Stunning Stilettos: Go Green with Vegan Shoes

There's nothing quite like sliding your feet into a new pair of shoes that fit just right and look like sin. But they shouldn't actually be a sin.

Raising livestock and the water and chemicals used in tanning leather together leave a pronounced scar on the planet, but there is a green alternative: Vegan shoes.

The term vegan is most commonly used in reference to people who refrain from eating animal products—that's no milk, no eggs, no cheese, no meat. But most vegans will not use anything that contains animal products, which means they carefully vet the ingredients in everything they purchase, from the product in their hair to the shoes on their feet.

If you think buying vegan shoes is as simple as avoiding leather or suede, think again. Some glues used to make shoes contain mammalian collagen, a protein in the skin, bone and muscle of mammals.

Vegan shoes are made entirely from plant-based and man-made materials, including ultra suede, cotton (often organic), nylon, velvet, linen, cork, rubber, and other synthetics. Leather, fur, silk, wool, shell, pearls, and other animal products are strictly forbidden.

While vegan shoes are infamous for utilitarian style, chic vegan footwear options are growing for women who truly appreciate the beauty of a gorgeous pair of heels or a delightfully slouchy pair of boots.

Some well-established shoemakers have introduced vegan lines, including U.S. shoe giant Steve Madden's MaddenGirl collection for youths. While these companies make it easier to shop for vegan shoes, exclusively vegan companies stress the ethics should extend to all shoes a company makes, not just a specialty line.

New York-based olsen Haus—beloved by celebrities including Alicia Silverstone and Maggie Gyllenhaal—is up-front about its views on companies that aren't fully committed to producing vegan footwear.

"Olsen Haus is aware of the impact of consumerism on animals and the environment—and while some designer brands are making 'additional lines' that are marketed towards the eco-conscious to capitalize on the trend, while still maintaining a leather line, olsen Haus is 100 percent Vegan and always will be," the company states on its website.

This distinction is an important one for vegans.

Companies that make vegan shoes are also generally more environmentally and socially conscious than their non-vegan counterparts. Moreover, concern for wildlife directs most vegan companies to develop strict environmental guidelines for dealing with manufacturing waste.

Neuaura Shoes, an American company that manufactures its shoes in Brazil, was recently awarded the Green Seal from the Brazil Technological Institute for Leather, Shoes and Accessories, for its environmentally friendly practices. The company sources local materials to reduce their carbon footprint, and they use water-based adhesives and low-toxicity solvents and chemicals. Neuaura also recycles any unused materials. In addition to sponsoring habitats to protect endangered species, the company also advocates recycling and the protection and preservation of endangered species in the general community.

An ocean away, Novacas makes their shoes in Western Europe, ensuring their unionized workers are paid well and treated fairly. Their vegan shoes are made with synthetic microfibers that "stretch, breathe and wear exactly like leather."

U.K.-based Beyond Skin also carefully monitors its factories in England, Spain and India, but they go a step further, donating the greater of 1 percent of their turnover or 10 percent of pre-tax profits to grassroots environmental and social organizations.

Beyond Skin sources recycled materials whenever possible, and when faced with material choices, they choose the materials with the least environmental impact, including polyesters rather than viscose for their satins (viscose requires large amounts of acidic chemicals), and polyurethane as a leather substitute, rather than PVC.

Environmental and social responsibility is also important to olsen Haus. The company keeps manufacturing local, condenses shipments to reduce packaging and their carbon footprint, and keeps tabs on factories to ensure fair working conditions and wages.

While cruelty-free is the main focus for all vegan shoemakers, their concern for the environment and workers' rights is important in a world that grows more aware of these issues each day. Is it any wonder that those who find these companies fall in love and never look back?

If you want to find vegan shoes but don't know where to start, visit Moo Shoes, a retailer that sells nothing but 100 percent vegan shoes and accessories.

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