Women's Heels & Wedges

Stay fashionable and cruelty-free wearing vegan heels, pumps and wedges from our curated collection. We’ve contacted all of the companies that make these shoes to ensure they are all completely free of any animal-derived materials.

Women's Heels & Wedges

$66
BC Footwear Womens Empowering Vegan Pump
BC Footwear – Empowering Pump
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What are “vegan” heels and wedges?

Vegan heels and wedges are simply any style of ladies’ footwear with a raised heel that are made without animal-derived materials and by-products. If none of the dyes, materials or adhesives used for the shoe are tested on animals, then the heels or wedges are also considered cruelty-free.

What materials are used to make them?

Vegan heels and wedges are made from any combination of natural and synthetic cruelty-free materials, textiles and fibres. Sometimes, they are made using just one end material. The materials that might be used include:

  • 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)
  • EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate)
  • Canvas (Typically made from cotton, hemp, linen, flax, or other natural materials)
  • Cork
  • Rubber
  • Latex
  • Acrylic
  • Various other animal-friendly materials 

Please Note: Some vegan heels and wedges made from PVC and EVA can be recycled, or are made using recycled materials.

What styles of heels/wedges are vegan?

Vegan heels and wedges, whether made with a low, mid or high heel, can be made in all of the same casual and dressy styles as their non-vegan counterparts. Some of these styles include:

  • Kitten heels
  • Pumps
  • Stilettos
  • Ankle strap heels/wedges
  • Wedge heels
  • Wedge sandals
  • Cone heels
  • Sling back heels
  • Platform heels
  • High heel sandals
  • Peep toe heels
  • High heeled boots
  • High heeled booties
  • Spool heels
  • Mules (open or closed toe, & wedges or heels)
  • Cut out heels
  • Corset heels
  • French heels (a.k.a. “Louis Heels” or “Pompadour Heels”)
  • Oxford heels
  • Chunky heels
  • Comma heels
  • Espadrille heels/wedges
  • Random/wildcard heels (like the kind you might see Lady Gaga wearing)

Why buy heels/wedges that are vegan?

Every conceivable style and colour of casual and dress heels and wedges can be made without the use of leather, suede, snake skin or any other animal materials and by-products. Vegan and cruelty-free heels and wedges can pull off the same look, feel and function as their cruelty-derived alternatives. 

Does buying one pair of vegan heels or wedges really make a difference?

It sure does! And it’s actually a very effective form of animal activism! Here’s how it works; by purchasing vegan heels or wedges, you’re telling retailers, manufacturers, distributors and designers that there’s demand for animal-friendly footwear… and demand creates supply. The more vegan shoes leaving shelves, the more leather and suede pairs left sitting to collect dust, or end up in the discount bin. This lack of inventory turnover lets companies know that the demand for cruelty-derived products is shrinking; with less demand for such products, less will be made.

Bonus: Showing your new vegan pumps off to friends, family and other people in your circle of influence will cause even more demand for cruelty-free shoes!

Are they expensive?

Just like leather and other animal skin-based heels, stilettos, pumps and wedges, prices can vary from one model of shoe to the next, based on differences in materials used to make them, differences in manufacturing processes employed, and the different brand names attached to them. As a result, some pairs are quite affordable, whereas others are quite expensive; most fall somewhere in between.

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

This is a fairly controversial topic, and one that’s very hotly debated. Regardless of what anyone says, it’s up to you to decide what to do with your old, non-vegan items; only you can decide what you can afford, and what you’re comfortable wearing. Your best options might be to give them away or donate them, or keep wearing them until they’ve fallen apart or otherwise outlived their usefulness and then replace them with a vegan pair. Whatever you do, try your best to not just simply send them to a landfill if you or someone else can still make use of them.

What companies make vegan heels and wedges?

There are basically 2 types of companies that make vegan heels and/or wedges; companies that primarily make their footwear using animal-derived materials and by-products, but choose to include vegan and cruelty-free models to broaden their market reach (for cost reduction purposes, or for other business reasons); and then there are companies that exclusively make their shoes vegan-friendly for ethical, sustainability, business or other possible reasons. Some companies whose footwear is completely vegan-friendly and cruelty-free include:

  • Will’s
  • Melissa
  • Neuaura
  • Novacas
  • Olsenhaus
  • Cri de Coeur
  • Bourgeois Boheme
  • Beyond Skin
  • Noah
  • Ahimsa
  • Stay tuned for more companies!

How do you choose which companies to list in your store?

We keep an ever-growing list of women’s footwear companies that we find whose entire catalogue seems to be vegan and cruelty-free. We get in touch with these companies to make sure that they don’t use any animal-derived materials or by-products in the making of their heels, wedges, or any other footwear they produce. If we’re convinced their footwear is suitable for vegans, and they’ve products are listed on Amazon, then we list those shoes here in our Amazon-curated store for your shopping convenience.

Do you list vegan heels and wedges from non-vegan companies?

Yes, but it depends on the pair. If we have a hard time getting straight and consistent answers from non-vegan companies with regard to which of their shoes are suitable for vegans, we won’t list that company’s products. Before we list anything on this site, we have to be 100% sure that it’s vegan & cruelty-free. 

Check out our similar product categories

Seen enough vegan heels & wedges for now? We’ve got more helpful pages similar to this one:

For companies that make vegan heels and/or wedges

If you or your employer makes vegan and cruelty-free high, mid or low heels, wedges, or any other vegan and cruelty-free product for that matter, we’d love to hear from you and feature your products on our site... at no cost! 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 heels & wedges was obtained from the following sources: