As most of you already know, I’ve been trying reallllly hard to reduce the number of animal products in our home, which also includes SHOES!!! So far, I’ve found shoes to be the most difficult to replace because it’s so hard to find quality shoes that aren’t made of leather, that are actually CUTE … and that are ethically made and will last. Sounds like a big order, hey?! LOL!
I actually get a LOT of questions from people asking why I try to reduce the amount of leather and animal products in my home and why I try to find and wear vegan shoes over real leather shoes. The answer might seem self-explanatory to me, but basically, when it boils down to it, most of the leather in fast fashion comes from cows (or dogs!) that are typically not treated the best. I think it’s safe to say that most of this leather does not come from small local family farms, it comes from abroad (in most instances) where animal welfare is not a priority. If an item is leather and says made in China … the leather did not come from a small local farm!
I’ve seen one too many videos of animals treated poorly and when I buy something that does contain animal products, there’s no way to tell if “that animal … WASN’T one of those animals”. So, how do we stop those instances from happening?? I VOTE with my DOLLAR and try to partner with companies who are working to find us the best alternatives and replacements for leather if we decrease the number of leather items that we purchase then hopefully this will reduce the demand for this type of fast fashion!!
I would say it’s probably taken me somewhere close to around two years to find shoes that check all of these boxes and some of my favourite shoes are still made of leather … this is a massive work in progress, let me tell ya!! But I’m honestly so happy with some vegan shoes that I’ve come across lately, they are awesome quality and they are absolutely PERFECT for summer!
Generally, when I look for vegan shoes I typically go to my favourite sites for shoes, and I use the search bar to my FULL advantage! I type in “vegan shoes”, hit enter, and BOOM, they all appear there for me like MAGIC! LOL!! I’ve found a couple of really cute shoes doing this, such as these espadrille wedges (vegan leather straps!) and these wraparound lace wedges!
Aloe Espadrille Wedge | Hey Simone Sandal | Elysa Sandal | Abelia Pump | Espadrille Wedge Sandal
Left to right
White Vegan Sneaker | Taupe Heels | Block Heel Sandal (Black) | Multi Coloured Sandal
Left to right
I have to say, with all of these great finds I think it’s safe to say that I am FULLY stocked on adorable vegan shoes this summer and shouldn’t have to buy any more for a while!! LOL!! If you want more details on any of the shoes in the images of this blog, just click on the links below the photos and you’ll be directed to the website they’re listed on!!
Espadrille Wedge Sandal | Arizona EVA Sandals | Abelia Pumps | Classic Nude Vegan Heels | Pink Lace-Up Espadrille Wedge | Hey Simone Sandal
Top left to right
What are some of your favourite vegan shoe companies?? Make sure to share them with everyone in the comments section below!!
xo
Jilly
Thank you SOULiers Studio for sponsoring this post. All comments and opinions are my own.
Shoes of prey- A website that allows you to design your own shoes. While they are not solely a vegan shoe company there are plenty of vegan options.
Pretty!! I have been looking for shoes to wear to a wedding (I’m in the bridal party)! I love Mat and Nat’ shoes, and I’ve always wanted to buy a pair! This was the perfect reminder that I need them!! And on top of it all, the Abelia pumps are on sale!
I love all of your tips and tricks and ideologies on why it is important to reduce animal products and how it directly correlates to animal welfare. BUT another big angle is the environmental impact reducing animal products has! I don’t know if you’ve looked into it too much. If you haven’t, you should! If you have, I’d love to see this encorporated into some of your Pro vegan posts. We all love (or I hope we do at least), making sure our animals are safe and treated well, but making that choice is HUGE for the future of our planet. You’d be a great voice to those points and how we can do better for our kids and our kids kids futures ❤️
Thank you for writing this post! I feel like i may have been one of the people to bug you for vegan shoe recommendations (sorry, not sorry). One of the commenters on your Instagram recommended that I check out Beyond Skin which are very cute. Also, I am not sure if Rothy’s are 100% vegan but they ARE made from recycled plastic. I’ve had my first pair for a month and I am in L O V E.
Espadrilles are always my favorite, but man those striped slides are so adorable!
TOMS also has SUPER cute vegan shoes!
The Grinning Goat is a vegan boutique that opened up in Calgary last September! Everything we carry is vegan and ethically made. Would love for you to pop in if you have time when you are in Calgary again. We have lots of gorgeous quality made vegan shoes and accessories as well. One of our favourite brands is Native shoes which are from Vancouver. Thanks for sharing your vegan journey!!
How have you not yet discovered VEERAH shoes? Stunning, sustainable and PETA-approved. The first brand to désign a luxury shoe collection using repurposed organic APPLE peels! A must check-out for vegans and non-vegans alike!