suitable for vegans, we won’t list their products. Everything we list on this site is considered vegan & cruelty-free, so in order to list a product, we have to be 100% sure that a company doesn’t use animal materials, by-products or testing in the making of the products we are looking at listing. In the face of uncertainty, we won’t list the product.

Check out our similar product categories

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Can't find what you're looking for?

Try our Fully Vegan Footwear and Vegan Shoes by Other Brands pages to find more men's footwear - ranging from non-leather dress shoes and boots, to sneakers and loafers, and everything in between!

For companies that make men’s vegan footwear

If you or your employer makes vegan flip flops, running shoes, dress shoes, slide-on sandals, dress boots, bad weather boots, or any vegan product for that matter, we’d love to feature those products on our site... for free! Contact us at - info(at)getitvegan(dot)com - to find out more!

Sources

Some of the information for this guide on men’s vegan footwear was gathered from the following sources:

Vegan Leather: “7 Eco-Friendly (and Vegan!) Alternatives to Animal Leather.” Jasmin Malik Chua (August 9, 2011) Ecouterre. Retrieved March 5, 2017. http://www.ecouterre.com/7-eco-friendly-and-vegan-alternatives-to-animal-leather/
Style: “Pineapple Leather Is Here And It Looks Like A Real Game-Changer” Coral Brown (March 12, 2016). Huffington Post Canada. Retrieved March 5, 2017. http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2016/03/02/pineapple-leather_n_9368654.html
Blog: “How are Adhesives Manufactured?” Caitlin Uttley (September 15, 2014). BondTechIndustries.com. Retrieved April 12, 2017. http://www.bond-tech-industries.com/about-us/blog/adhesives-manufactured/