Women's Sneakers
Stay cozy and cruelty-free wearing any of the shoes from our curated collection. We’ve contacted all of the companies that make these sneakers to ensure they are all completely free of any animal-derived materials and by-products.
Women's Sneakers
What are “vegan sneakers"?
Vegan sneakers are casual shoes in various styles made from natural and synthetic materials and textiles (including the glues and dyes used in the shoes), rather than animal-derived materials. They are also considered “cruelty-free” if none of the dyes, materials or adhesives used for the shoe are tested on animals.
What materials are used to make women’s vegan sneakers?
Vegan sneakers can be made from any combination of natural and synthetic cruelty-free materials, textiles and fibres, including:
- Synthetic vegan leather (made from high grade PU, PVC, microfibre, or various other materials)
- Natural vegan leather (derived from pineapples, apples, cactus, mushrooms, kelp, or other plants)
- Synthetic vegan suede (typically made from different combinations of microfibre)
- Canvas (made from cotton, hemp, linen, bamboo, or other materials)
- EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate)
- Recycled plastic bottles or ocean plastic
- Rubber
- Latex
- Acrylic
- Satin
- Cork
- Various other animal-friendly materials
Why buy sneakers that are vegan?
Every conceivable style and colour of sneaker can be made without the use of leather, suede, or any other animal materials and by-products. Vegan and cruelty-free sneakers can pull off the same, look, feel and function as their leather, animal material-derived counterparts.
Does buying one pair of vegan sneakers really make a difference?
Yes, and it’s actually a very effective form of animal activism! Here’s how it works; by purchasing vegan sneakers, or any other ‘vegan’ product, for that matter, you’re telling retailers, manufacturers and designers that there’s demand for animal-friendly footwear; demand creates supply.
Are vegan sneakers expensive?
Just like leather and suede-based flats, the cost to make vegan and cruelty-free models can vary quite a bit from one company, and one model of shoe to the next. Differences in the materials used and the production methods employed can result in a wide variety of retail prices. Some vegan sneakers are quite affordable, whereas others are very expensive; most pairs fall somewhere in between.
What Styles of Vegan Sneakers Exist?
Vegan flats can be made in all of the same colours and styles as their non-vegan counterparts; for example vegan flats can be made as:
- Low-top sneakers
- High-top sneakers
- Sneaker boots
- Athleisure shoes
- Chunky sneakers
- Platform sneakers
- Mixed-media sneakers
Should I get rid of any non-vegan sneakers that I already own?
It’s up to you to decide what to do with your old, non-vegan sneakers; you just have to decide what you can afford, and what you’re comfortable with. In our opinion, eco-friendliness should also be considered - diverting shoes from the landfill as much as possible. Your best options are to give them away or donate them, or you can keep wearing them until they’ve fallen apart or otherwise outlived their usefulness.
What companies make vegan sneakers?
There are two types of companies that make vegan sneakers; companies that primarily make their shoes using animal derived materials and by-products, but choose to include vegan items to broaden their marketing reach, for cost reduction purposes, or for other reasons; and then there are companies that exclusively make their sneakers vegan for ethical, sustainability, business or other possible reasons. Some companies whose sneakers are completely vegan-friendly include:
- Will’s Vegan Shoes
- Allkind
- Arcas Bear
- Bahatika
- BC Footwear
- Beflamboyant
- Biankina
- Native
- Matt & Nat
- Melissa
- Neuaura
- Novacas
- Olsenhaus
- Bourgeois Boheme
- Keep
- Okabashi
- Beyond Skin
- Noah
- Unstitched Utilities
- Ahimsa
How do you choose which companies to list?
We keep a list of women’s footwear companies that we find via social media, word of mouth, by Google searches and by other methods (Ask Jeeves?), whose entire catalogue seems to be vegan. We contact these companies to check that they don’t use any animal-derived materials or by-products in the making of their sneakers and other footwear. If their shoes are suitable for vegans, then we display them here for your shopping convenience.
Do you list vegan flats from non-vegan companies?
Yes, but it can depend on the company. If we have a hard time getting straight and consistent answers from non-vegan companies with regard to which models of their shoes are suitable for vegans, we won’t list that company’s shoes. We have to be 100% sure that everything we list on this site is vegan & cruelty-free.
Similar product categories
Had enough of vegan & cruelty-free flats for now? Check out our similar product categories if you want to learn about or buy other vegan products:
For companies that make vegan sneakers
If you or your employer makes vegan sneakers, 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 mini guide on vegan and cruelty-free sneakers was obtained from the following sources:
- Fashion & Beauty: “The Ultimate Guide to the Best Vegan Sneakers.” Aruka Sanchir (August 19, 2021). VegNews. Retrieved December 15, 2021. https://vegnews.com/2021/8/guide-best-vegan-sneakers
- Fashion: “The Best Vegan Sneaker Brands for Daily Life.” Katy Sarik (December 15, 2021). ELUXE Magazine. Retrieved December 15, 2021. https://eluxemagazine.com/fashion/the-best-vegan-sneaker-brands/